DLuders

With Alasdair Ryan's recommendation above, you could build the 8848 with the parts list in this Rebrickable.com webpage. There are links to the Building Instructions there.

@ rumpletump: Voted! Nice entry!

Thirdwigg made a small-scale STUDDED Lego Technic blue Unimog U406 with Building Instructions. You could change the color scheme.

Nice video review! Your daughter is a good presenter. Did you get this 42011 set in Canada, or in the USA (where it was briefly sold by Toys-R-Us)? The Lego Group will probably sell TENS OF THOUSANDS of this set, since it's fun and reasonably priced.

Maybe it's meant to be some sort of trailer hitch, to be able to tow things.

@ Sicil: Although a ultra-fast "Rally Car" may be difficult to drive using the basic Power Functions controller, one could use the 8879 / 64227 "Electric, Power Functions IR Speed Remote Control Unit with Dark Bluish Gray Base" unit for more precise control:

@ bmollema: Both versions of Sicil's Rally Car "Blacked" use 41896 "Wheel 43.2mm D. x 26mm Technic Racing Small, 3 Pinholes" . They come in different colors, with these sets (not the 8070 Supercar). Low-profile 41897 "Tire 56 x 28 ZR Street" are mounted on the wheels. It should be noted that there is no room for a differential on the rear axle; only solid axles are used.

@ nxtstep101: Welcome to Eurobricks! This is a very tall GBC for the size of the baseplate used.

I would say that YES, this is the "golden age" of Lego Technic. Not only has Lego Power Functions allowed one to easily motorize diverse creations (such as trains, carousels, and vehicles), but also there is an EXPLOSION of guides (Sariel's book, virtual Building Instructions, YouTube videos, etc.). The HUGE STRIDES in the quality of Technic MOCs show me that the capability of Lego Technic has been stretched to new heights. As far as saying that "Technic is truly an adults product," I know that there are many teenagers (TFOLs) lurking on this forum. They are the future scientists and engineers that the world needs so much. This "golden age" has allowed them to share in the available knowledge, and not just rely on the ~10 official Lego Technic sets that are produced each year.

OK, here's a showing Sicil's Lego Technic Rally Car "Blacked" with a 1:3 gear ratio:

I like the motorized Linear Actuators instead of using pneumatic cylinders, since LAs will keep the Grove boom extended. Pneumatics leak air, and the boom eventually eases back down on its own.

At least those poor minfigs died with smiles on their faces!

Yes, that USD $100 Dexter Industries WIFI for LEGO MINDSTORMS unit is pretty cool.

@ andyfarang: Glad that you got what you were looking for. Maybe Santa Claus can put one of these 8547 sets under your tree this year!

These are cool! The torus ring is turning itself inside-out like a Moebius Strip. The globular octahedron sculpture is like a Christmas ornament! I like how you use the Lego solar panel -- maybe the e-Motor can keep time like a sundial.

Nice MOC! I like those 3rd-party 1.9" I.D. RC tires on the Lego 44772 wheels. Did you get them at a local hobby shop in the USA? Any 1.9 tire in the 37mm-48mm widths will fit those Lego wheels.

@ Plastic Nurak: Boy, do those old 1960s Lego vehicles bring back memories! Nice job on those. These were the kind of simple sets that existed when I was a kid (before Lego Technic was offered in 1977).

@ Sicil: Yes, you're right. From Sariel's Gears Tutorial, "...a gear ratio is simply: number of follower’s gear teeth : number of driver’s gear teeth". So, in the car I have, the gear ratio is 12:36, or 1:3. I corrected my post above to read, "The rear axle's gear ratio has been changed from 3:5 (0.6) to 1:3 (0.33).... Your car is now 45% faster than before!" [(0.33)-(0.6)] /0.6 = 0.45. I'll make a video of it driving in a large room with 9V alkaline batteries, and post it here.

Congratulations to Phool for winning the free book -- you'll like it a lot!

Whoa, Simon! Is your prototype a dry run for a Lego car like this? http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FoXyvaPSnVk/SvxuS1c2sSI/AAAAAAACPf8/hAbCQy-xnNU/s1600/BMW-X1-LEGO-6.jpg

@ Instructions archiver: You could insert your image by copying/pasting this URL into the "Image" button on your Eurobricks Reply -- it's the central icon on the toolbar that you see above the "Reply" window. [img=http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8341/8213411079_75bb8105df_z.jpg] You could make an "Attachment" of your LDD .lxf file by pressing the "More Reply Options" button at the bottom-right corner of the "Reply" window. You will then see the "Attach Files" option at the bottom left. Everyone on Eurobricks has only 150k of "attachments" alloted, but .lxf files are usually pretty small. As a long-term solution, you could get a Brickshelf.com account, then once you have uploaded your LDD .lxf file there, you could immediately "Deeplink" your file to this Eurobricks forum by using the link that Kez provided above. If you don't "deeplink" it, several days may elapse before your file is moderated and "made public" by the Brickshelf moderator.

So, the bright, garish colors of the original 9398 4x4 Crawler chassis have been "toned down" to the gray colors more suitable for the Land Rover. It looks good.

@ Hopey: In this Eurobricks post, tl8 published his thorough "Investigation into the Strength of Lego Technic Liftarms and Brick Beams, and of Liftarm Pin Connections" PDF document. His conclusions after testing dozens of items: "Liftarms are better in tension than studded [Technic Bricks]. Brick Beams are better in transverse [shear] than studless [liftarms]. Liftarms are stronger in transverse [shear] with the pins on the side. Connections to other components will fail before the Beam (either connections themselves, or the connection area of the Liftarm)(i.e., the (unstressed) centre of the Liftarm will not fail). Pin connections will probably pull apart before they fail catastrophically. The more pins, the stronger the connection. In transverse 3 pin overlap, with 2 pins used is almost as strong as 3 pin overlap and 3 pins used Liftarms in transverse [shear] conditions wont fail (but will bend) if the pivot points match the end of the connection Lego is quite strong for its weight"

[bUMP] TechGuru33 posted this YouTube video of Mahjqa's Lego Technic Tachikoma (Ghost in the Shell) operating outdoors: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMSG9hpDvvQ