Autoblog

Brick By Brick: James May's Lego house comes down

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 07:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Europe, Toys/Games, UK

Top Gear host James May went to Dorking, England and built a Lego ~~fort~~ house in an orchard with more than three million Lego pieces. Now it's time for him to vacate the premises, and the house has been torn down. Mays had tried to get the structure taken to the Lego park in Windsor, but the cost and logistics were too challenging for the park to accept.

So now it's dismantled, all the way down to its red Lego slippers. With the plastic fantastic house in pieces, all of the bricks will go to charity and "they have all been allocated, so people can't just turn up with a bucket." That means you. Yet we do wonder if that goes for the Lego toilet as well...

[Source: Get Surrey | Image: Huladancer/Flickr/CC]

Brick By Brick: James May's Lego house comes down originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Don't call it OCD: Dude builds 32-valve DOHC V8 out of Legos

Jonny Lieberman — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:57:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Technology, Videos, Toys/Games

32-Valve, DOHC Lego V8 - click above image to watch the video

For those about to rock, we salute you, of course. And for those of you with four months of free time, seventeen suitcases full of Lego bricks and a masters in mechanical engineering, we'll totally give you props if - and only if - you come up with something as mind bending as this.

You are looking at a "working" Lego V8 engine. And the details are stunning. Pistons pump, valves open and close, rocker arms rock, the fly wheel spins -- there's even two bundle'o'snakes headers that flow into twin collectors, though we don't like how they get reduced and choked. But hey, if we really don't like it, we can build our own - with straight pipes! Also, we love the throttle bodies (made from radar disks) - they're a wonderful touch. Full video of running engine doing its thing after the jump. And we expect a user-submitted Jaguar V-12 by Christmas, so hop to it, readers.

Gallery: Lego V8

[Source: Hacked Gadgets]

Continue reading VIDEO: Don't call it OCD: Dude builds 32-valve DOHC V8 out of Legos

VIDEO: Don't call it OCD: Dude builds 32-valve DOHC V8 out of Legos originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stig and the boys immortalized in bricks as Top Gear makes it to Legoland

Frank Filipponio — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 13:49:00 EST

Filed under: Toys/Games, UK, Celebrities

The Top Gear crew rendered in LEGO - High-res version available at flickr

Another Saturday, another LEGO car story. This time, the little Danish bricks have been used to immortalize the presenters from our favorite automotive television show, Top Gear. In honor of the show naming the Caterham Superlight R500 its Car of the Year, the UK's Legoland built a miniature version of the car, along with the whole cast. Taking their place in the park's MINILAND exhibit in Windsor are none other than Jezza, Hamster, Captain Slow and The Stig (clockwise from bottom in the above photo).

[Source: Telegraph.co.uk | Image: hyku | Image License: CC SA 2.0]

Stig and the boys immortalized in bricks as Top Gear makes it to Legoland originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 22 Aug 2009 13:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Limited slip differential Lego style

Jonny Lieberman — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:02:00 EST

Filed under: Videos

Lego open differential - click image above for Lego LSD video

After spending enough time searching YouTube to make us reconsider our personal path in life, we're slowly coming to the conclusion that there just aren't other old-timey awesome vids like the one on the differential. Which, while a pity, isn't the end of the world. It's not even the end of videos. Case in point: today we learn how you tackle the issue of slip when playing with Legos.

First, let's a define our terms. A differential is a set of gears that allows drive wheels to turn independently of each other. Otherwise you'd snap an axle going around a turn on dry pavement. Slip is what happens when one wheel loses power (via the differential) and the other lose traction. Put another way, with an open diff if one tire is touching pavement while the other is on ice or in mud, the car won't go anywhere. Why? Because the differential allows 100% of the torque to be transmitted to the wheel that can spin freely, i.e. the wheel with slip. What you need then, is a way to limit the slip.

Now, in a real, non-Danish plastic brick-mobile, the solution proposed by the video wouldn't work so hot. For one thing, it would be very heavy and bulky. On real cars however, there's no one best solution -- or least no one can agree on a best solution. And really depending on the application -- road racing, suburban commuting, Baja 1000 -- one size doesn't fit all.

Dominant types include clutch-type (where clutches on the half-shafts compress based on torque input -- a spinning wheel would cause the clutch to engage, binding it to the non spinning wheel and transfering torque), geared (where after a predetermined torque split is achieved -- say 75% to one wheel, 25% to the other -- worm gears spin both drive shafts), viscous (increased heat from increased torque makes special oil have more friction, thereby tying the wheels together) and electronic (~~The Cylons have a plan~~ Sensors tell anti-lock brakes to stop spinning wheels from spinning, or other electronic interventions). There a few others of course (gerotor pump?), and now we can add Lego cam-style LSD to the list. Full video after the jump.

Continue reading VIDEO: Limited slip differential Lego style

VIDEO: Limited slip differential Lego style originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: James May to build life-sized Lego house. But what's in the garage?

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 08:28:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., UK, Celebrities

James May, a.k.a. Captain Slow on Top Gear, has a BBC show called James May's Toy Stories. After building an award-winning Plasticine garden and the world's largest model airplane, the next thing on May's list is a house built of Legos. A two-storey house. And he intends to live in it for a weekend.

The house will be built in Dorking, England and everything that can be made out of Legos will be made out of Lego. Said May, "I've got a man working on a flushing Lego lavatory. We think it's possible." Seeing that Legoland doesn't even have a house made of Lego - and certainly not Lego toilets - this should indeed be a "pioneering Lego cause." So far, three million Lego bricks have been contributed to the build, but May is looking for more in case you have any lying around.

[Source: BBC]

REPORT: James May to build life-sized Lego house. But what's in the garage? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Triumph Daytona motorcycle assembled from Lego bricks

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:55:00 EST

Filed under: Toys/Games, Motorcycle, UK

Lego Triumph Daytona motorcycle - Click above to watch the video after the break

Further proof that you can literally fashion anything if given access to enough interconnecting Lego bricks is this Triumph Daytona 1200 motorcycle. The machine has apparently been on display for quite some time at Legoland Windsor in Berkshire, England and is obviously assembled from thousands of individual pieces. We especially like the detailed engine, which is complete with linkages for the carbs and throttle cables.

As cool as this creation is, how much better would it be with a fully functional Lego engine? Of course, having a full-scale building-block motorcycle would also require a matching helmet. May we suggest this one? Click past the break for a video of the LEGO Triumph Daytona on its display stand and click here for more automotive-themed Lego madness.

[Source: Asphalt and Rubber]

Continue reading VIDEO: Triumph Daytona motorcycle assembled from Lego bricks

VIDEO: Triumph Daytona motorcycle assembled from Lego bricks originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Childhood Redeemed: Lego artist creates jaw-dropping four-wheeled creations

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 25 May 2009 17:04:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Toys/Games

Firas Abu-Jaber's Lego cars - click above for a high-res gallery

This is how you tell the master from the journeyman: Give them a common task, place the same tools in each of their hands, and while journeyman's results will be acceptable, the master's results will be amazing. Firas Abu-Jaber has a way with Legos that certainly qualifies him as a master in the medium when it comes to building cars.

By his own admission, having played with Legos since he started eating cereal, he is now proficient enough with the regular blocks - not the specialized sets - to create all manner of realistic vehicles and interiors. His work speaks for itself, so have a look at the gallery below to see what passion can do with a set of Legos.

Gallery: Abu-Jaber Lego Cars

[Source: MOC Pages (via Jalopnik)]

Childhood Redeemed: Lego artist creates jaw-dropping four-wheeled creations originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 May 2009 17:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mad physicist creates cars out of LEGOs

Frank Filipponio — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:59:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Etc., Toys/Games

Click above for gallery of LEGO creations by the Mad Physicist

Today we bring you some more wonderfully crazy LEGO creations, this time created by a genuine mad scientist. The creator is actually a physicist living in Southampton, England, and his creations are so insanely imaginative that he is often described as mad by fellow LEGO artists, which explains his Mad physicist moniker on Flickr. His real name is Ralph Savelsberg and he's quite the modeler. On his Flickr page you'll see airplanes, helicopters and buildings, but his four-wheeled vehicles are what caught our eye.

Savelsberg's 1/22-scale vehicles are some of the most realistic LEGO interpretations we've ever seen, which is remarkable considering how small they are. As Savelsberg explains, most of the models were built for various challenges put forth by different LEGO groups. For example, there's a lime green Lamborghini Miura built for the "Who is agent Janus?" challenge on LUGNuts. Besides the Miura and Agent Janus, there's also an Audi TT, Ford F-150 SVT Lightning and Harley-Davidson Edition, BMW Z3, 427 Cobra with a detailed engine, some sweet Volkswagens, an old Benz, a hot rod, muscle cars, a Jag Mk2, even Sonny Crockett and his Testarossa. They are really spectacular and make us want to break out our bricks. Thanks for the tip, Will!

Gallery: MadPhysicist LEGO creations

[Source: Flickr via Sooth Brush]

Mad physicist creates cars out of LEGOs originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Standardization gone amok: LEGO Ferrari F2008 F1 car

Frank Filipponio — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:02:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Ferrari, Toys/Games, Humor

Perhaps this is Ferrari's answer to the FIA's threat to move to standardized engines: standardized building blocks! What could be more fair than to have every team start out with their own huge package of LEGOs? The drivetrain could remain unique or might even be a LEGO V8, but each team would get a color-specific mega-pack of blocks to build their own bodywork. All parts must be used, but how you place them is up to you. The resulting cars would have the aerodynamics of a brick so maybe safety would improve as speeds were reduced. Drivers would also have to slow considerably into turns, as lateral g's generated by modern F1 cars can easily exceed block lock integrity at will. None of this is true or has anything to do with the car in the photos, but this is far more interesting than reading the true story about some uber-geek who built a LEGO F1 car in Amsterdam to celebrate the "LEGO World" event. While we love the LEGO Mustang, Camaro, Batmobile, "Death Proof" Nova et al that we've shown you before, we have to admit that a full-size LEGO car is a step above. 80,000 bricks and about $20,000 later, this guy has a Ferrari F1 car of his own. And he doesn't have to cut open his basement wall to remove it.

Gallery: LEGO Ferrari F2008 F1 car

[Source: 0-60mag]

Standardization gone amok: LEGO Ferrari F2008 F1 car originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Build your own 1960 Beetle - with Legos

Chris Tutor — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 13:07:00 EST

Filed under: Volkswagen, Toys/Games

There's likely to be no shortage of VW Beetle owners who can relate to this new kit from Lego. It's a box with 1,626 parts in it that one day, after hours of work, will resemble a classic Bug. Three differences: This box of bits will only cost you $120 and a successful build is probably not above your skill level. Oh, and your spouse probably won't mind you building this one on the kitchen table.

When completed, the VW measures 16 inches long by 6.5 inches tall. Its tiny stick shift moves, the glove compartment opens and the seats fold forward. The engine is in back where Beetle engines belong and up front is the spare tire. When you're done, finish off the car with the included VW logo decal.

It's too bad the Beetle's curvaceous roofline and nose are made jagged by the blocky Logos, but on the other hand, it's kinda cool, too. Thanks for the tip, Andy!

Gallery: Lego 1960 VW Beetle

[Source: Auto Trader Blog]

Build your own 1960 Beetle - with Legos originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 11 Oct 2008 13:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'66 Barris Batmobile hits the bricks

Alex Nunez — Mon, 26 May 2008 12:25:00 EST

Filed under: Toys/Games, Lifestyle

Click above for photo gallery

Lino M is one of our favorite custom Lego builders. We've shared some of his work with you in the past, and if you frequent his flickr photo stream, you'll find that he's usually up to something new. One of his recent creations is this rather spectacular, unbelievably detailed (dig the Bat Phone in the cockpit) '66 Batmobile he made for a builder challenge. He even created scale-sized Batman and Robin figures that fit inside. Lego would do well to license this design and sell it, as we'd be at Toys 'R Us with money in hand. Lino was kind enough to give us permission to republish the photos you see here, and you can view even higher-res versions in his flickr stream. While you're there, check out the ridiculously awesome new '60 Impala Wagon he just built, too. Now, excuse us while we head to our parents' to liberate our old Legos from the attic.

Gallery: '66 Batmobile in Lego, custom build by Lino M.

[Source: Lino M. via Flickr]

'66 Barris Batmobile hits the bricks originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 May 2008 12:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LEGO my V8 engine!

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Sat, 24 May 2008 17:33:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, I.C.E., Dodge, Toys/Games

Click on the image for more shots of the LEGO V8 engine

Is there anything that a set of LEGO bricks can't create? In the last few months, we've seen a Camaro and a Mustang both built with nothing that wasn't manufactured by the LEGO corporation, and each of those creations featured a V8 engine and working transmission. While the entire process must be insanely difficult and time-consuming, it's the engine that truly separates these from mere toys. If an engine is really nothing more than an air pump, as some like to say, then here is a working V8 engine made entirely from LEGO parts. Following the build, it's easy to see how many transformations that this engine has gone through before the current pushrod version, which operates pretty well at an indicated 1,780 revolutions per minute. This is a fitting engine design, considering that it's slated to get dropped into a Dodge Challenger replica. Click past the break for a video of the engine in action. Thanks for the tip, Kyle!

Gallery: LEGO V8 Engine

[Source: nicjasno.com]

Continue reading LEGO my V8 engine!

LEGO my V8 engine! originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 24 May 2008 17:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Up on Blocks: Lego replica '67 Mustang

Noah Joseph — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Ford, Toys/Games

Click above to view more of the Lego Mustang in our gallery

A fair share of us Autobloggers were ambitious Lego builders as kids, but we never cooked anything up like this. From Crowkillers, the same hands that brought us the new Camaro made from the plastic Danish bricks, comes this replica 1967 FordMustang fastback, complete with model V8 engine, shaker hood, working suspension with live rear axle, 4-speed transmission, rear spoiler and automatic opening doors. No kidding. With creations like this - and the dozen or so more he's got up on his site - we wonder if this guy didn't have too much time on his hands, but hey, we're bloggers. Who are we to judge? We'll let you judge for yourself with the images in the gallery below.

Gallery: Lego '67 Mustang

[Source: Brickshelf via CarScoop]

Up on Blocks: Lego replica '67 Mustang originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The "Death Proof" Nova in Lego...and more

Alex Nunez — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 15:05:00 EST

Filed under: Toys/Games, Lifestyle

"Death Proof" Nova by Lino M.

Most of us played with Legos as kids. Half the fun of getting a big new set was mining it for parts we'd then use to perfect our own creations. Time passes, we grow up, and the vast majority of us stop building. The bricks get handed off to a younger generation of relatives or just get put into storage. But for some, the hobby never goes away, and creativity benefits from the patience and skill that comes with age. Case in point, the Lego creations of Lino M. Lino is obviously a car guy, and his custom creations are good enough to grace the box art of Lego kits on retail shelves.

Take the "Death Proof" Nova shown above. It's incredibly detailed, right down to the hood skull, custom ornament, roll cage, and passenger-side crash box. Compare it to this press pic of the real car. It doesn't end there, either. In the attached gallery, we've included sample shots of a '65 Econoline drag racer, a '64 Impala lowrider, a '68 Chevy C10, and an incredible '68 GTO drag racer that he created. Note the flame detail on the GTO -- that's good stuff. We'd happily pay money for these if we saw them in Toys 'R Us. Short of that, we'll simply enjoy watching Lino do his work. You can see detail shots of the aforementioned builds (and others) at his Flickr set of Lego cars. He's also got a massive gallery of builds at Brickshelf.com, all of which are worth checking out. Time to pull that bag of Legos out of our parents' attic.

[Source: Flickr, Brickshelf via Super Punch]

Gallery: Lego Cars by Lino M.

The "Death Proof" Nova in Lego...and more originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Dec 2007 15:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Lego car parks itself better than Lexus for less than $250

Scott Davis — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 11:24:00 EST

Filed under: Gadgets, Etc.

After watching the hilarious video from the guys at Automobile trying to use the self-parking feature on the new Lexus LS460, this video is truly amazing. For a measly $249, the crew at Mindstorms NXT will sell you a complete kit to build an SPC (self-parking car) of your own.

The SPC will detect a space large enough to park, perform all steps necessary to successfully complete the often difficult task of parallel parking, and then with a verbal "GO!" pull out of the spot on to the road, only slightly tapping the "car" in front on the way out.

What a great way to entertain friends and family at the Christmas party this year; just be sure there aren't any LS460 drivers in the audience!

Thanks to David Yu for the tip!

[Source: Engadget via TechEBlog]

VIDEO: Lego car parks itself better than Lexus for less than $250 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Dec 2006 11:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Le Mans goes Lego on cover of Winding Road

John Neff — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 18:32:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Audi

Online auto mag Winding Road has always been an interesting read, but one area in which the digital rag's been lacking is graphic design, particularly when it comes to covers. The most recent issue eclipses all others by foregoing the expense of more talented graphic designers and putting the mag's face in the hands of Todd Osborn, an Ypsilanti, Michigan resident and apparent Lego god.

The cover features a dead-on shot of Audi's R10 diesel Le Mans racer composed entirely of Legos. Osborn used a little less than 20,000 blocks to create the work of art, and requested Winding Road return them all when the photo shoot was finished. At the end of this "Making Of" video we see the Winding Road staff unceremoniously dismantling the work brick by handful of bricks.

[Source: Winding Road via Nestcape]

Le Mans goes Lego on cover of Winding Road originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Jun 2006 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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