LEGO Icons 11378 Douglas DC-3 PAN AM Airliner | Set Preview

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It’s a new set day here at The Lego Car Blog, because LEGO are flying back in time to the dawn of commercial aviation with this; the brand new Icons 11378 Douglas DC-3 PAN AM Airliner!

Wearing the iconic livery of the now defunct (but curiously still trademarked) Pan American World Airways, 11378 is a fabulous homage to one of the most important aircraft ever produced, the wonderful Douglas DC-3.

First flying in the mid-1930s, the DC-3 transformed commercial aviation, and – somewhat unbeleivably – there are over a hundred still in service today.

Landing in April of this year, the new 11378 Douglas DC-3 PAN AM Airliner set is sure to add many more to that count, coming with over 1,900 pieces, a crew of four bespoke mini-figures (including a stewardess who may well nod to Kelli Garner’s character in the 2010s ‘Pan Am’ TV show), a detailed cockpit with a new printed windshield, working retractable landing gear, a brick-built display stand, and a cabin outfitted with appropriately too-small seats for any passengers to fit in them.

Marketed at ages 18+, the new Icons 11378 Douglas DC-3 PAN AM Airliner is expected to cost £199.99 / €219.99 / $219.99 when it reaches arrivals, and you’ll be able to book your ticket from April 4th.

Perfect Seaplane Pavilion

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The coolest way to travel is – and there’s no argument here – by seaplane. You taxi through sparkling waters, the engine roars, and the thumping of the hull on the waves suddenly becomes total serene smoothness. You look down below to the retreating ocean, now dotted with islands and boats, as you travel to a place that you know can only be at least as beautiful as the one you’ve just left. Yeah… we want to join Eero Okkonen‘s ‘Seaplane Association’, whose utterly gorgeous pavilion stands atop a rocky pinnacle with its aircraft waiting beneath it. Join us in enquiring about membership via the link in the text above.

Yavin’ a Rebellion

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TLCB Staff are leaving the comfort of their garages today and heading to the jungle moon Yavin 4, where the Rebel Alliance are planning an audacious attack on the Galactic Empire.

Hidden inside an ancient temple, a multitude of mini-figure Rebels, their X-Wing and Y-Wing fighters, and a handful of helpful droids are readying themselves for the momentous mission.

Constructed by Flickr’s Viktor Fäldt, this enormous brick-built recreation of the Rebel Alliance headquarters features an array of exceptional details from ‘Star Wars: A New Hope’, plus the aforementioned starfighters, hover trollies, and the encroaching jungle outside.

There’s a whole lot more to see of Viktor’s exceptional Star Wars diorama at this photostream, and you can head to Yavin 4 too via the link above.

Big Forker

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One of LEGO’s finest themes and eras was the early-’90s ‘Town’ range. Railways, airports, emergency services, and harbours all featured, with perhaps the best of them all being the huge 6542 Launch & Load Seaport.

Cue regular bloggee Thirdwigg, who has set out to recreate all of the elements of the wonderful 1991 set in Technic form, including the crane, containers, ships, truck, and forklift.

It’s the latter of these that he has recently completed, supersizing the original forklift from the set to Technic scale with working rear-steer, and tilting / raising forks, all operated mechanically.

There’s much more of Thirdwigg’s Technic 6542 forklift, and the other components completed so far, at his ‘6542 Bigger’ album, and you can take a look on Flickr via the link above.

Magnificent Mog

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We’ve featured a lot of Unimogs over the years here at The Lego Car Blog. Some of which are very big, very detailed, and packed with working features. Today’s is very small, very detailed, and packed with working features.

Built by Flickr’s Reddish Blue, this Unimog U5023 isn’t reddish-blue at all, being rather yellow, and has got as much going on as models ten times its size. There’s working steering and suspension, three drop-sides, working stabiliser legs, and an incredible posable Palfinger crane complete with a functional winch.

An astonishing amount of visual detail joins this wealth of functionality, and is all the more impressive given the model is barely 8-studs wide.

Exquisitely presented, there’s a huge amount more of Reddish Blue’s phenomenally rendered creation to see at his ‘Mercedes-Benz Unimog U 5023’ album, where links to building instructions can also be found. Take a look via the link above at the best small-scale ‘mog you’re likely to see this year.

Neeeaaaw Whudhudhuhdua…

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Pew pew, neeeaaaw, whudhudhudhudua, ploouuuumph, glaaaark! As has been documented on this pages, TLCB are not Star Wars fans. Which is probably why we like ‘Episode 1; The Phantom Menace’, because real Star Wars fans seem to dislike it greatly, and there’s a race in the middle of it with a cacophony of noises most likely made from various household appliances and some audio nicked from Formula 1.

Cue this exquisite recreation of Anakin Skywalker’s podracer (which deployed the aforementioned F1 soundtrack), flying through the desert of wherever it was they were racing being chased by the one that went ‘whudhudhuhdua’. Flickr’s Thomas Jenkins is its maker and you can join the smorgasbord of sounds at his photostream via the link above. Neeeeaaaaw! Kahsmuuush!!

LEGO Editions Scuderia Ferrari HP Helmets; 43014 Charles Leclerc & 43022 Lewis Hamilton | Set Preview

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We’re just a few days away from the first race of the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship, with the biggest change to the regulations in over a decade. Cue breakdowns, hugely variable pace, and much team principal emotion. And also two brand new LEGO sets, along with a whole new theme line, because these are the LEGO Editions 43104 Scuderia Ferrari HP Charles Leclerc Helmet and LEGO Editions 43022 Scuderia Ferrari HP Lewis Hamilton Helmet!

Constructed from almost 900 pieces each, the two new sets replicate the 2026 Scuderia Ferrari drivers’ headwear via some rather intricate techniques, even more stickers, and huge new visor parts that Lego spaceship builders are likely already making plans for.

The sets also include mini-figure versions of Leclerc and Hamilton for the first time, including accurate race suits and Leclerc’s signature messy hair / Hamilton’s hair plugs, plus a brick-built stand for display.

Expected to cost  $89.99 / €89,99  / £79,99, both 43014 and 43022 are aimed at ages 14+ and are available to pre-order now.

Technically Trucking

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From a tiny RC truck to one that’s rather larger, this is nico71’s splendid fully remote controlled 1:30 Scania.

Fitted with a pair of LEGO Power Functions motors for drive and steering, Nico’s truck also features opening doors, a tilting cab, lockable three-axle trailer steering, working support legs, and – if motors aren’t your thing – a manual version that switches the electronics for ‘HOG’ steering and a piston engine.

Building instructions for both versions are available, and you can find full details plus a video of the truck in action at the Eurobricks forum here, plus you can check out Nico’s interview in the Master MOCers series via this bonus link.

Tiny Tanker

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One of our Elves is rather grumpy today. You see, despite finding a blogworthy creation (and therefore getting fed), our mythical workers also hope to find something remotely controlled, and large and fast enough to flatten as many fellow Elves as possible. Today’s creation is, well… not that.

But it is – amazingly – remote controlled, thanks to tiny Circuit Cube electrics hidden within the cab. Just seven studs wide, this neat MAN TGX tanker truck by previous bloggee Ts_ can remotely drive and steer, and even the trailer has mechanically operable support legs too.

Thus whilst it can’t squash a TLCB Elf (much to the annoyance of the one that found it) it is a thoroughly intriguing creation nonetheless, and you can see how it all works at the Eurobricks forum via the link above.

Peak Nineties Nissan

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Japanese performance cars, and Nissan in particular, used to be on top of the world. With all-wheel-drive, all-wheel-steering, and a twin-turbocharged inline-6 engine, the ‘R32’ generation Nissan GT-R dominated early-’90s Class A racing.

Around 50,000 road-going examples were produced alongside the racing counterparts, with the GT-R quickly becoming one of the cars of Japan’s golden performance era.

This phenomenal brick-built replica comes from Eurobricks’ NoEXIST, who has not only replicated the R32 GT-R’s exterior wonderfully via a blend of Technic and System parts, he’s included the car’s defining all-wheel-drive, all-wheel-steering, and twin-turbocharged inline-6 engine, plus all-wheel independent suspension, working steering, and opening doors, hood and trunk.

Building instructions and a remote controlled version are both available, and there’s more of this amazing Nissan GT-R recreation to see at the Eurobricks forum, where full build details, links, and a video of the RC version can also be found, with the complete image gallery available at Bricksafe. Click the links above and jump back to peak ’90s Nissan.

Horse Handler

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Ford Bronco owners like to think that by driving their boxy SUV people will think they’re outdoorsy farming types, rather than Jeff from Marketing. But they’re fooling no-one. However Flickr’s M_longer can help! Because this splendid telehandler – complete with working arm elevation and extension, deployable stabilisers, spring operated forks, all-wheel steering, and an inline piston engine – is constructed solely from the parts of the official 42213 Technic Ford Bronco set. No-one’s gonna think you work in marketing driving this! Switch up your Bronco for a real farm machine courtesy of M_longer via the link above, where building instructions for this brilliant Bronco B-Model can also be found.

Steyr Master

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Things to come out of Austria; Arnold Schwarzenegger, Swarovski crystal, Red Bull, and, um… Adolf Hitler. And this! The Steyr tractor.

Constructed by previous bloggee Keko007 it’s a 6300 CVT, and it’s equipped with a rather dangerous-looking Rata Mounted Maxitill.

Working steering and a rear hitch feature, and you can drink a Red Bull on your way to becoming Governor of California via the link above.

Roving Mad

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There’s under a week to go of this year’s Febrovery, with dozens of lunar rovers of all shapes and sizes created so far. Which means dozens of creations about which TLCB Writers – whose comfort zone really doesn’t extend much beyond ‘double-overhead cam’ – know nothing. Still, we like spacey things, so here are three of our favourites so far…

Here in TLCB’s home nation we’re pretty sure that some of the vehicles on our roads are helmed by plant-life, so non-reactive are they to any stimulus around them. Here it’s invariably an ageing small hatchback (most often a Peugeot) with a pink ‘Powered by Fairydust’ sticker on the tailgate, but Austin Vail‘s botanically-driven lunar rover is something far more retro-futuristic! Inspired by the bubble-canopied concept cars of the 1950s and ’60s, Austin’s design is ideal transportation for the flowers within, and there’s more to see of his ‘FloraTron Mooncruiser’ on Flickr.

Like, space dudes, we’re totally surfing the Mercury Nebula! There’s a Duplo van in the centre of the Scott Wilhem‘s ‘S.U.R.F for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence’ rover, and a whole lot of ‘greebling’ on the outside. The smiling classic spaceman looks pretty stoked by his ride, and you can catch a cosmic wave at Scott’s photostream via the link above.

And lastly… Blacktron aren’t just about thieving things from the other ‘trons – they need downtime too. And thus here they are tending to some crystal snails. Flickr’s Frost (aka TFDesigns!) is the maker of the ‘Blacktron Surveyor’ and you can join the mini-figures of Blacktron chilling out with some galactic gastropods via the link.

Aston Honda

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If Formula 1 pre-season testing is to believed, newly formed Aston Martin Honda are in big trouble. And if we’re honest we found Aston’s move to Honda bit odd seeing as Mercedes-Benz AMG part own Aston Martin road cars, provide their engines and electrics, and have a good F1 powertrain available to buy. Still, at least it won’t change Lance Stroll’s performance, as he was at the back anyway.

Cue today’s double, from both Aston Martin and Honda (via Acura), this time with competing endurance sports cars.

Constructed by TLCB regular SFH_Bricks, the Speed Champions Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH #23 IMSA and Acura ARX-06 MSR #93 capture their real-world counterparts brilliantly, thanks in no small part to the simply outstanding liveries and custom-printed tyres.

There’s more to see of each via the links above, and let’s hope Aston Martin Honda solve their problems soon. Not for Lance Stroll obviously, but Alonso’s there too…

Ridge Racers

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These days car manufacturers are delighted to work with video games makers. What you drive virtually as a kid may one day influence what you decide to drive for real. But back in the ’90s video game licensing was still rather hit-and-miss, which meant there was a glorious variety of eccentrically-named vehicles available that were inspired by – or downright copies of – real world cars.

Namco’s ‘Ridge Racer’ was one such title that eschewed licensing in favour of some tremendous own-brewed vehicles, including the ‘Assoluto Bisonte’, ‘Terrazi Troop’, ‘Age Solo Dirigient’, and – our favourite – the ‘Lizard Detector’.

Flickr’s Studworks takes us straight back to racing circa-1998 with his brilliant Speed Champions homage to the cars of ‘Ridge Racer Type 4’, complete with superb replica liveries printed by Brickstickershop.

Building instructions and access to the stickers are available, and you can fire up your PS1 to take the ‘Lizard Detector’ up ‘Wonderhill’ via Studworks’ ‘Ridge Racer Type 4 Cars’ album here!