Did anyone notice the RC chassis in Lego Masters?

[shroomzofdoom]

I found it interesting that Lego seemed to have chosen a 3rd party RC chassis to use as a base platform in the most recent episode 'Lego 2K Drive'.

I've always realized that making an RC 4x4 chassis is not easily done with legal Lego design and that we like to push the envelope but I'd also like to imagine TLG advisor and show producer had to look at the current options for Technic to say 'yeah, let's just get an aftermarket chassis'. It just seems to be a big miss to not build a Lego RC platform for this purpose.

Maybe I missed something and they are using some future design... maybe the lack of attention to PU and the fact that they've killed mindstorms points to some divestiture from this kind of market...Part of me hopes they realize these shortcomings and are hard at work at some next gen power and RC stuff. I can dreamzzz, can't I?

Edited November 19, 2023 by shroomzofdoom

[Zerobricks]

Can you link the episode?

[gyenesvi]

What are they using this for? What's this Lego 2K drive? I only found some video game..

[dgeehot]

Does anyone know what brand they use for the  3-party RC chassis?

[kearkor]

The chassis is Traxxas TRX4, and the specific version is the 1979 Ford Bronco model #82046-4. Retails for 500$

[ninoguba]

3 hours ago, gyenesvi said:

What are they using this for? What's this Lego 2K drive? I only found some video game..

This was used for US Lego Masters Season 4 Episode 8’s build and race challenge in partnership with 2K Drive.

I think they use 3rd party stuff coz Lego doesnt have fast and strong motors for this type of challenges, and the lack of physical remote controllers

[gyenesvi]

48 minutes ago, ninoguba said:

This was used for US Lego Masters Season 4 Episode 8’s build and race challenge in partnership with 2K Drive.

I think they use 3rd party stuff coz Lego doesnt have fast and strong motors for this type of challenges, and the lack of physical remote controllers

Okay, so I guess the challenge was build something on top of it and then race it? I only found a review of the episode in which they just talk a lot but not show anything.. So it's about whose bodywork looks cooler and who can drive better (the exact same chassis)?

[shroomzofdoom]

After the original post I realized that there are regional variations to Lego Masters. I watch the US version and it was S04E08. In it, they smash together two other designs and use only those bricks to finish off the chassis. They them race them around a rally track and the winner gets their design featured in the Drive video game. If you torrent or Usenet you should be able to find it.

I found this later on https://www.trackstarrc.net/blogs/news/track-star-r-c-chosen-to-build-lego-masters-r-c-platforms

Though if @kearkor recognized it that's prob the most likely scenario.

I guess it makes sense that they wouldn't use Lego for every single challenge that uses RC. Some episodes featured boats, erupting volcanoes, and it would be impractical

Edited November 20, 2023 by shroomzofdoom

[ninoguba]

2 hours ago, gyenesvi said:

Okay, so I guess the challenge was build something on top of it and then race it? I only found a review of the episode in which they just talk a lot but not show anything.. So it's about whose bodywork looks cooler and who can drive better (the exact same chassis)?

The challenge was to build an alt build from two mashed up vehicles.  Whoever wins aesthetics win pole position. Then they race their builds on a mixed terrain track for 6 laps and whoever wins that gets their build immortalized digitally in Lego 2K Drive.  I’m not sure where you can watch it but maybe soon a snippet or clip will be available on YouTube.

 

It was a very fun episode and I always liked these kind of challenges.  This is like the destruction derby episode of a previous season of LM US.

Great find, this article is!  Nice insight on the production behind the scenes.

9 minutes ago, shroomzofdoom said:

I found this later on https://www.trackstarrc.net/blogs/news/track-star-r-c-chosen-to-build-lego-masters-r-c-platforms

@kearkor

Edited November 20, 2023 by ninoguba

[The_Cook]

Remember that it's not TLG but the television production company Endemol Shine North.

My suspicion would be that nobody on the production team has the time, knowledge and/or money to put together a lego RC chassis so the most expedient option is to take an off-the-shelf RC package, rip of whatever top-shell it had and super-glue some lego bricks to it. There would also be robustness benefits if indeed they are smashing them together. TV for the masses likes explosions and crashes more than intricate NPU.

Occams razor: the simplest answer is usually right.

[shroomzofdoom]

The technic bricks are crudely zip tied to the RC platform. I like this.