Tag Archives: Vehicles

LEGO planes, trains, and automobiles! Well, maybe not trains, since they don’t like to play with the other LEGO themes, but here you’ll find all our favorite cars, buses, boats, ships, helicopters, and anything else with an engine (and some without).

Keeping track of the Cuthbertson Land Rover 2A.

Here’s something you don’t see every day. That is precisely how John O’Shea started his write-up, which is fortuitous for me as it offers a neat segue into the rest of this article. Lazy writing? No, call it “opportunistic”. This model is based on the Cuthbertson tracked Land Rover created by J.Cuthbertson in Scotland. Here we see it employs tank tracks bolted onto an extra frame beneath the vehicle. This setup allowed Scottish farmers to navigate through uneven boggy terrain as they tended to their farms. The idea was so popular that it eventually became a factory option.

This particular Land Rover is equipped with spotlights on the roof as well as a snorkel just in case the farmer gets into some deep doo-doo. Topping out at a little over 20 mph (32 kph) this wouldn’t make an ideal getaway car but if the aforementioned deep doo-doo is in your cards, then the snorkel shall accommodate nicely.

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The Bugatti Centodieci is a nod to its own legacy

Do you like the LEGO automotive work of Firas Abu-Jaber? Do you enjoy everything Bugatti has to offer? Do you have $8.9 million burning a hole in your pocket? Well, two out of three isn’t bad. Only ten of youse with deep pockets would have already placed your order for the 2020 Bugatti Centodieci, the rest of us average schlubs will just have to settle for drooling over Firas’ stunning LEGO rendition. I’m particularly fond of the turntable plates that comprises sort of a “cheese grater” vent at the B-pillar, which is an obvious nod to the Bugatti EB110SS supercar of the 90’s but the larger iconic horseshoe grille is reminiscent of the more modern Veyron and Chiron. Complex and subtle curves is what gives all of Firas’s work his signature style.

The 2020 Centodieci is so new and so rare that Firas had to guess how the doors and engine lid opened as there are no photographs online yet showing how it all works. He made an educated guess that it would go something like this.

No matter how the doors open in real life, the 2020 Bugatti Centodieci is a nod to its own legacy and is one of many, many reasons our hearts go pitter-patter whenever we see Firas’ work.

The Cybertruck and the collective gasp heard around the world

When Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk unveiled the Cybertruck recently the world let out a collective sigh of…what the hell were you thinking? Elon himself even uttered an unpublishable expletive when a shatter-proof test didn’t go as well as planned. While the electric pickup indeed boasts some rather impressive stats, (like winning a tug-of-war with a Ford F-150, ranging 250-500 miles without charging and doing 0-60 mph in 2.9 seconds) the overall angular design resembles something out of a bad 80’s movie. Quickly the jokes and memes flourished with a common theme being a kid could have drawn it. I’m pretty sure ten year old me made quite a few concept drawings that were similar to it. No stranger to dreaming up concept automotive designs both in childhood and adulthood is Ford engineer and prolific LEGO car builder Peter Blackert. While he is also aware of the jokes, Peter is an opportunistic builder who sees the positive in a lot of things, even this Cybertruck.

As odd as it may be, Peter captures the shape very nicely as evidenced by this particular digital render.

Just for fun, Peter has also rendered a Classic Space version!

Admittedly, the Cybertruck is like nothing else Tesla has to offer. Elon and his companies specialize in shaping the future and, according to him anyway, the shape of the future is a throwback from the 80’s. After getting over the initial shock, some, including Peter, have warmed up to the design. Should we trust his instincts and follow suit? As an automotive engineer and a passionate, prolific LEGO car builder Peter surely knows a thing or two about automotive design and what the future may hold.

Spinner from Blade Runner takes off in a blast of steam

The gritty vision of a major metropolitan city after a mass-migration off-world is just one of the stunning visual elements in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner. What is left behind is a world filled with the poor and downtrodden remnants of humanity struggling to eke out a living among crumbling infrastructures, lawlessness and an everyone-for-themselves dystopia. But at least they have flying cars, as depicted in this wonderfully detailed LEGO scene built by Keiichi Kamei. Keiichi’s scene features the classic flying car more commonly referred to as the Spinner, which is how the few police that are still around get a bird’s eye view of the city. It’s also perfect for dropping in and out of potentially dangerous situations.

The builder uses custom stickers to give the police vehicle it’s signature details, and I love the brick-and-slope-built steam clouds that really give the scene a dynamic aesthetic.

1989 Batmobiles are so hot right now

Even with the release of the new 1989 Batmobile right around the corner, we continue seeing new models of the caped crusader’s classic ride. We recently featured one such design, and now Lucas has delighted us with his latest version. And I say latest, because he’s made a ton of Batmobiles. While I can’t necessarily corroborate his claim that he’s “the ultimate master at building Batmobiles”, he does make a pretty convincing argument.

I’ll let you review the plethora of designs in his photostream yourself, but let’s take a closer look at this one. First of all, I love the size of it. Whether official sets or fan creations, Batmobiles are often oversized for minifigure scale cars. This one looks just right. Second, the use of minifigure accessories is quite skillful; the frying pans for intakes are especially perfect. Third, many of the updates he made in this version were done not just for looks, but also to make it a more stable model. Not only does it look cool, but it stays together too. Taken together, do all these factors make him the master of Batmobile building? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

When pink touches yellow, you’re a dead fellow

If you’ve been hankering to hit the stars in a stylish Vic Viper, Kirby Warden has you covered with his blazing yellow Kigiku. In Japanese, Kigiku means yellow chrysanthemum but don’t let the name fool you; if you think you can outrun this starfighter, it’s time to wake up and smell the roses! You’re not going to get away when the pilot has maximum visibility in the cockpit mounted high above the fuselage.

If the subtle angles of the body formed using hinges are any indication, this is also one speedy vessel. Even the most formidable opponents may find themselves distracted by Kigiku’s lively yellow, dark pink, white and dark bluish gray color scheme.

More LEGO City 2020 sets revealed including a brand new street sweeper and an ice cream truck [News]

Although police and firefighters are the essences of the LEGO City philosophy, it’s often non-emergency vehicles and buildings that win adult fans’ love. We’ve just got the first look at the LEGO City emergency sets the other day. Today, pictures of several more LEGO City 2020 sets appeared online thanks to the Polish retailer’s webpage. These are 7 totally different sets, including a plane, a new iteration of a street sweeper, and even a 4+ Junior set. Each of the sets will be officially available starting Dec. 26, 2019, and while we don’t have full USD prices yet, we can confirm approximate euro prices.

Don’t miss the other new sets for 2020:

Check out all the individual City sets below.

Continue reading →

The most helpful farm insect

What is your favorite farm animal? Cows and horses are great, but what about scorpions? Forget those venomous insects and meet advanced CLAAS telehandlers designed for all types of work around the farm. Michał Skorupka built a very nice-looking copy of CLAAS Scorpion 756. Although the LEGO version of the model is very compact, it carries a full set of Power Function motors enabling driving, steering using both axles, and a fully functional telescopic arm.

What I love the most about farm vehicles like this one is their ability to be easily equipped with dozens of custom devices. Michał uses a very simple locking mechanism allowing to replace an attachment in no time.

To enjoy the model in action, make sure to check out a video covering all of its functions.

A Technic gunmetal Ford GT is cocked and loaded

Builder Lachlan Cameron has replicated the 2019 Ford GT quite nicely with Technic bits in an understated gunmetal gray. Much of its complex shaping is achieved through considerable build skill and liberal use of flex tubing cased in Technic pin connectors along the roofline and hood details, while the same treatment is achieved with 1×3 liftarms along the front fenders. I’m a fan of sports cars with an understated primary color scheme but a flashy secondary color (in this case tertiary color in red)…Well, it’s just enough flash to let us know it means serious business.

The real thing is loaded with six cylinders in the chamber, seemingly a underwhelming number for such an aggressive beast. With this in mind, you may be tempted to race this car in your Monte Carlo but doing so would be akin to bringing a knife to a gunfight, which so many action spy movies attest is a bad idea. It can crank 647 horsepower out of those six bullets with a top speed of 216 mph. Lock, stock and barrel, this is one fast projectile indeed!

LEGO Speed Champions Ferrari F8 Tributo and 1985 Audi Sport Quattro S1 revealed [News]

Two new Speed Champions supercars were revealed today by Motor1.com & Caranddriver.com. Featuring the Ferrari F8 Turbo (76895) and the 1985 Audi Sport Quattro S1 (76897), they add to the lineup that from Lamborghini and Jaguar dual sets showcased recently. All-new Speed Champions now feature the new 8-stud design language bringing more detailing and larger piece counts.

Click to take a closer look at the two new vehicles

Four new LEGO Technic 2020 sets are revealed [News]

The first of LEGO Technic 2020 sets, 42109 App-Controlled Top Gear Rally Car, was revealed yesterday. Today, we are having the first look at more LEGO Technic 2020 sets, which were just published online by some retailers. The new products look as fresh as ever, while the lineup includes a broad range of types of vehicles. Each of the sets will be officially available starting Dec. 26, 2019, however, we don’t have full USD prices yet.

Don’t miss the other new sets for 2020:

Check out individual Technic sets below.

Continue reading →

Three wheels are better than two

For most of us, tricycles were what we rode as kids, before we graduated to big-kid bicycles. Two wheels were cooler, faster, and just all-around better than three. And we all know how awkward it is to be the third wheel on a date; two wheels are always preferable in relationships and transportation (four wheels are fine, too; both double dates and cars can be lots of fun). After seeing this build by Michael Kanemoto, however, I am thinking that perhaps I threw away that third wheel too soon. That beefy back tire looks like it can get some serious traction, ready to rip up the surface of some alien planet in the quest for more speed, akin to a souped up Polaris Slingshot on steroids.

The frame is made of clips and bars, creating a technical-looking structure that is light and sturdy. Technic panels are placed on the outside to give it clean lines and a definite space-y vibe. I love the greebling of the underside of the cockpit area, including the old classic space flashlight and the ski. The massive transparent light blue canopy adds flair, comprised of several different elements that work well together. The trans-light blue is picked up in the hubcaps of that enormous drive wheel, explicitly in the knob at the center and hinted at by the layered printed dishes stolen from General Grievous and Isla Nublar visitors. I just hope those big wheels keep on turning, carrying the driver home to see his kin.