Sometimes big things come in small packages — especially highly explosive things. This adorable little space rover built by Pascal for FebRovery no doubt packs a serious wallop with its integrated missile launcher:
The smiling minifigure is absolutely fitting. As the builder suggests, who wouldn’t be happy driving a rocket equipped go-kart?
I can’t lie, I’m in love with this blue armored vehicle by Andrea Lattanzio. Based on the S.H.A.D.O. mobile from the 1970 British sci-fi series, UFO, this tracked creation has a ton of great details and features wrapped in a classicly pleasing color scheme.
The builder did a great job staying faithful to the original S.H.A.D.O. design while incorporating a few extra touches such as the bubble dome and radar array. Also, the canopy opens to expose a detailed little interior – very cool! With such an assortment of high tech computers and equipment (well, at least for the 70’s) this tracked command center looks more than ready to lead the fight against the alien invaders.
In the world of LEGO motorcycles, it can be difficult to create a model that stands out from the pack. André Pinto has managed to do it not only through a superb technical build, but also a striking colour scheme employing lime green as a dazzling highlight.
Make sure that you zoom in on this model to not miss any of the terrific details in the engine. A favourite part of mine here is the older black ladder elements André has used to give the distinctive slatted detail around the pistons.
For Canada’s 150th birthday, Adam Dodge built a Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker diorama, and it’s surprisingly satisfying to look at. There’s a nice contrast between the clean surfaces of the ice and sea and the intense, broken up ice and the very industrial-looking ship. The icebreaker just pops out with its bright, high-visibility colour scheme. The whole diorama has a sense of motion about it, with the thick ice stacked up in the front and the broken-up ice at the back, which is achieved by carefully arranged translucent window panes and cheese slopes.
It’s February and that means one thing – no, not romance and chocolate, but space exploration rovers! Yes, it’s FebROVERy again and we’re seeing a ton of sweet entries into this annual event where builders focus on creating strange and fun little space exploration vehicles. First up, check out this awesome insectoid-style rover by F@bz.
See more awesome LEGO space rovers
There’s something about racing strips, cowl scoops and 440 cubic inches of pure, unadulterated horsepower that just screams my name. If that sounds like your kind of thing, then you’ll be equally in love with this 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T by Havoc:
One of the most iconic American muscle cars (and not to be confused with the largely plastic and uninspiring version reintroduced in 2008), the 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T was the choice for those wanting sheer performance – and the envy of pretty much everyone else. The Challenger R/T is no less impressive nor eye-catching replicated here in LEGO form. This model is just plain gorgeous. Check out the clever techniques and parts usage to capture the angles of this majestic muscle car. The opening hood exposes the beautifully detailed engine compartment.
This model brings out the inner kid in me and, as an adult, makes me want to check my savings account. This is the stuff of a male adolescent’s dreams. Perhaps it’s just nostalgia, but one thing’s for sure – no kid ever grew up with a poster of a Passat on his bedroom wall.
One of the most interesting aspects of LEGO is the opportunity builders have to recreate and expand the universes of their favorite books, movies and TV shows. It’s awesome watching builders bring these stories to life and creating whole new elements through the use of bricks. Shannon Sproule does just that with a series of spaceships inspired by the book/TV series, The Expanse, such as this United Nations Navy fast transport vessel:
The builder has chosen to design an entirely new ship to the UNN fleet, which, though numerous, is less technologically advanced than its counterparts. That is evident in the utilitarian design of the ship and its appropriately blocky shape. The cargo containers help round out the imagined role of this UNN workhorse. The builder is working on a series of The Expanse-inspired ships, so make sure to take a look at his Flickr for more.
This little road trip has got lots of details going on by Thomas W. First of all, you can’t miss the Hot Rod that’s built to perfection. I love the subtle details like uneven, worn-out road and the Route 66 sign that’s about to tumble over. The details of the flora and fauna are great too—in case you missed the perched vulture. The exposed LEGO studs make for natural detailing on the saguaro, too.
How does one person go from creating How I Met Your Mother vignettes to building an epic Mad Max: Fury Road Doof Wagon? We may never know, but the fact is, Speedyhead did it. I have yet to meet a person who did not like the latest Mad Max film, be it for the insane vehicles and action or the underlying theme of equality and freedom. The Doof Wagon is many people’s favourite “character” of the film. I can’t imagine many things more awesome than a metal concert riding into battle on a huge postapocalyptic truck.
All the details are in the right places and the whole thing is just like in the film. It has everything from the weird guitar-flamethrower player to the huge speakers. The base adds a lot to the presentation too, and even some sense of motion and power.
LEGO wasn’t always about plastic bricks. Back in 1932, Ole Kirk Kristiansen, a master carpenter and joiner, establishes his business in the village of Billund, Denmark. Ole’s firm manufactures stepladders, ironing boards, stools and wooden toys. By the early 1950s, LEGO was producing not just wooden toys; plastic toys account for half of the company’s output. The older wooden toys remain in circulation today, often as rare or collector items depending on their condition. Bailey Fullarton has used an apt mix of an original wooden LEGO tractor from the late 1940s/early 1950s and the plastic parts we all know and love to show off the vintage toy.
The LEGO Group’s many wooden and plastic products from the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s took inspiration from social change and technological progress. In the early 1950s, the LEGO Group set up production of a Ferguson tractor in plastic. A range of implements is also available for the new toy tractor, including a cultivator and a plough, for hitching on the back of the tractor. These implements fit not only the plastic Ferguson tractor, but also the wooden tractors that are also part of the LEGO® products at the time. The collection below shows the same tractor as Bailey used bit in better condition and with some of the accessories for working the land.
I personally prefer Bailey’s worn tractor with its played with, nostalgic feel. I get the impression the tractor has had a hard life as a toy and now it is resting by the creek, enjoying the peace and quiet of retirement.
The Sikorsky HH–60G Pave Hawk is a twin-turboshaft engine helicopter in service with the United States Air Force, and TBB’s own Ralph Savelsberg has chosen to depict this versatile helicopter in ‘European One’ camouflage colours. The amazingly accurate shaping of Ralph’s model was the first reason this model caught my eye. I have flown in Blackhawks and seen them close up in my previous line of work, and I instantly recognised the Hawk family resemblance. There are a few details that I particular like, for example Ralph’s clever solutions to using a limited palate of dark bluish grey, dark green, and olive green means the hubs on the wheels are actually dark green minifigure heads!
See more of this amazing LEGO helicopter
The LEGO Speeder Bike Group is hosting their annual Racing League Contest. Any minifig-scale speeder bikes are welcome to enter. Check out the group’s photo pool for examples, if you aren’t familiar with the genre.
There are three Grand Prize sets up for grabs, as well as individual category prize sets, donated by The Brothers Brick!
Click here to read all about the prizes!