East Bound And Down

You know what's strange? I have almost no memory of Smokey and the Bandit (unlike my favorite guilty pleasure Hooper). I know the basic plot, I know I saw it as a kid, I can sing along with the theme when they play it aboard the Disney Wonder on deck 3 forward. But I don't remember it. I do recall vividly everybody wanted one of these Trans Am's after the movie came out (and a CB radio, man the 70's were weird), and now Mad Physicist has one of his own.

"Unlimited Technology From The Whole Universe, And We Cruise Around In A Ford P.O.S."

Men In Black is an awesome movie. But how could they fail with Barry Sonnenfeld, Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Rick Baker and ILM? One of the delightful and surprising scenes is when J and K need to make good time during rush hour and activate a few hidden features in their otherwise mundane mode of transportation, here perfectly recreated by Mad physicist.

Calypso

I have yet to figure out what's going on with this month's LUGnuts challenge, it might as well have been called "build what you want and mention elves". Regardless, I'm totally digging this slammed '37 Chevy by rabidnovaracer. I don't know how good I look in orange, but I would totally drive this beast.

1951 "Woody"

There is nothing more quintessential California than a "woody". As a golden state native I've grown up seeing these from time to time (no, they're not parked along every beach in Malibu) and they always make me smile. Sir Nadroj has captured it's essence superbly here, and of course the surfboard on top is the perfect finishing touch.

Beer Wagon

Car builder extraordinaire Lino M is back with another stunning MOC. This time it's based on another Tom Daniel classic over-the-top hotrod, Beer Wagon. I remember building a Monogram model of this one as a kid, and I remember my mom being not so sure about the subject matter. Then she saw Mr. "Gasser" and suddenly this one wasn't so bad.

Doof Wagon

The discerning gentleman prefers to travel in style and comfort, surrounded by his favorite things. Perhaps those things are burled walnut, fine grade leather and a superior sound system. Then again maybe those things are a ridiculous sound system, a harness suspension system and a FLAME THROWING GUITAR! Builder Pepa Quin seems to prefer the later.

Ford GT

If you look up "sleek" on webster.com you get the definition (as it applies here) of "having trim graceful lines <a sleek car>". That really doesn't seem to evoke the same emotional response as the lines and contours of this gorgeous Ford GT by Firas Abu-Jaber. The elegant intersecting forms of this MOC are effortless and beautiful.

Famous Fleet

Builder baronsat has released instruction for an entire fleet of famous vehicles. I love the chibi style and proportions of these vehicles, they're recognizable and cartoony at the same time. My personal favorite is the Spinner from Bladerunner, but I like them all. How many can you name?

Lemonade

As I sit in a muggy Los Angeles hotel room, sweaty and sticky, the thought of lemonade actually crossed my mind moments before I scrolled to this sweet rod by Tiler. Of course it hasn't done much to stop the continual rivulets running down my face, but my eyes are no longer thirsty.

Sprint Cars

Sprint car racing is pretty impressive to watch. They actually race them in a nearby town and I've been a couple times. The speed is fast, the track is small, the smell is pungent, the sound is loud and the crashes are spectacular. They are small too, you don't so much get in them as much as you "put them on". Speaking of small, check out these two in bricks by Lino M...perfect. 

Jaguar XK-SS

I'm not much of a car guy, but I do love a vintage roadster, and in the 50's Jaguar was one of the car makers doing it right. They were also big in the racing scene, and this 1957 beauty by rabidnovaracer was the combination of the two. When several unsold race cars were left over at the end of the race season, Jaguar converted them to street use. They must have been a thrill. 

White Light

Here's a fun fact, I have family roots in the midwest tied to moonshining. I don't know the specifics of it, I just know that back 2-3 generations on my mom's side there was some nefarious shenanigans. So this excellent shine runner by one of my favorite car builders tiler is not only very nicely built and photographed, but echoes a little bit of family history, excellent.

Red

Check out the clean lines, aggressive stance and retro look of this latest hotrod from tiler. The combination of the Fabuland roof, chrome touches and those fabulous whitewall tires makes for a very sweet machine. Add to that excellent photography and you've got the whole enchilada. In fact, I'm going to nickname this rod "hotsauce".

Nomad

OK, I still haven't seen Mad Max, but I'm going to, I swear! After all the hype, the recommendations from friends and especially after the growing collection of Mad Max inspired vehicles on Flickr. This latest from builder _Tiler is beyond awesome. The use of the bridle parts as frame rails is inspired and gives it a unique look.

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Earsplitter

I have a confession: I haven't seen Mad Max yet (I'll wait for your collective dismay... there, feel better?) Yes, yes, I plan to see it, but you have no idea how busy I am these days. Not so busy I can't take a moment to post this radical MOC by LEGO Will. It's every bit as preposterous as the one in the movie, and every bit as awesome.

Sith Ride

Let's face it, Vader has style. Sure he's a bit asthmatic, and perhaps a poor judge on where you should take on your rival in a lightsaber duel, but he's got style. Check out his ride for instance, expertly crafted by Lino M. This isn't a simple passenger van with a huge sticker on the side (yeah, that's what we called Star Wars vehicles back when I was a kid, it was disappointing then too) no, it's a sleek car with body styling reminiscent of his famous helmet, and an aggressive stance that says he means business. 

Super Roaster

This month's LUGnuts challenge is Anger Management, and is there anything more angry than the Angry Birds? Proudlove brings us this fine example of what happens when you combine poultry with power, and add a pinch of unbridled fury.

Post Apoc Hotrod

I haven't seen the new Mad Max (yes, bad nerd, I have no excuse). So I don't really know the story on this sweet dystopian hotrod by _Tiler. I do know that it's pretty badass, in both construction and photography. What better way to cruise the barren wastelands than in a sweet ride like this?

Reasonably Quick And Somewhat Grumpy

Here's a fun fact: I've worked on two of the Fast & Furious films, Tokyo Drift and Fast 7. Here's a funner fact: I've never seen a single one of them. But it's nothing against them, I haven't seen a bunch of the movies I've worked on, and I'm just not into the tuner scene. I am however into LEGO, and this recreation of the Mitsubishi Eclipse by Mad Physicist is pretty dang awesome.

Eleanor

There's quite a bit of crafty building going on in this little speed demon by builder ER0L. Take a look at the windshield, it's window panes captured in clips. And check out the trademark side profile, that's a subtle but necessary detail to make this a Mustang. All the lines are correct on this  MOC, making it instantly recognizable. Not an easy task when building 6-wide.