1:10 Scale Motorized Acura/Honda NSX Supercar

[Zerobricks]

After building the 1:8 scale Spano GTA, I wanted to make something more compact, yet even more functional for the BuWizz camp 2021, which got postopned to 2022.

The rules behind this model stated to build a 1:10 scale representation of a real existing car, which has to have a working gearbox, fake engine and working steering wheel.

After researching different types of super and hypercars, I chose the Acura/Honda NSX since it had several good pros compared to the more famous brands like Ferrari or Lamborghini:

• The real car has a smaller profile, which means a lower weight
• It uses a hybrid AWD system, which would come in handy for the LEGO model for accelerating and braking on all wheels
• Engine powering is a V6, which doesn't take as much space as the typical V8, V10 or even V12
• Since it's a less known supercar, my LEGO version could be the first one in such scale

I used a simillar technique as with Spano GTA where I imported the 3D model into the Lego Digital Designer and used it as a 3D reference. Using this technique I ended up with a really close representation, and it really shows:

As you can see in the gif above, not only does the model look very good, it's also full of functionality:

• 4x BuWizz motors for driving
• All wheel drive
• 2 Speed gearbox
• Working fake V6 coupled directly to the drive motors
• Working steering wheel
• 2x BuWizz 3.0 for control
• Double wishbone suspension on all wheels 

Dimensions and weight ended up as following:

• Length: 45 cm
• Width: 20 cm (without mirrors)
• Height: 12.5 cm
• Weight: cca 1,5 kg

Here is how the model's underside looks like, drive motors are driving two independent gearboxes in order to evenly spread the mechanical load. This kind of a setup also cancels out any side forces on the central drive axle, thereby reducing friction and wear:

In order to cram all the powertrain components in the rear the drive motors are placed in a V shape. This way there is just enough space between them for a functional V6 engine and a PU medium motor which switches the gearbox:

Thanks to the compact powerline and driveline, the interrior is very spacious and both seats are almost 1:8 scale sized, measuring 6 studs wide. There are even stoppers and interrior details on the doors themselves:

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The end performance of the model is higher than what I expected, there is enough torque to freespin all 4 wheels, jump over ramps and top speed in high gear is almost 20 km/h! You can see how well it performs the video:

To conclude, this is my first 1:10 scale supercar which also ended up extremely compact, functional, robust and good looking. I also think a 1:10 scale may be beneficial when it comes to reliability and robustness, since models tend to weight half the weight of their 1:8 counterparts while still incorporating a simillar level of functionality and details.

Having said that, this will not be my last 1:10 supercar and I think for the next one I will ditch the gearbox and simply drive the wheels directly from the motors without any weak differentials.

[Daniel-99]

Great model! I love the shapes and technical part of the car.

1 hour ago, Zerobricks said:

To conclude, this is my first 1:10 scale supercar which also ended up extremely compact, functional, robust and good looking. I also think a 1:10 scale may be beneficial when it comes to reliability and robustness, since models tend to weight half the weight of their 1:8 counterparts while still incorporating a simillar level of functionality and details.

These time I have nothing to add or remove from your words! Totally agreed!

1 hour ago, Zerobricks said:

Having said that, this will not be my last 1:10 supercar and I think for the next one I will ditch the gearbox and simply drive the wheels directly from the motors without any weak differentials.

I am planning such a project as well. 1:10 scale is great for RC models, since you can use Land Rover rims and make a realistic steering (which is very important for fast Lego car)! 

[gyenesvi]

Great model, I already liked it very much in the BuWizz camp! Especially love the V-shaped engine build. Apart from the space advantages you mention, it has another important benefit: the output axles get close to each other, 2 studs away from the central axle, which allows the use of medium sized gears, and so opens the possibility for the gearbox (which could not be done if the motors were just vertical). I also like how the double gearbox distributes the load, and how simple the whole drivetrain is, despite it has the gearboxes. Great idea with the fast output driving the fake engine as well! I love that it can run in neutral when the car is not moving!

Also, it's nice that the interior is structurally so simple and clean, yet the whole model is rigid. And nice clean overall shape!

Finally, this answers some of my questions in the other thread about performance; using the slow output to drive the simple hubs is also an effective solution that seems to work, and you even addressed the front wheel drive case! I can see that you are using the new CV joints there with an offset towards the center, but not sure how that works exactly. I am guessing that as the wheel steers, the pivot point of the hub and the CV joint are not aligned right? So that way the joint pivot moves a bit forward/backwards and pull the drive axle with itself, but the reason why that does not matter too much is because the inner brick-built joint compensates for that? Do I understand that right? Furthermore, is it that movement that allows the axles to slowly move out of the differential? Did I get that right? Nevertheless, it's an ingenious solution!

Let's hope that the yellow differentials were actually designed for some future RC car with a plain hub that uses the new CV joints! :)

[Zerobricks]

29 minutes ago, gyenesvi said:

Finally, this answers some of my questions in the other thread about performance; using the slow output to drive the simple hubs is also an effective solution that seems to work, and you even addressed the front wheel drive case! I can see that you are using the new CV joints there with an offset towards the center, but not sure how that works exactly. I am guessing that as the wheel steers, the pivot point of the hub and the CV joint are not aligned right? So that way the joint pivot moves a bit forward/backwards and pull the drive axle with itself, but the reason why that does not matter too much is because the inner brick-built joint compensates for that? Do I understand that right? Furthermore, is it that movement that allows the axles to slowly move out of the differential? Did I get that right? Nevertheless, it's an ingenious solution!

Let's hope that the yellow differentials were actually designed for some future RC car with a plain hub that uses the new CV joints! :)

Thank you for the praise. Regarding CV joint, yes the front ones are one stud out of center, that is why the 5L levers holding the suspension are 2 studs apart in order to leave enough space for the drive axle to move sideway. The movement though is minimal, less than half a stud and does not affect the pulling out that much. To reduce the possiblity of axle pulling out, I even used a 3L axle with a stop, the additional length of the stop pushes it slightly further into the differential. The main reason why the 3L axle slips out of the differential is due to the white wedge I used to keep the differential from slipping. Since the differential is lightly pushed towards the bevel gear and in one direction, it leaves just enough space for the axle to slip out at that side at high loads, damaging the 12 tooth gear. I really wish the 12 tooth bevel gears would be redesigned to get rid of the inner cut, but I know it's required in order to fit in the bottom of a plate with a hole.

[gyenesvi]

13 minutes ago, Zerobricks said:

The main reason why the 3L axle slips out of the differential is due to the white wedge I used to keep the differential from slipping.

Oh, okay, I get it now, thanks!

[lmdesigner42]

This model is really great with its combination of appearance, functionality, and performance. Thanks for sharing! Would it be worth using the new 12z spur gear and 20z with clutch spur gear (from the Airbus) in the gearbox instead of the double-bevel versions?

[Zerobricks]

19 minutes ago, lmdesigner42 said:

Would it be worth using the new 12z spur gear and 20z with clutch spur gear (from the Airbus) in the gearbox instead of the double-bevel versions?

Since this model was built in 2021, those gears were not yet available. I think it may be worth a try, they should run a but smoother.

[brunojj1]

Nice job! I like this heavy duty drivetrain a lot and the performance ist stunning!

Side note: this is inspired by, but definitely not an Acura NSX. And for me it doesn´t look like it very much because of the lack of some characteristic details. 

Edited August 18, 2022 by brunojj1

[Zerobricks]

Thanks to the recently released gears and hubs, I was finally able to upgrade the model with an updated driveline.

The main changes in the driveline are the increased reliability and a higher difference between the gears. Basically this means the low gear is now slower with higher torque than original and that the high gear is now slightly faster, allowing the model to reach almost 22 km/h (10% speed increase).

I mananged to do all the upgrades without any major changes to the exterior:

As usual, there is more info in the video:

To add topping to the cake, the increased torque and robustness allowed me to also create an off-road variant, which can be easily set up in under 5 minutes.

While redesigning the driveline, I also redesigned the suspesnion in such way, that it can easily be adjusted between two levels - low/hard and high/soft.

I also changed the rear bumper attachments, so it can easily be swapped out for a different one.

Here's how the off-road version ended up:

Despite a few remaing flaws, I'm really happy with the upgrade since it gave this old model a nice performance and reliability boost. On a personal note, the upgrade was a really good learning experience for future projects.

Edited November 18, 2023 by Zerobricks

[StudWorks]

1 hour ago, Zerobricks said:

Thanks to the recently released gears and hubs, I was finally able to upgrade the model with an updated driveline.

The main changes in the driveline are the increased reliability and a higher difference between the gears. Basically this means the low gear is now slower with higher torque than original and that the high gear is now slightly faster, allowing the model to reach almost 22 km/h (10% speed increase).

What recently released pieces did you use? And the off-road upgrading on-the-fly you added is totally killer and looks great! Down the line I wanted to make a BuWizz 1:8 scale Porsche 959 with adjustable suspension and features just like the real car so I'm really inspired by this too.

[Zerobricks]

53 minutes ago, StudWorks said:

What recently released pieces did you use? And the off-road upgrading on-the-fly you added is totally killer and looks great! Down the line I wanted to make a BuWizz 1:8 scale Porsche 959 with adjustable suspension and features just like the real car so I'm really inspired by this too.

Thank you! I used the hubs from Audi E-tron, 24 tooth clutch gears from the Yamaha and the yellow diffs from Ferrari Daytona.

[StudWorks]

15 hours ago, Zerobricks said:

Thank you! I used the hubs from Audi E-tron, 24 tooth clutch gears from the Yamaha and the yellow diffs from Ferrari Daytona.

I'm really leaning on getting the E-Tron set for the parts. Seeing it new in box for $130 US with free shipping on eBay already, and I was already planning on buying more motors, plus the new hub and ball joint pieces really interest me as they'd surely be way better than the old ones for powerful motorized builds like the cars I plan on building.