Bringing the wonder of LEGO to super car design.
This past weekend, my wife and I took our two boys to the Brick Master 2012 festival held at the Hilton North Raleigh. That event featured an assemblage of LEGO crafts, built by enthusiasts young and old alike. Many displays were custom-made designs, utilizing hundreds if not thousands of tiny plastic bricks to create some highly spectacular works of art.
LEGO Enthusiast
On hand with his nine pieces was Paul Boratko, a LEGO enthusiast with an eye for building super cars. Boratko’s display included a 1969 Camaro SS, a chopped hot road, a Vampire GT, a Porsche 997 GT3, a Lamborghini Murcielago, a Lamborghini Gallardo and other other models and parts including transmissions, a generic deluxe super car and a Vampire GT chassis.
Murcielago LEGO
Boratko’s talent is clearly evident and demonstrates the interest of car enthusiasts have in building LEGO models of various vehicles. Indeed, the Murcielago design was picked up by LEGO and issued as part of its RACERS series . On the box it says “designed by LEGO fans,” acknowledging the contribution that some LEGO enthusiasts have made to this product line (ed. — however, we have since confirmed that this story was a hoax on the part Fernando Correia and wishful thinking that LEGO would pick up Boratko’s design). As of this writing, the current RACERS series is comprised of four monster trucks.
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About Matt KeeganMatt Keegan is a freelance writer. His specialities include automotive, business, college and career, and inspirational articles. Matt founded Auto Trends in April 2008 and expanded it to reflect its current format and editorial policy as of Sept. 2010. Matt is a member of the Washington Automotive Press Association and is a contributor to various print and online media sources.
Ah, I did not know that. I know LEGO people are fanatics — two are my sons. My wife to a lesser degree and I’m more an observer. I imagine that Technic has more than a few devotees up in arms. Progress, I say!
Well, they are not exactly ordinary blocks in the traditional sense of Lego as they are the more advanced type known as “Technic”, which is one of the reasons why so many people don’t like to accept them as “Lego”
Even though “Technic” is involved in almost every Lego set out there in some form and people use it everyday in their creations, they just don’t want to embrace models that are built in the Technic theme… Technic is far more popular over in Europe than it is here in the States…
I like it! Voted for it too. I’m amazed at how you take ordinary blocks and turn these into an extraordinary masterpiece.
I added the Porsche 997 GT3 Project up to the Cuusoo site… This one was really popular at the show in Raleigh and also one that I have been getting many requsets for instructions for…
http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/17989
LOL… No no age is too old… I talk to guys my age and older all of the time that never realized the amazing things that you can do with the Lego Technic Stuff and can’t wait to get into building and designing their own Cars… the building is far more advanced than standard building, but that is what makes it more fun to do…
$1,626 raised is pretty amazing. I read about the story online and found this link at the crowkiller’s website. I also supported your model at that Lego site. I am a somewhat mystified as to why no Lego sites or Lego themselves are not talking about this amazing amount of money that you raised for charity building with their product. I never knew Lego could be used to make incredible cars like this. This certainly is an inspiration for me to get into something along with working with actual automobiles. Me being Over 40 isn’t too old is it?
Update: Auto Trends heard back from Paul Boratko about his Vampire GT auction on eBay. That model fetched a winning bid of $1,626.00 from a gentleman in the U.K. The winner is undergoing his own battle with an illness and is currently undergoing treatment for a brain tumor. The winning funds have been donated to the “Make-A-Wish Foundation.” Say Boratko, “Hopefully that is enough money to send a child to Legoland.”
See Also — Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: He Fixes Cars by Day, Builds Them by Night; Arlene Johns; May 29, 2012
@Mo — Consider it done. I’ve updated this article to tell my readers at the beginning how to vote. Let’s see if we can push this up a bit faster.
@Paul Boratko — Thank you for stopping by. I’m glad to help — I enjoyed seeing your work at Brick Magic in Raleigh this past Saturday. As I mentioned to Mo, I’ve updated this article to include a link so that my readers can vote. I’m not sure how many of my car enthusiasts are LEGO fans, but I’m sure many admire your ingenuity and will add in their votes. I’ll be following Cuusoo to see how you’re doing — stay in touch; you can reach me at admin at autotrends.org
Thank You so much for this article… I am really struggling for Support for my Vampire GT on Cuusoo and I appreciate any help that I can get… Hopefully this is something that can show people that Lego is more than just old school bricks that click together to make models to look at and admire and that you can actually do some cool things with them that have realistic functions…
Mark – The Land rover managed to get features on two other sites (I will not mention them) which has caused an explosion in votes. I have been relentlessly trying to have this car featured on many websites but no takers yet (they must really be crazy not to). You can help by sending out emails to other car/tech blogs as well as tweeting and sharing the Cuusoo link on other peoples Facebook pages.
Also if you know anyone that does blog/has an interesting website ask them to feature this car.
Thanks for supporting, may I request that a link be put in the article asking readers to vote for this amazing model?
Mark, it makes you want to go out and design your own ride, right?
I missed the eBay auction component of the sale. At the Brick Magic LEGO festival this past weekend, the organizers were auctioning off Star War memorabilia to benefit this same Make-a-Wish Foundation. I bid on a set of three Star Wars prints, but needless to say my $150 bid was later topped.
Would love to have the money to buy this Vampire GT myself. Given that it is a one-of-a-kind model, it should fetch well above $600 before all is said and done. Imagine getting this model and then, later, LEGO adding it to its collection.
The Land Rover isn’t made by this same builder, it is done by someone else and while it is motorized and kind of cool, it doesn’t compare with this. I am a fan of Lego models that are done in a traditional Lego style of building. The Land Rover is not. It’s worth checking out though as it has some cool features. I have been looking over this crowkiller builder’s work and I am absolutely floored. I also found that he has an auction on Ebay for The Vampire Gt in black and he is giving everything to charity! It is currently at $565 (o )(o ) I am a father and also 36 years old and I am completely blown away as well as inspired.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Crowkillers-Custom-Lego-Technic-2012-Vampire-GT-Supercar-for-Charity?item=270979582067
I still don’t understand why it doesn’t have as many(or more supports) than the Land Rover model and it has been at that Cusoo site for almost 2 months?!? Is the Vampire not getting the feature spots that the Land Rover is?!?
Mark, you’ve told all of my readers what needs to be done and I know that there are some LEGO fans reading this. I haven’t seen the LandRover, but I must say that the Vampire GT is too cool and should be picked up by LEGO. I got to check out the Technic line — my kids love Ninjago and other stuff for 11 and 12 year olds; I’ve got my eye on the same sort of rides that interest you.
This vampire gt has got to get to 10,000 supports. That thing is beyond awesome. I found a link to the Land Rover(which is incredible), but then after seeing that Vampire model, the Land Rover doesn’t seem as cool since the Vampire seems to be constructed in a more traditional Technic format. I am in Love.
Thanks for that information, Mo. I signed up and have lent my support to this project. Personally, I would like to see a full line of super cars produced by LEGO. Throw in a Viper, a Corvette and a Shelby, and you have my attention.
If you do like the Vampire GT and would like to see it as a Lego set please vote for it at Lego Cuusoo:
http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/13666