In the past few years LEGO has been releasing some really excellent minifigure-size racecars. There are a number of generic racers in the LEGO City line, and there is also the whole LEGO Speed Champions collection with miniature forms of real racing vehicles. So far, the LEGO Speed Champions series has given us a number of Ferrari, McLaren, Porsche, Chevrolet, Ford, and Mercedes racecars, and there is more to come next year. 🙂
Having such a great variety of realistic LEGO racecars gives LEGO fans a great opportunity to learn about minifigure-size vehicle building. There are so many different ways to use standard LEGO elements to shape a car, and LEGO also introduced some specialized elements to make the vehicles as accurate as possible. The application of beautifully designed stickers also helps with making the cars recognizable.
Once you get the hang of it, you can start building your own vehicles in LEGO Speed Champions style. For example, LEGO fan hachiroku24 built a Batmobile, using pieces and techniques from the LEGO Speed Champions collection. While most official LEGO Batmobiles are quite large and out of scale from standard minifigure size vehicles, this little Batmobile would look great on any LEGO City street, and still remain very cool and bat-like. It’s impressive to see such nice shaping and texturing with just one color! Take a look at that awesome nose section at the front and the fins at the back! In the video below, you can see the vehicle from all sides, and there are also building steps, if you would like to build your own.
A sweet little ride for bat-ride isn’t it? While Batman may need something bigger and badder when he is fighting crime, for everyday cruising around this vehicle is perfect!
The LEGO Speed Champions series mostly appeals to collectors and racecar fans because they look great on display, but keep in mind that they are also excellent examples for minifigure-size car building. You don’t have to collect them all – just pick up a couple that you especially like and find interesting, and study the techniques used.
The cars in the #75874 LEGO Speed Champions Camaro Drag Race, the #75870 LEGO Speed Champions Chevrolet Corvette Z06, the #75871 LEGO Speed Champions Ford Mustang GT, and the #75910 LEGO Speed Champions Porsche 918 Spyder are particularly excellent, because they use minimal stickers and rely on creating shapes with standard LEGO pieces. These vehicles are also quite generic looking, so they could be used on LEGO City streets, as well as on racetracks.
If you want to focus on learning about racecar building, sets like the #75876 LEGO Speed Champions Porsche 919 Hybrid and 917K Pit Lane, the #75872 and the #75873 LEGO Speed Champions Audis, and the #75911 LEGO Speed Champions McLaren Mercedes Pit Stop give you plenty of vehicles to work with.
So whether you are a collector, or you want to learn more about LEGO car building, I would suggest that you check out the LEGO Speed Champions collection. Also, don’t forget about the more generic racecars in the LEGO City line, which we have talked about previously (see links at the end). I think you will be very pleased with any of them, and you will likely get inspired to start building your own vehicles. You can find them at the LEGO City, and LEGO Speed Champions section of the Online LEGO Shop.
What do you think? How do you like the LEGO Speed Champions series? Do you have any of the vehicles already? Are you collecting them all, or just buying them selectively? And how do you like the little Batmobile? Do you try building your own minifig-scale LEGO vehicles? Feel free to share and discuss in the comment section below! 😉
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This is fantastic! I’m so going to build it! Love the bat emblem at the front!
Nice work! It is instantly recognizable. I like that it is regular Lego City and Speed Champions size. I bat it will win all the races! 😀
Ahem, that last sentence was subtle. Pun appreciated! 😀
I have the Ford GT, the Camaro drag race and one Ferrari and the McLaren. The three American cars are in my Modular building city and I used the two imports and the rest of the Camaro drag race set as a tribute to Top Gear UK. I even have a Lego Stig!
Funny, about a month later Clarkson got into that scuffle, lost his job, May and Hammond quit and the show’s never been the same again.
Sorry if I screwed up Top Gear, guys!
Oh, dear… what have you done? 🙄
I’ll go hide my head in shame… 😉
Anyway, thanks to having a bit left of Christmas spending cash from gifts and your article I decided to pick up the Audi R-18 and that’ll be added to the collection on the 24th. We like to celebrate on Christmas eve as family tradition as my mom is originally from Germany, where gift opening the night before is a common tradition.
Plus it lets parents sleep in the morning of the 25th. 🙂
That’s nice! Let me know how you like the Audi! My family is also German decent on my dad’s side, so growing up we also opened presents on Christmas eve. 🙂
So, I have the completed Audi R-18 sitting on my desk now. It’s a sharp and snazzy little car, I have to admit. It’s also quite the impressive display of stickers (32, I think if I counted correctly) and both regular and SNOT building techniques.
Two things that stuck out is that the mini fig has a printed torso with the Audi four rings logo on his collar, and “Audi Sport” and “e-tron quattro” printed on it, as well as the printed windshield with “Audi e-tron quatro’ printed on the top as well.
Now I just need a suitable place to put it. Oh, and I hope you had a very fun and festive Christmas!
Hey, Rob! Thanks for the update! Yes, I also noted that the Audi had a lot of stickers, but it is pretty much covered in decals in real life too! Santa has been good to me… I’m in the middle of building the new Modular. So far it has taken almost six hours and I’m little over half way, I think. 😀
Oooh! Yup trying not to be a little jealous right now over that new Modular!
Yeah, I do have to admit after looking at the real R-18 that the stickers are justified. I gotta admit I’d not guess you could get so many on such a small model, but Lego pulled it off.
Assembly Square will be available in just a few days. I got it early so I can write a review. It is a massive set, and very beautiful. Even though it took a long time to build, it was never boring. I’m already planning on some of the changes I will be making to it. 🙂
Oh, I wouldn’t mind having a copy of the new building now I suspect it’s going to be a bit before I can afford it. My other problem? My shelf it rather out of space! 😀
http://www.deviantart.com/art/Rob-s-Lego-Modular-Building-Collection-653466785
Yeah, I have that problem too. At this point I have no idea where to put the Assembly Square as my regular shelf for the Modulars is full. So right now it’s just sitting on the floor. I always wanted to build an elevated train like yours! 😀
I bought and built the Z06 for my father as a father’s day gift, it was a really fun build! I want the Model A Hot Rod set and the Porsche 917 one as well, but haven’t the funds…lol.
The Hot Rod is one of my favorites as well. It has such a nice shape, and printed doors with flames! 😀