A valiant effort from your brain in trying to pronounce that title as you read it. Have another go…

The Sonderkraftfahrzeug or ‘special motor vehicle’ (hereby known as the Sd.Kfz. 250, as even the Germans didn’t like to pronounce it), was a lightly armoured half-track multi-purpose transport used by the German military throughout World War 2.

Armed with a single or double machine gun, the Sd.Kfz. 250 saw duty as a troop carrier, radio vehicle, command transport and reconnaissance car, and could reach almost 50mph.

This rather neat remotely controlled Technic version of the Sd.Kfz. 250 comes from Chawn of Eurobricks, and features working suspension, twin L-Motor drive to both the tracks and the front wheels, and RC steering.

There’s more to see of Chawn’s remote control half-track – including a video of it in action – at the Eurobricks forum – make the jump via the link above.

We haven’t seen the ghostly US drama ‘Supernatural’ because, well… it sounds a bit shit. Besides, Buffy did it all 8 years before and she’s really pretty. Anyhoo, whilst we don’t really care much for the show, we do care very much for this, the brilliantly menacing ’67 Chevrolet Impala used throughout the programme.

This stunning Technic replica of the Supernatural Impala comes from car-building legend and TLCB Master MOCer Sheepo, who has returned from the dead after two years away from his bricks.

Powered by two XL motors, with a Servo motor controlling a two-speed semi-automatic gearbox, a medium motor driving the steering, and another the auto-opening trunk lid, Sheepo’s creation is packed with spooky automated functions that bring it to life.

The Impala also features working door locks, a detailed V8 engine, double wishbone front and live-axle rear suspension, and a fully detailed interior.

A complete gallery of images is available to view at Sheepo’s excellent website, which also includes a video of the model in action. Head over to sheepo.es by clicking here for the build’s full details, or visit the Eurobricks discussion by clicking here.

It’s tough being a TLCB Elf at times. After being squashed on several occasions by colleagues’ remote control finds one of the Elves finally got itself an RC model to exact some revenge and then found it was too slow to do any squashing at all. Worse still, its targets jumped in the back for a free ride.

Fortunately this amazing Caterpillar 797F mining truck (one of the largest in the world in fact) by Sheo features more than just remotely controlled drive and steering. All-wheel suspension and folding ladders are present too, but they’re of no use to a vengeful Elf.

What was useful was the enormous fully mechanised dumping bucket, operable remotely via twin linear actuators. This meant the inventive Elf could drive its free-riding colleagues out into the snow that’s currently surrounding TLCB Towers and tip them neatly into a snow drift. Revenge exacted.

We now have one very happy Elf, and several very cold ones. No matter, there’s more to see of Sheo’s excellent Caterpillar 797F on Flickr and at the Eurobricks forum, which includes a video demonstrating the model’s features. Click the links to take a dump.

This utterly wonderful vehicle is a 1940s Mack LMSW 6×4 wrecker, as used by both civilian towing companies and the British and Canadian military during the Second World War. The LMSW was powered by a 10-litre 6-cylinder petrol engine driving the two rear axles, with a Garwood single and later double crane (as shown here) mounted above them, each of which was capable of lifting 8 tons. The fiendishly complicated-looking booms and stabilisers are actually very simple, using steel wires to winch into position without the need for hydraulics and other complications.

This stunning Model Team creation comes from Flickr’s Dirk Klijn and he’s recreated the classic Mack absolutely beautifully. Underneath the unbelievably realistic and superbly detailed exterior is a fully remote controlled drive train, with a combination of XL and Servo motors plus a third-party SBrick bluetooth controller allowing the model to be driven via the SBrick app on a mobile phone.

Dirk’s model is one of the finest Lego trucks you’ll find anywhere and there’s more to see of his Mack LMSW on Flickr. Head over to the Mack’s Flickr album via the link in the text above for all of the superb images.

Third-party bluetooth control wizards BuWizz have powered numerous creations that have appeared here at The Lego Car Blog over the past few years. With up to eight times the power of LEGO’s own Power Functions battery and IR Receiver set-up, BuWizz-powered creations are capable of very un-LEGO-like speeds.

The BuWizz team would like to see just how fast your creation can go and as such they’re running a competition this month to find the fastest Lego cars on the internet. There’s a twist too, which can you discover in the link and/or video below…

If you’d like to enter your own remote control Lego creation you can do so via the BuWizz website, and there are some fantastic prizes on offer for the winners! First place will receive the new LEGO Technic 42083 Bugatti Chiron set revealed here previously, whilst second and third places will get their hands on some awesome BuWizz goodies (so you can make your fast car even faster!).

To read the competition rules and to enter your own fast car click the link below!

Enter the BuWizz Fast Car Competition

[Elven screaming]… [Thump!]… [Elven screaming]… Sigh. It’d been a while since that last serious incident of Elf-on-Elf vehicular violence, but today normal service was resumed thanks to this remote control ‘Dirt 2’-inspired Class 1 off-road buggy by newcomer Teo.

Powered by twin LEGO Buggy Motors and with mega-travel suspension all round Teo’s buggy made easy pickings of the Elves unfortunate enough to be caught the corridors of TLCB Towers.

We now have some tidying up to do as we try to remember which combination of cleaning products most effectively removes Elf blood from carpet, so whilst we get on with that you can see more of Teo’s Class 1 buggy from the video game Dirt 2 at either Flickr or via the Eurobricks forum, plus you watch the model in action courtesy of the video below.

YouTube Video:

Suggested by a reader, and then necessitated by a massive Elven tantrum, today’s post comes from previous bloggee Alexey Tikhvinsky aka SilenWin. It’s based upon an earlier blogged creation of his, which it turn was based upon a model by another previous bloggee Lucio Switch back in 2015.

The subsequent three years of development has led to this, the ‘Indominus Mk3’. Driven by four RC Buggy Motors – the most powerful motors LEGO have ever produced, with two BuWizz third-party bluetooth bricks delivering up to eight times the power of LEGO’s own Power Functions system, pneumatic shock-absorbers, and portal-axels with planetary gear reduction, SilenWin’s Indominus trial truck can go just about anywhere and over just about anything.

We’re going to explore this all-conquering ability in the corridors of TLCB Towers today, where there may be some ‘accidental’ Elven casualties. Whilst we have some fun at the Elves’ expense you can check out full details of the build on Eurobricks plus you can see all of the images on Flickr here.

There’s an arms-race going on in the SUV market at the moment, with small rich women continually trying to one-up each other in their quest for the largest and most pointless school-run vehicle. Flickr’s Alexis Dos Santos has fast-forwarded to the logical conclusion of this meaningless contest with the perfect vehicle for taking little Ethan and Isabella to the school gates. Unless someone makes a bigger one of course.*

Derived from the new ‘Mortal Engines’ movie trailer, Alexis’ amazing tracked town ‘Salthook’ features Power Functions drive and steering, folding bridges and a wealth of mini-figure scale detailing. A large gallery of stunning imagery is available to view on Flickr – click the link above to check out all of the photos.

*See the official ‘Mortal Engines’ movie trailer here, where there indeed a ‘bigger one’. The next Cadillac Escalade will probably beat it though.

Russia’s recent presidential elections once more provided an emphatic win for Vladimir Putin. Securing his fourth consecutive term in office with a huge 77% of the vote, Putin defied the odds, a constitution which limits consecutive terms to two, accusations of voting irregularities, and the assassination and imprisonment of the other candidates. A thoroughly deserved win then!

The run-up to the election which delivered Putin’s decisive victory was also assisted by a thorough and active police force, ensuring the the Russian people were safe and secure to cast their all-important vote. Many vehicles were deployed to this end, but our favourite is this, the GAZ Tigr SPM-2.

With 7mm armour plating, a four foot wading depth, and powered by a 5.9 litre Cummins diesel engine, the GAZ Tigr is the perfect vehicle for Russia’s armed forces to traverse their country’s vast and varied landscape. It’s also large enough to hold a number of police offers plus any citizens that are as yet unsure of whom to vote for.

This brilliant police-spec Technic GAZ Tigr SPM-2 comes from previous bloggee filsawgood and instead of containing undecided voters/rival political candidates it’s stuffed full of technical wizardry. All four independently suspended wheels are powered by a pair of BuWizz bluetooth bricks controlling four Large drive motors and Servo steering motor, whilst a Medium motor powers the front-mounted winch. There’s also a six-cylinder piston engine, opening hood, doors and sunroof, and a fully appointed interior ready to receive any political dissidents.

There’s lots more to see of filsawgood’s hugely impressive GAZ Tigr SPM-2 at both Flickr and the Eurobricks discussion forum – take a look via the links above and remember to show your support for the President in the comments.

Vehicle-building legend Sariel is back! After three years of development Sariel has revealed his latest model, and what a model it is! The exterior is a beautifully realistic Model Team recreation of Kenworth’s T600 truck in sleeper-cab configuration, and would be worthy of an appearance here as a static model alone. But this is far from a static model.

Inside that superbly constructed body is a complete sleeper interior and a highly detailed engine. Oh, and more electronics than an Apple Store. Two XL motors drive this near 6kg model, with a four-speed sequential gearbox also controlled remotely (which moves the in-cabin gear-lever as the gears change!). The steering wheel also turns in conjunction with the remotely steered front wheels and the engine turns over regardless of the gear selected for added realism. The seats, cabin doors and even the turntable inside the brick-built microwave (yes, really!) are all electrically powered and remotely operable, as is the all important fifth-wheel trailer hitch, which allows the connection of a huge low-loading trailer complete with three motorised functions of its own.

Finally the whole model has been thoroughly illuminated thanks to third-party lighting specialists Brickstuff, with 38 LEDs including interior lighting (including inside the microwave!), automated reversing lights, remotely controlled turn signals, warning beacons, and head and tail lights. The exterior chrome has been completed by Chrome Block City and custom brick-makers Seven Studs have even produced a personalised hood ornament. No wonder this took Sariel three years to complete…

There’s a lot more to see of Sariel’s incredible creation at both Flickr and via the Eurobricks forum, where you can also watch a video of all of the amazing motorised functions in action an see the impressive trailer hitched up too. Take a look via the links above and ready your mind to be blown.

It’s time for another Review here at The Lego Car Blog. However we’re not reviewing an official LEGO set, or even an official LEGO product. After several days of fun… er, we mean ‘arduous testing’, we can bring you a full review of one the most important products to enter the Lego Community in years. This is TLCB’s in-depth review of the SBrick bluetooth control.

Regular readers of this website will know that remote control vehicles appear here frequently. This is thanks to LEGO’s excellent Power Functions system, which upon its release in 2008 allowed builders to easily motorise and remotely control their creations via infrared receivers. It was an instant success, and – judging by the amount of Power Functions equipped vehicles that still appear on these pages – it’s a product that shows no signs of waning.

There is a weak(ish) link with the Power Functions system though, as those infrared receivers struggle in direct sunlight, have a limited range, and they also restrict power to the two outputs they can handle simultaneously. But technology has moved on a lot in a decade, and it was only a matter of time before someone attempted to address these issues. And add in a whole lot more besides…

Launched a few years ago the SBrick by Vengit removed the need for infrared control by bringing bluetooth to LEGO’s Power Functions system. This means that models can work in bright sunlight, there’s a huge 50m range, and – of course – that Lego creations can be controlled via any bluetooth enabled device, including your phone, tablet or gamepad control.

The SBrick itself is a wonderfully neat bit of design. Measuring sixteen studs square it’s no bigger than LEGO’s own infrared receiver, however with no, er… infrared receiver to worry about, it can fit twice the number of outputs – effectively doubling what your model can do. Plus as bluetooth uses UHF radio waves the SBrick can be completely hidden from view deep within a model – unlike LEGO’s infrared receiver which must have a line-of-sight to its controller in order to collect the signal.

Our SBricks arrived in grey, being a good colour match to LEGO’s usual Technic hue, and both looking and feeling high quality. In fact the only way the SBrick differs visually from an official LEGO piece is with square studs instead of round. The SBrick can connect to LEGO pieces in the same way that the official infrared receiver does, via studs on top, tubes on the bottom, or via Technic pins/axles on the sides. The SBrick must be connected to a power supply – in our case LEGO’s own Power Functions Battery Box – via a LEGO extension wire, at which point a green light appears to tell you power is being received.

You are then able to connect your motors, lights or sensors up to the SBrick’s four different outputs in exactly the same way as you would with LEGO’s own infrared receiver and your model is now ready to be controlled via bluetooth! Well, almost…

Of course to control an SBrick-equppied creation you will need a bluetooth device. There’s no need for LEGO’s infrared controller, which can be replaced with any number of bluetooth enabled products. We selected an iPhone, downloaded the SBrick app, and got to work!

The app is a quick and easy download and install, and allows you to log in as a guest, or to set up your own SBrick account where you can create and save your own model profiles. We created a model profile for our previously reviewed LEGO 42030 Volvo 350F set and started looking through the various pre-programmed templates. The ‘Joysticks and Sliders’ seemed like a good fit and within minutes we had successfully set our Volvo up to drive, steer, raise, lower and tip its bucket all via a mobile phone! There’s a direction reverser should forwards turn out to be backwards and an ingenious ‘test’ button which gives the motor selected one second of power so that you know which one you’re setting up.

Even at this basic level the SBrick is light-years ahead of the Power Functions control, and it can do a lot more besides. Next we downloaded SBrick’s pre-programmed 42030 controller, which is one of several available for various LEGO sets (e.g. 42009 is shown in the image above). This effectively did the same as the profile that we created using the ‘Joysticks and Sliders’ template as a base, but it added graduated control (so not just ‘on’ or ‘off’) and it labelled all the controls too, creating a very pro-looking control screen. But what if you want to create your own bespoke profile for your own bespoke creation? Well it can do that too…

The SBrick Designer website allows you to create your own customised profiles, within which you can drag and drop joysticks, sliders and buttons onto a blank control screen. This allows you not only to set up how your model will function, but also what the controller will look like too. Speed, maximum rotations, steering axles etc can all be easily programmed into the profile – it’s like LEGO Mindstorms you can control on your phone. Only it’s even easier to set up. You can keep these profiles private if you wish, share them on the SBrick’s publicly available listing (as Mahjqa has done – whose forklift is pictured above), or share them with other users specifically. You can set up multiple profiles per model too, allowing you to work on one programme whilst still using another.

The SBrick profile designer is a superb coding interface and it’s this function which can make the SBrick itself such a powerful tool. If you want to simply control an official LEGO set or your own creation with more power and more precision – buy an SBrick and enjoy the app – even if you do no coding yourself there is still so much to fun to be had simply from the controller on your phone!

However if you’d like to try to programme your own creations, or if you want to teach programming to your children, with instantaneous visual progress – buy an SBrick, set up an account, and start creating. We think it’s as much fun as the building of a creation itself.

Either way, the SBrick takes Power Functions to an entirely new plain. Your models will look better, do more and go further. The SBrick is brilliant.

★★★★★

This is a KAMAZ 43118 timber truck, but we just couldn’t bring ourselves to use that awful Ke$ha ‘Timber’ song for the title, so here are some far more meaningful lyrics. Now that’s out the way, this is a KAMAZ 43118 timber truck, and it’s one of the most fiendishly complicated looking Technic creations that the Elves have found in some time.

Built by ArsMan064 there are no less than seven Power Functions motors, plus three IR receivers, controlling the drive, steering, gearbox, locking differentials, outriggers, rotating two-stage boom, and of course a Technic claw for manipulating felled trees. Well, sticks, but still.

There’s also working suspension, LED lighting, and it really can pick up logs and load them onto the rear. There are more images plus a video of the clever crane arm in action at the Eurobricks forum – click the link above to yell Timber. Damnit.

[Whiiiir] [Elven Screaming] [Thump] [Whiiiir]…

An all too familiar pattern of noises floated into TLCB Office from the corridor today. Said pattern has been heard here at TLCB Towers on numerous occasions and it always means tidying up for us. Sigh.

A glance into the corridor revealed the scene of expected carnage, with an Elf – high on power – repeatedly driving a nimble off-road buggy over a group of already squashed Elves.

The controls have now been taken away, the victims patched up, and we can take a look at the vehicular weapon in question. Built by Anto of Eurobricks it’s an entry into the current BuWizz Fast Car Competition, in which the third-party bluetooth brick specialists have challenged builders to make, well… a BuWizz powered fast car.

With up to eight times the power of LEGO’s own Power Functions battery/receiver system a BuWizz powered creation is certainly able to outrun a fleeing TLCB Elf, and with competition entrants having to complete the longest jump possible Anto’s RC buggy had the suspension to bounce over victims without any problems at all.

There’s more to see of Anto’s brilliant remote control buggy at the Eurobricks forum, plus you can watch it in action via the video below.

We’ve also got our hands on our own BuWizz brick, courtesy of the BuWizz team, and will be conducting our own tests shortly [maniacal laugh!] in order to bring you a full review. Whist we find out whether eight times the power really is possible you can find all of the BuWizz powered creations previously featured here via this archives search, and you can read our five-star review of BuWizz’s rival SBrick by clicking here.

YouTube Video

Much like its real-world counterpart, this rather wonderful remote controlled Volvo L120H by Eurobricks’ mpj is not a fast machine. A smaller version of Volvo’s wheel-loader in the 42030 Volvo L350F set, mpj’s L120H can do everything the official set can, including drive via an XL Motor, articulated steering via two Medium Motor-Powered linear actuators, arm raising/lowing via another two linear actuators driven by a Large Motor, and lastly the tipping of the bucket by a  final Medium Motor.

An impressive roster of remote control functions then, which today’s discovering Elf deployed with moderate success. Unable to run over any of its colleagues thanks to the L120H’s slow speed, it drove its find into the Cage Room, up to a cage containing a sleeping Elf, and promptly tipped it out. Understandably unamused the awoken Elf remonstrated forcibly with its aggressor, who responded by simply stabbing it with the bucket, and then (very slowly) running it over. Job done.

We’ve taken the controls away now so there’ll be no more Elven violence (at least at the hands of the Volvo), and you can see more of mpj’s impressive machine at the Eurobricks forum. Click the link above to take a look.

Lego models aren’t often constructed in primary colours these days. However a quick look back through our Review Library reveals that once-upon-a-time primary colours were very much in vogue. Due mostly to the fact that other hues were not available, but still.

Today’s find takes us back to the era of crayon-coloured Lego models, being this glorious primary-coloured Mack Superliner 6×6 RC by Flickr’s spongebrickpl, and it makes us think that basic colouring is due a resurgence!

There’s more to see of spongerbrick’s blue, yellow and red Mack Superliner complete with Power Functions six-wheel-drive, pendular suspension and remote control steering via the link above, and if like the Elves you’re still learning your colours, this scientific explanation may help…

Iiiin the red corner, representing West Germany, driven by Adolf Hitler, Heinrich Himmler, Hermann Göring and Pope Pius XI, and powered through the 1930s by eight cylinders and a supercharger, it’s the Großer Mercedes 770!

Aaaand in the beige corner, representing East Germany, driven by peasants, and powered through the 1950s… and 60s… and 70s… and 80s… and 90s… by two cylinders and hope, it’s the Trabant Combi!

Two very different yet very German cars today, represented by two very different but very excellent Lego creations.

Above we have the Großer Mercedes 770, built by Aleh of Eurobricks in Technic form and absolutely packed with amazing technology. Aleh’s recreation of one of Mercedes-Benz’s most opulent vehicles includes Power Functions drive and steering, an inline-8 engine hooked up to a three-speed+R gearbox, working all-wheel mechanical brakes powered by a Medium motor, all-wheel suspension, LED lights, and SBrick bluetooth control.

At the other end of the automotive scale we have this wonderfully replicated Model Team style Trabant Combi, resplendent in an authentic hearing-aid beige and built by fellow TLCB debutant Dan Falussy. With opening doors, hood and hatchback plus folding seats, Dan’s homage to the world’s finest cotton car (yes really) is about as well equipped as the real thing, and very probably better built.

There’s more to see of each model on Eurobricks (as well as Flickr in the Trabant’s case) via the links above. Take a look and choose your winner!

LEGO’s excellent Power Functions components have brought a new ease to motorising Technic models. Small, simple to install and reasonably powerful, the wide range of motors, infrared receivers and battery boxes have found their way into countless Lego creations featured here over the years.

It didn’t take long however, for the clever boffins in the Lego Community to think ‘Great… but what if Power Functions was really powerful?…’

The result is the BuWizz brick, an integrated rechargeable battery and bluetooth receiver that delivers up to eight times the power of LEGO’s own Power Functions system. To which Anto of Eurobricks thought ‘Great… but what if I had two…’

This is the fruit of Anto’s endeavour; a neat if unspectacular looking Technic excavator, with two BuWizz third-party bricks. The first controls the independently driven tracks (each powered by a Medium motor), the front-mounted blade (also powered a Medium motor) and the arm-mounted LEDs.

The second BuWizz device controls the superstructure rotation (via a Large motor), the two-stage arm (via an XL motor and Large motor respectively), and finally the bucket (powered by a Medium motor).

That’s a lot of motors and, thanks to those two BuWizz bricks, a lot of power too. So much so that Anto’s Technic excavator really can, well… excavate. Full details can be found at the Eurobricks discussion forum, and you watch Anto’s excavator in action via the video below.

YouTube Video

The Dodge Challenger has appeared here numerous times over the years. This isn’t that Challenger. Nope, this one is made by Caterpillar, and it comes from a series of tractors that were the first to be specifically designed to run on tracks.

This brilliant Model Team recreation of the latest Challenger MT865C comes from the appropriately-named Eric Trax, who has done a simply astonishing job replicating the Caterpillar in Lego form. And Eric’s creation is far from a static model…

Inside the beautifully constructed exterior are a wealth of electronic and pneumatic components, allowing Eric’s Challenger to drive, skid-steer, and power both an on-board compressor and power-take-off.

Hooked up to the back of the MT865 is a Kinze 1050 grain trailer, complete with its own Medium motor and pneumatics to control the unloading auger.

All of these functions can be controlled remotely via bluetooth, thanks to the third-party SBrick concealed within the build. This enables the models to be controlled by a phone or, as Eric has done, by a Playstation 4 controller!

There’s much more to see of this amazing Caterpillar Challenger MT865C tractor and Kinze 1050 grain trailer at both Brickshelf and the Eurobricks forum – click the link to see all of the images and to read complete build details.

The best off-roaders are never the prettiest things. Sensual curves and wind-cheating aerodynamics come a very distant second to approach/departure angles and suspension articulation.

Eurobricks’ rm8 has employed a similar tactic with his BuWizz-controlled trophy truck. Despite claims that it’s inspired by the Ferrari GTC4 Lusso it has about as much in common with that car as your Mom does with Charlize Theron. They’re the same species, and everything is kinda in the same place, but that’s about it.

What rm8’s trophy truck lacks in aesthetic appeal however, it more that compensates for with off-road ability. Powered by a LEGO Buggy Motor, with servo steering and BuWizz control, plus bouncy independent front and live-axle rear suspension, it’s absolutely mega off-road, which should help it in the BuWizz Fast Car Competition in which it’s been entered.

There’s lots more to see at the Eurobricks forum via the link above, and you can watch the model in action via the ace video below.

YouTube Video

A very special supercar requires a very special Lego model…

LEGO’s own Bugatti Chiron set, previewed here at The Lego Car Blog earlier in the year, is due later in 2018. However one builder has beaten LEGO to it, and in doing so may have set the bar not just higher than LEGO themselves could hope to achieve, but possibly higher than any Technic supercar has done to date. This is Leviathan‘s 4,000-piece, 3.7KG, two year in the making 1:8 Technic Bugatti Chiron supercar.

Designed as a modular construction, as per a real car, Leviathan’s Bugatti Chiron features Power Functions remote control operated via a third-party BuWizz bluetooth brick, a seven speed dual-clutch gearbox, all-wheel-drive, working steering with Ackermann geometry, electronically height adjustable independent suspension, a replicated W16 engine, and even active aerodynamics.

Five Power Functions motors are controlled by the BuWizz bluetooth brick, with two RC motors driving all four wheels, an XL motor powering the seven-speed dual clutch gearbox, and a fourth motor powering the steering. The fifth motor uses a gearbox to switch between two functions; raising/lowering the suspension, and controlling the three-position rear spoiler/air-brake (shown in the picture above in air-brake mode and in the image below fully retracted).

Leviathan’s Bugatti Chiron is very probably the most advanced Lego model we’ll see all year, and if LEGO’s own 42083 Technic Bugatti Chiron set is half as good when it arrives later on this year it’ll definitely be a set worth having. In the meantime you can read full details of Leviathan’s unbelievable creation at the Eurobricks forum, where there are also images showing the amazing engineering within, you can see the full gallery of images on Flickr, and you can watch a video demonstrating all of the model’s incredible functions by clicking here.