It’s always great whenever one character of an ensemble cast in a film or TV series becomes a breakout popular star, to the point that they eventually get a show or movie of their own. Where LEGO media is concerned, among the best-known ones are LEGO Batman and Princess Unikitty from 2014’s The LEGO Movie.The latter not only got to headline her own animated series, Unikitty! on Cartoon Network, but also launched quite a respectable product line around herself and her own circle of characters. Her show premiered with special episodes late 2017, fully starting New Year’s Day 2018. Having racked up quite a number of episodes for its inaugural season, Warner Bros., LEGO and Snipple Animation are ready to make the first part of Unikitty! season 1 available for home media. Season 1 of Unikitty! Sparkle Party is now available in DVD, consisting of 20 of the over 30 episodes aired so far.
Unikitty! stars the familiar voice talents of Tara Strong as the titular character, Grey Griffin as her brother Puppycorn, plus Kate Micucci and Roger Craig Smith. While season 1 has yet to wind down on Cartoon Network, a second season has already been announced by the network back in July.
Last week, LEGO teased a project that they deemed worthy of tagging as building the impossible, with the #BuildForReal attached to it. One can easily recognize that LEGO is hinting at something big in the likeness of its recently released LEGO Techic Bugatti Chiron (42083), but was particularly mum on the details of how it will be done. More so, LEGO claims to build this MOC as close to the real thing, which looks and drives exactly the same as the real Bugatti Chiron. It might sound impossible, but LEGO has proven once again that “impossible” is just a word. A few minutes ago at the Grand Prix Formula 1 racing tournament in Monza Italy, LEGO has now unveiled it’s first ever, life-size and drivable custom LEGO Technic Bugatti Chiron made entirely of LEGO bricks. In fact, more than a million Technic pieces were used to build this MOC, powered by 2,304 LEGO Power Function motors.
This amazing feat of LEGO building and engineering weighs in at 1.5 tonnes and can generate up to 5.3 horsepower to make it run at a speed of 20 kph – yes, you read it right, it actually runs in spite of its massive weight. Read on for The LEGO Group’s official press release followed by an image gallery on how the project began.
First Ever Life-Size and Drivable LEGO Technic Bugatti Chiron Is a Pioneering Piece of Engineering and Design
Testament that with LEGO Technic you can build for real, this non-glued, fully-functional and self-propelled LEGOTechnicmodel can fit two passengers inside and accelerate to over 20km/h
Perfectly recreating the organic design lines of the world’s fastest production car – the iconic Bugatti Chiron – the LEGO Technic life-size model pushes the boundaries of what LEGO builders imagined was possible to build in LEGO elements.
The model is the first large scale movable construction developed using over 1,000,000 LEGO Technic elements and powered exclusively using motors from the LEGO Power Function platform. Packed with 2,304 motors and 4,032 LEGO Technic gear wheels, the engine of this 1.5 tonnes car is generating 5.3 horse power and an estimated torque of 92 Nm.
Lena Dixen, Senior Vice President of Product and Marketing at the LEGO Group said:
“This life-size model is a first of its kind in so many ways and with it, we wanted to push the boundaries of our own imagination. For over 40 years, LEGO Technic has allowed fans of all ages to test their creativity with a building system that challenges them to go beyond just creating new designs, to also engineering new functions. Our Technic designers and the engineers from the Kladno factory in the Czech Republic, the place which also builds the impressive models for LEGO Stores and LEGOLAND parks, have done an amazing job both at recreating the Chiron’s iconic shapes and making it possible to drive this model. It’s a fascinating example of the LEGO Technic building system in action and its potential for creative reinvention.”
A fascinating feat of design and engineering
Seen from a distance side by side, the resemblance of the two cars is striking. Get closer and you will find a fascinating and complex outer ‘skin’ structure, built of interconnected triangular segments made into a LEGO Technic ‘fabric’ designed to mimic the iconic shapes of the original Chiron. Peek inside and discover that every single detail of the original car has been carefully and precisely recreated in LEGO Technic elements – from seats, to dashboard and the steering wheel.
Equipped with a rear spoiler, speedometer, front and back-lights, detachable steering wheel and brake pedal, all fully functional and built of LEGO Technic elements, the model is a dream come true for any LEGO fan. Building it required the use of 339 types of LEGO Technic elements, and over 13,000 work hours of development and construction.
The Making of a Life-Sized and Drivable Custom LEGO Technic Bugatti Chiron
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
A test drive like no other
Building a one of a kind LEGO Technic life-size car is one part of the task. Testing if it can drive is another. And what better location than the same place where the real Chiron was first tested – EhraLessien proving ground in Germany – a unique facility built to handle speed.
One weekend afternoon, the LEGO model took off and accelerated to everyone’s joy and amazement. And while it may not match the original Bugatti Chiron’s mindboggling 420 km/h speed, the LEGO Technic’s power function motors have managed the impressive performance to propel it to a little over 20km/h – ultimately making the ‘Build for Real’ idea truly complete.
#BuildForReal
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Andy Wallace – the driver behind the LEGO Technic Chiron – former racing driver with multiple wins of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Daytona, as well as many other races, and today official Bugatti pilot, said:
“When I first saw the LEGO Chiron, I was immediately impressed by the accuracy of the model and the minute attention to detail. In fact, from about 20 metres away it’s not obvious that you are looking at a LEGO car. I can only imagine how much time and effort went into making this model.”
“Driving the LEGO Chiron was a great experience, which I thoroughly enjoyed. All those years ago I could never have imagined that one day I would actually drive a LEGO car!”
The Chiron is the ultimate super sports car and the latest interpretation of Bugatti’s brand values ‚Art Forme Technique‘. With a power output of 1,500 HP, unprecedented for production vehicles, an exceptionally high torque value of 1,600 Nm between 2,000 and 6,000 rpm and a wide variety of technical innovations, the Chiron sets new standards in every respect. The Chiron is not only designed for maximum speed, but also meets the highest possible demands in terms of luxury, comfort, everyday drivability and durability. The Chiron combines the best in all these areas which makes it the world’s most complete super sports car.
Exactly a month ago, we first looked at one of LEGO’s closely guarded secrets from the LEGO Star Wars The Last Jedi theme. There were mixed reactions when the first images of the LEGO Star Wars Porg (75230) started to come in, ranging from absolutely adorable to downright horrific. This avian-inspired build is perhaps the most polarized LEGO Star Wars set, probably next to the Assault on Hoth (75098) UCS set released in 2016. Regardless if you find yourself spending your hard-earned cash for the LEGO Star Wars Porg or would instead turn your eyes and walk away from it, we still don’t have information on its exact release date until today. Thanks again to LEGO Store Budapest; we now have details on when the LEGO Star Wars Porg will most likely be released. If you recall, the LEGO Store in Budapest was also at the front lines in announcing the release date of the LEGO Creator Expert Aston Martin DB5 (10262) set last July. As announced on their website, the LEGO Store Budapest will accept pre-orders for the LEGO Star Wars Porg (75230) beginning October 1.
The Budapest LEGO Store will accept pre-orders via its website until September 28 or until supplies last. Furthermore, the site also mentions that the LEGO Star Wars Porg will be released to the public on October 8, which will likely be the same with other LEGO brand stores globally and at shop.LEGO.com. If this is the case, then we can expect an official press release from LEGO any time soon. The LEGO Star Wars Porg (75230) is said to come in at 811 pieces and will retail in the US for $69.99. Stay tuned for more updates—image credit to the LEGO Store Budapest for the LEGO Star Wars Porg photos above.
When we say that several products by LEGO have set records, we certainly mean it: Guinness World Records. This international database of statistics for “the most x of y” also includes some official LEGO sets and notable MOCs, with records established ranging from biggest to tallest and so much more.
This week, Guinness World Records has put up a new section on their official website called “Making History with LEGO Bricks”. As stated, this section shines the spotlight on LEGO sets or MOCs builds that either hold official World Records, or represents an object that holds a World Record.
One example of the former category is the news-making LEGO Star Wars UCS Millennium Falcon (75192), which holds a GWR on its own right for “Largest commercially available LEGO set (7,541 pieces)”. Then we have the long-retired LEGO Creator Maersk Triple-E Container Ship (10241); while not a record-holder itself, the set does depict the (former) GWR holder for “Largest Container Ship”.
The Building History with LEGO section on the Guinness World Record website details 8 such LEGO sets and builds that have world records attached to them. It’s also apparently going to be a special feature in the 2019 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records. They have a list of stores from 10 countries where that book, and its other special spinoffs (Wild Things and Gamer’s Edition) are available.
The Guinness Book of World Records 2019 edition went on sale this Tuesday, August 28.
It looks like LEGO is adding more Halloween fun this year with the introduction of this next wave of minifigure key lights. Inspired by the now retired Monster Fighter sets, and earlier Collectible Minifigures series, we now have four new spooky key lights to join you in your trick-or-treating night. LEGO minifigure key lights are up-sized minifigures fitted with an LED light at one leg which functions as a cool key chain at the same time. Singapore-based online retailer Toy Station has listed four, monster-inspired key lights which you can find below.
They’re not listed yet at shop.LEGO.com as of this writing, but I hope they will find their way soon in the US and the rest of the world. If you’re into LEGO minifigure key lights and would like to add a functional, brick-inspired swag to accessorize your Halloween evening, then be sure to check with your local LEGO store if they have these already. Drop us a comment if you somehow spot these in the wild. Credit to Brick Fanatics for the featured image above.
Back in 2011, LucasArts and Traveller’s Tales released its fourth LEGO Star Wars video game, of the format that players of LEGO game titles for licensed properties are familiar with. LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars was a true sequel of sorts to the first two games of the series, with the third being a compilation of its predecessors instead.
Having been released on Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 among other systems, the title has been deemed worthy to be included in the latest wave of Games with Gold titles that are exclusive to members of Xbox Live Gold this September.
These latest Xbox Live Gold games will be available to any Gold members on their Xbox One starting September. Two of these are Xbox One games, while the other two are from the Xbox 360, including LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars. They’re playable on the Xbox One thanks to the console’s backwards compatibility.
LEGO fans with Xbox Ones and a Gold membership can download LEGO Star Wars III starting December 1 until 15. Also available with the game are Prison Architect (September 1-30), Sega Vintage Collection: Monster World (September 16-30) and Livelock (September 16 to October 15).
LEGO has prided itself on keeping up with the advances of technology even as they maintain their original and iconic building block products. They’ve even made strides at integrating the old and new together, with product add-ons like Power Functions motors or the introductory computer programming potential of LEGO Mindstorms. But LEGO believes they can take the programming element to even younger ages with their products, and this Tuesday, August 28, LEGO announced Coding Express, a set intended for 3 to 4-year-olds that comprises a basic train set, a station, and an elementary coding system to make the train go.
Of course, much like similar toy lines that have made inroads in integrating programming with electronic mechanical motion, LEGO Coding Express only features completed pre-programmed actions, which the kids only need to put together. The beauty part is that the programs are coded to the train set’s colored rail tracks.
In addition to the rails, children playing with LEGO Coding Express also put colored bars that contain specific instructions for the train. Green elements make it go, yellow causes it to slow, red means stop, and blue makes the train toot its horn for instance.
Alternatively, the Coding Express programming can be changed around in an app, where the train can be swapped out for a LEGO caterpillar that changes its emotions depending on what colored block it ran over. The physical block set is based on the early-childhood Duplo sub-brand, for easier building too.
For the curious, the LEGO Coding Express set isn’t a retail item and can only be purchased online on their Education product portal. Check it out here along with other Education-branded products for your consideration.
It’s not much of a secret that plenty of engineers and architects could credit their decision to choose their careers, and even their inspiration on new designs and builds, to LEGO and its wide variety of products. After all, building outside the box is what LEGO fosters best in their customers. Case in point, it’s been possible to use LEGO pieces to create sturdy and functional constructs; something like a LEGO coffee table MOC that doesn’t use nails, screws or any adhesives to hold it together. Nothing but the snug interlocking mechanism of LEGO bricks keeps it whole.
This custom LEGO coffee table was the brainchild of art director Yusong Zhang from Los Angeles. Featured on the online architecture, interior and design mag Dezeen, the table is white on the outside while its interior, viewable on the sides, has other layers of colors. Over 10,000 bricks of only 2×4 dimensions were used on this project.
In Zhang’s own admission, he says he has never tested the durability of his LEGO MOC table, but that it’s able to support the weight of legs swung over it. “I always had love for LEGO as a toy,” says Zhang. “But [I] wanted to challenge myself to build something truly functional without sacrificing the aesthetic and creativity that’s rooted in LEGO designs.”
His LEGO coffee table MOC was built for his personal use, but he’s open to interested people with custom orders for more. Each table would take him possibly about three weeks of assembly.
This piece of news has been floating around for quite some time already, and in case you missed this, or more specifically the retailer exclusive LEGO Star Wars Imperial AT-Hauler (30498) polybag, then you still have this chance of building one of your own. This particular polybag comes as the second polybag offering belonging under the LEGO Star Wars Solo subtheme following the likes of the similarly packaged Imperial TIE Fighter (30381). However this mini version of the Imperial AT-Hauler seems to be a Walmart exclusive in the US and is now currently out of stock via Walmart’s website.
The LEGO Star Wars Imperial AT-Hauler (30498) comes in at 49 pieces and is relatively easy to build, thanks to the polybag’s building instruction now uploaded at the LEGO customer service portal. This mini version of the Imperial AT-Hauler comes with the usual LEGO pieces that you may already have at home save perhaps for the reddish brown Technic rotor 2 blades and the 1×2 plates with horizontal snap. Check out the building instructions below, and see if you have all the parts needed to build your own mini Imperial AT-Hauler.
Though the LEGO Star Wars Imperial AT-Hauler (30498) polybag is now out of stock and nowhere to be found at other major online retailer portals, there has been some rumor circulating that this polybag might turn out to be the next LEGO Star Wars promotional in relation to the slated release of the LEGO Star Wars Betrayal at Cloud City (75222) on September 13. This is speculative as of the moment but it will be nice if LEGO can offer this directly to consumers both in-store and online. Being a fan of these LEGO polybags, I’m really looking forward to seeing this in my local LEGO store and to add this to my polybag collection. For now, let me see if I can build this thing.
LEGO seems to be on a roll with another landmark in its life as the world’s most valuable toy company. Next month, the LEGO House will be celebrating its 1st birthday since it opened its doors to the public last September 28, 2017. The House of the Brick offers a one-of-a-kind experience to LEGO fans of all ages, providing a unique play experience across its various brick zones, coupled with a nostalgic trip through LEGO’s 80 years of history. To celebrate this milestone, the LEGO Group has lined up a handful of birthday party activities on September 29 to make its first anniversary fun and meaningful.
Guests who will visit the Experience Zones are invited to join the LEGO House Birthday Treasure Hunt (10AM-8PM, CEST), where a bunch of hidden cakes is carefully placed all over LEGO House. Participants who will first crack the secret message will be treated to a handful of LEGO goodies. Over at the Red Zone, guests are invited in creating the best and largest LEGO birthday cake ever together with cake enthusiast and connoisseur Ms. Annemette Voss (11AM-2PM, CEST). Finally, there will be an awesome LEGO Birthday Show and a lottery for a chance to bring home some of the coolest LEGO prizes and giveaways. To learn more about this awesome celebration, be sure to visit the LEGO House website and book your tickets.
