I will admit that the announcement of the 10252 Volkswagen Beetle got me overtly excited. Car and LEGO fans alike are just waiting for it to hit stores, but there’s two big problems: It’s $100 and it’s not out yet. Fixing both of those problems is a chibi version of the set from Gerald Cacas, complete with tiny surfboard and cooler chest.
Need more tiny cars? Check out this mini Mini Cooper which scales down 10242 Mini Cooper MK VII even more.
Kirill Mazurov, who has once blown our minds with an incredible ER-1250 bucket wheel excavator, keeps proving his talent for elaborate Technic models. The original John Deere 648L skidder is a heavy logging machine, and even in this scale (only half a meter long) it does look massive yet extremely smooth and stylish.
Believe it or not, there are 9 PF-motors inside this little beast. Together they are responsible for 8 various functions which makes this model as functional as the real one. And if you’re still not impressed, here’s a video of the skidder pulling trees and climbing some hills:
You can find many more awesome creations in Kirill’s photo stream. Don’t hesitate to check it out!
Chopper bikes were instantly popularized around the world following the 1969 film Easy Rider and this LEGO chopper motorcycle by Martin Redfern is a lovely example. One of the features of this particular build is the sparing use of technic parts. Instead, Martin has chosen to create brick built features. For example, those over-sized wheels have been painstakingly built using 1×1 round plates radiating out from an octagonal bar frame part.
The shapely brown leather seat is best seen from above, this angle also allows the drive chain to be seen in all its functional glory. There are some great parts utilised throughout the build but little touches like the pearl gold gas tank cap and the pith helmets really make this model shine.
As one of the most popular LEGO themes ever, Classic Space continues to be a source of inspiration for builders even to this day. This all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and various accoutrements is a lovely space scene created by SweStar. The ATV is quirky and utilises a more unusual part for the trans-yellow cockpit windshield, the x-pod barrel. Although I love the vehicle, my favourite part of the build are those little crates stacked on the left hand side. I wonder if they are for the collection of alien life-form specimens?
A closer look at the ATV confirms that it is definitely a more unconventional vehicle with its use of technic rotation joints for suspension and ingenious brick-built wheels.
This huge Blacktron-themed tank by Adrian Drake measures a whopping 104 x 48 studs. Complete with a rotating turret and articulated corner treads, this LEGO tank is an absolute necessity for any Blacktron fleet worth its salt.
Adrian explained that his build was inspired by the artwork of DeviantArt user Duskie-06, but of course modified for LEGO building and tricked out in black with yellow trim and red transparent pieces in order to be a true Blacktron vehicle. According to Adrian, “The entire thing is basically a giant technic framework that, when I take the treads off, I can pick up and swoosh quite easily. It is, in reality, a SHIP with tank treads.”
If you’re looking to build a Blacktron Behemoth of your very own, be forewarned, to complete a tank like this you will need to spend countless man-hours in R&D and manufacturing. It took Adrian nearly two months to complete this build and that was even with the assistance of child labor: Adrian’s 9-year-old son designed the gun on the top of the turret and his 12-year-old son tirelessly mass-produced the tank’s treads. Without minions of your own, you’re looking at a much longer timeline before your tank rolls off the assembly line.
To see the up-close details of this build, be sure to check out more photos of Adrian’s massive Blacktron tank on Flickr. You can also see this tank in person at Brickworld Chicago or BrickFair DC.
Update: Read the full review of 10252 Volkswagen Beetle here on TBB!
One of the most iconic cars of all time is returning to the brick. Today LEGO has unveiled a spiffy new version of the famous bug, 10252 Volkswagen Beetle. The Beetle comes fully outfitted for a day at the beach with a surfboard, cooler and even a beach towel. It includes license plates for the USA, UK, Germany and Australia, as well as new large curve elements for the wheel arches and loads of new parts in azure. The set will retail for $99.99 USD when it goes on sale Aug. 1, and contains 1,167 pieces. The LEGO Beetle’s larger sibling, the VW Camper Van, is one of the longer running products in LEGO’s catalog, though it will likely be retiring soon in favor of this new addition to the LEGO VW family. Read the full details about the new Beetle set after the jump.
Click to see more of the Volkswagen Beetle
It’s hard enough to live in space, thanks to cosmic radiation and lack of atmosphere. Why make things even tougher by leaving toxic waste laying around? Horcik Designs has a new vehicle called the HMT4 to handle all your hazardous material handling needs. It has treads aplenty to handle the roughest terrain, and it is adorned in the colors of Neo-Classic Space. The impressive density of details is only enhanced by some carefully chosen custom stickers. So cool!
VW Beetles (or “Bochos” as they are called here in Mexico) are a timeless design. Here’s a pair rebuilt as tiny hot rods. Tim Henderson, you deserve a hug for the detail you’ve packed in at this scale…
There are two models because the builder wanted to illustrate both the tatty and rusting original car, and the shinier version following its restoration. Tim has even managed to create two convincing engine designs — great work with such a small amount of pieces.
This summer, the LEGO City airport gets a huge update, including a variety of new airplanes. But before you grab any of the new sets from a store shelf, are you sure your airport facility is equipped well enough? In case it isn't, take a look at this inconspicuous workhorse by EROL.
“Goliath” is an amazingly compact and well-thought aircraft tug. A Power Fuctions connector and an IR reciver on the top of the vehicle gives out its main function – it can be remotely controlled. The heart of the tug is an M-motor, which is not the most powerful one, but thanks to a low gear it is able to tow up to 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs). But my favourite touch is a couple of red Light & Sound flashing lights. This piece is about 25 years old, but it looks awesome even in modern creations. And here is a short video of the tug in action:
This dangerous looking spaceship is filled with clever techniques and interesting parts. The extensive use of Technic gear racks is especially menacing, but the real standout here is the innovative sticker usage. They weren’t custom printed. Rather, Adrian chopped up a bunch of the yellow stickers from set 75053 The Ghost (from Star Wars Rebels) and placed them on the model in an interesting pattern. The stickers were already printed to be scruffy-looking, but the builder wanted them to be even scruffier. So he abraded the stickers by rubbing the model back and forth on a wooden table. The stickers aren’t shiny and smooth any more, but the result is definitely worth it.
The long-awaited third Ghostbusters movie is due to première in about five weeks. The first trailer quickly became the most disliked movie trailer on YouTube and the second trailer strikes me as particularly unfunny too. Oh dear. Of course I’ll have to withhold judgement on whether the movie is any good until after it hits the discount DVD bin. And this is not a movie review site, of course, but there is at least one interesting thing that has already come out of this movie so far: a brand-new LEGO set, 75828 Ghostbusters ECTO 1 & 2.
The set was announced in February, is due for release in the Summer, and will retail in the US for $59.99. The goodie bag I received during my recent trip to Billund contained an early release copy of this set, which gives me the opportunity to review it.
Read the full review after the break
Check out this fantastic Piper Super Cub by Norweasel. The overall shaping is lovely, and there’s some smart parts usage going on—particularly the use of “useless” rubber spike pieces for the tail of the floats. I’m not 100% convinced by the swords as props, but that’s a small grumble at an otherwise excellent model.
And to top it all, the builder has posted a detailed breakdown of how the model is built so you can have a go yourself.