What makes a car a super car?

[Paul B Technic]

Following the success of our LEGO expo which I ran (http://mizibunktechnic.blogspot.com.au/p/brixhibition-north-2013.html) and all the admin work related to this I am now getting back in to doing my own thing with LEGO :)

I now have a decent building desk and shelves so I can leave my MOCs between session without having to pack them up each time. I have undertaken some research on super cars as I have had the idea for quite a while to build one of my own, this has lead me to a question I can not answer:

What is a super car and how does this differ from a concept car or any other type and design of LEGO Technic cars? Does a MOC car need to have any specific features, functions or design / size to be classed as this? My goal is to design and build something quite special for our next display in October so I want to get the basics "right" before I get too far in to the build process.

[nxtstep101]

A supercar is an expensive high end car, that has great speed and power. So you could make a lamborghini or another expensive car like that.

Edited April 26, 2013 by nxtstep101

[Paul B Technic]

A supercar is an expensive high end car, that has great speed and power. So you could make a lamborghini or another expensive car like that.

In real life that is correct but my question was more directed towards how this relates to LEGO Technic. Does it need to have a gear box? Fake engine? a given size to be classed as a super car?

[Alasdair Ryan]

I am no lego car expert but I would say yes it should have all of those futures.

It terms of scale I would use the same scale as Mr Crowkillers does and Sheepo... 1:19?

Edited April 26, 2013 by Alasdair Ryan

[Lipko]

I don't think it is a strict term. I like to use just "car" for my models. Other builders use the term "supercar" for my models more frequently, I think the size matters the most in how most people call these models. My cars are big, have some (fairly standard and easy to implement) features, so it's a supercar. I personally have never seen a small scaled model called supercar, no matter what features it had.

[Rijkvv]

For me, a supercar needs a working gearbox, independent suspension, working steering wheel, and a fake engine. I don't see the 8070 as a true supercar.

[Kumbbl]

For me, a supercar needs a working gearbox, independent suspension, working steering wheel, and a fake engine. I don't see the 8070 as a true supercar.

agreed - and in addition it should exceed a certain threshold of the part count, or in other words: it should be a high-end set, a flagship model...and one or more special features would support the term supercar even more, e.g. a cabrio with moveable roof or 4 wheel drive, 4 wheel steering..

[nicjasno]

The 8880 was the most super lego ever got. It only went downhill from there.

[DarkShadow73]

The 8880 was the most super lego ever got. It only went downhill from there.

Don't quite agree on that front, I think the 8448 Super Street Sensation was about as close in terms of a real Lego design you could get to a supercar, real working engine, independent suspension, Ferrari type opening doors, incredible gearbox and the look that can't be beat. The 8070 as one mentioned above is a poor excuse for a Supercar, it was more of a 'supercar' but not in the real sense because all it had going for it was PF. Just my opinion...

I know most all consider the 8880 a true supercar, but it was from an era of just studded bricks and such, rather ugly IMO, the 8448 was sleek with a combination of studded bricks and plates used on the chassis since it was produced in 1999, but the outside framework hid all of that with fairings, flexible axles, etc.

I did buy 5 8070's back in the day on deals but I always assemble 1 of each, saving the rest for resale down the line as most do that are sellers...but I was rather disappointed with the outcome of the car and the back is just ugly with the PF battery box totally visible. At least with most PF models the battery box is hidden like the 8043 and many other models. Construction models I think it is ok to be visible, but not on a supercar...

Edited April 26, 2013 by TechnicFreak

[allanp]

For me, it must have:

correct scale for 81.6mm diameter tyres or bigger,

fake engine,

working transmission,

working independent suspention,

great styling which also looks like a supercar (not a hot rod or muscle car),

working steering.

4 wheel drive is very nice but not that essential, a good 2wd setup is better than a crap 4wd setup, but a good 4wd setup is best. A working steering wheel as well as HOG (hand of God) is also very nice. Opening/moving body parts are also good, like pop-up head lights (old fasioned now I know) and opening doors/boot (trunk). Being motorised and/or RC is not needed, in fact may be more bad than good due to the current parts allowing heavy vehicles with multiple speed transmissions to move at rarely faster than a snails pace (unless you have a few RC buggy motors!), which kinda destroys the illusion of a supercar I think.

[Boxerlego]

LEGO Supercars have all the functions of a car. A LEGO car is a brick on wheels.

[Technyk32231]

I think that for a lego car to be called a supercar, it must have, at least:

• Working gearbox
  
• Full suspension
  
• Working fake engine
  
• Bodywork
  

These basic requirements change with the scale, so a smaller car doesn't need as advanced features, while a larger car should have more advanced features.

[DarkShadow73]

For me, it must have:

correct scale for 81.6mm diameter tyres or bigger,

fake engine,

working transmission,

working independent suspention,

great styling which also looks like a supercar (not a hot rod or muscle car),

working steering.

4 wheel drive is very nice but not that essential, a good 2wd setup is better than a crap 4wd setup, but a good 4wd setup is best. A working steering wheel as well as HOG (hand of God) is also very nice. Opening/moving body parts are also good, like pop-up head lights (old fasioned now I know) and opening doors/boot (trunk). Being motorised and/or RC is not needed, in fact may be more bad than good due to the current parts allowing heavy vehicles with multiple speed transmissions to move at rarely faster than a snails pace (unless you have a few RC buggy motors!), which kinda destroys the illusion of a supercar I think.

@allanp - you are rather like me in your ideas. I think the 8448 was the ultimate supercar, but w/ PF elements a lot could be done to make it even better. Unfortunately, I gave my 8448 to another EB member a year or so ago, thinking I might have put some PF elements on it, if nothing else the LED light kit.

[Kumbbl]

LEGO Supercars have all the functions of a car. A LEGO car is a brick on wheels.

:grin: :grin: :grin: :grin:

[technicman97]

LEGO Supercars have all the functions of a car. A LEGO car is a brick on wheels.

I agree! With exception to"all the functions of a car", I would say "as much functions (a car has) as possible".

[colinrichardson]

Maybe a bit tangential, but Jalopnik has a piece today (a bit polemical) about the "supercar" designation (for actual full scale cars); it's an interesting read and parallels this discussion a bit. For me, it's hard to know exactly where to draw a precise line- I think that for supercar's in both cases, you ought to be able to say that the designer/builder "went all-out" and didn't half-megablocks anything for the sake of comfort, cost or ease.