It’s done! Building my Transforming Bumblebee distracted me for a bit. However, I actually completed my Pave Low helicopter before the Beetle. In parts one and two of this series I explained how this sort of model has gotten a lot more complicated. Thanks to newer parts and techniques, the simple solutions I would have been happy with ten years ago just don’t hack it anymore. In this third and final part, I finally unveil the finished article.
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The Wheel of Time is a classic series of Fantasy novels by Robert Jordan, first published in 1990. One of the empires in the Wheel of Time universe is known as Seanchan, and it inspired Douglas Hughes to build a LEGO version of a Seanchan Greatship. According to the builder, the Seanchan style is a fusion of medieval European and Asian influences. For example, the figurehead is European while the trio of ribbed sails are reminiscent of Chinese junks. I love the sculpting of the bow and the ornate detailing running the entire length of the ship. The golden hawk figurehead looks stunning and doubles as a reference to Artur Hawkwing, one of the Seanchan empire’s earlier leaders.
Masterful builder Jarek has turned his hand away from building incredible Star Wars models to something a little closer to home in our world, but still nearly as fast. This snazzy Formula 1 Ferrari has remarkably accurate lines, something that’s exceedingly difficult to accomplish in LEGO at this scale. In fact, LEGO’s official designers in Billund have tried their hands at this very car, which appeared in 75889 Ferrari Ultimate Garage. He’s captured the spindly nature of these heavily glorified go-karts, and even sitting still this thing looks fast.
Especially impressive, though, is that Jarek hasn’t overlooked the small details, like the exposed chassis and suspension at the car’s rear.
The next best thing that came out of the Star Wars prequels, next to having Darth Maul and his dual lightsaber scenes (for me at least) were these STAP (Single Trooper Aerial Platform) Droids. I’ve always thought they were quite functional and neat looking while being able to navigate smoothly through jungle terrain. This build by SP Design is quite a delightful reminder that this particular pair of vehicle/character could be a set issued under the constraction theme, similar to the Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike. I’d probably get a bulk load of them just to have an army. It’s also been a while since I’ve watched the prequels and maybe time to do so again.
The 2019 LEGO Speed Champions line includes a diverse range of new and classic cars, many of them packaged as pairs in single sets. We recently reviewed 75894 1967 Mini Cooper S Rally and 2018 MINI John Cooper Works Buggy, which depicts two specific historical vehicles. Although 75893 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon and 1970 Dodge Charger R-T doesn’t appear to depict specific race-winners, it certainly rivals the Mini Cooper set for sheer length of the set’s name! The set includes 478 pieces with three minifigs, and retails for $29.99 in the US (£34.99 in the UK and $39.99 in Canada).
When it comes to earthmoving equipment, the Caterpillar brand stands out as a time-honored tradition. The company’s 320 Hydraulic Excavator packs some serious digging power, and looks amazing as this 1:30 scale LEGO model built by Sheo. It looks accurate to the original, right down to the tracks and hydraulic digging system. The driver’s cab is particularly impressive, expertly formed with rigid tubing, clip, hinge, and bar elements. Other inspired details include black whips for handrails and studs-not-on-top building to form the shape of the CAT logos on the vehicle’s body.
Sheo. even used his tractor to recreate an action-packed scene from the 2012 James Bond film Skyfall.
The Koenigsegg Agera is a beast of a supercar — 0 to 100 kph (0 to 62 mph) in 2.8 seconds and a theoretical top speed of 439 km/h (273 mph). It also looks like a boss. Gerald Cacas manages to do supercar styling at super-small scale with this lovely 7-studs-wide model. The curves and angles of the bonnet are particularly well done, and I love the blue of the interior and the way it contrasts with the black and white of the external livery.
Best of all, the doors and bonnet open, and the boot can pop off to reveal the detailed engine. Nice use of textured pieces like minifigure tools to provide more detail than you might expect in such a tightly-scaled model…
Before Star Wars, pirates were among the original rogues. The LEGO community of RogueBricks decided to do a pirate-themed collaborative build for German fan event, Bricking Bavaria 2018. Builder markus19840420 answered the call with this prodigious pirate ship. His ship is dressed to impress, thanks to the curvature of the hull and custom rigging and sails.
See more views of this fantastically detailed sailing ship
If there’s one scene that stands out from Stranger Things, this has got to be it. In a plot twist where one would have thought that the bicycles would take flight, instead we had a lovely surprise. With this, the Duffer Brothers wrote the 80s Chevy Van right into movie-making history books by making it fly in this epic escape scene. I’ve got to hand it to Andrea Lattanzio in showing that a great scene can be brought to life with the simplest builds, just with LEGO parts on hand.
LEGO Technic is a fantastic system for creating functional models with working mechanisms. However, it’s less often that we see Technic parts (particularly panels) integrated brilliantly into a “regular bricks” creation. However, this fabulous model of a Landrover Defender by ianying616 goes to show that the best builders select the best pieces for the job, regardless of which branch of the LEGO parts family they may originally come from. The shaping here is excellent — a good combination of regular System bricks and Technic axles, joints, and panels — perfectly capturing the recognisable lines of the Defender.
This thing is a BEAST — bulky and beautiful, with a striking black and red colour scheme. Beyond the overall styling, the details deserve appreciation: a rooftop lamp rack, a detailed interior, working suspension and steering, and opening doors, boot, and bonnet. And lurking beneath that bonnet? A gleaming engine block, ready to propel this bad boy through any obstacle in its path. Great stuff.
A red 1958 Plymouth Fury triggers memories of the movie adaption of Stephen King’s book Christine, and the car has a cult following for that reason. I’m not sure you’d want to keep this tiny version around any more than you’d want the living car from the movie — you might just find it in pieces on the floor when you wake in the morning, there to torture you with the pain of stepping on LEGO pieces. We’re pretty sure that builder hachiroku24 made it safe for us by performing an exorcism in advance, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.
If you’re willing to take the risk, here are the video instructions and parts list to build your very own tiny sinister vehicle.
Click here to see the parts and video instructions
In American car culture, the rat rod has come to symbolize rugged individualism. You might think of it as the automotive equivalent of a cowboy. Over the course of seven months, Manuel Nascimento built a LEGO Ford Model A rat rod. Manuel’s Model A oozes personality, with its “rust brown” patina, chrome trim and chopped, lowriding body. His model captures the subtle curves and angles of the real car. I’m particularly impressed with how the sides slightly slant upward.
Manuel’s rat rod is as impressive mechanically as it is visually. The car is equipped with power functions motors for moving, steering, and the ability to raise and lower the rear. Because the engine is exposed, you can also see it in action. Manuel chose to highlight these features in the following video.
See this gorgeous Model A rat rod in action