THE BEST Models

For those looking for a more realistic – and less expensive – snap-together version of Volkswagen’s iconic Type 2 van than LEGO’s kit, look no further than this Airfix Quickbuild model. It requires no glue or paint, and clicks together in minutes. Choose from sky blue or red paint jobs. They also make a matching VW Bug.

David Damek of Plasmo shows off an impressive (and depressing) build – an incredibly detailed 1/72-scale diorama of an abandoned house inspired by the scenes of devastation around Pripyat, Ukraine after the Chernobyl disaster. The tractor is based on a kit, but David’s artistry really elevates it.

LEGO CREATOR Expert set 10266 is an intricate 1,087-piece replica of the lunar lander module from the Apollo 11 mission. Designed in collaboration with NASA, it features separate ascent and descent stages, and a lunar surface with footprints and a U.S. flag. The Eagle lands on June 1, 2019 at LEGO Stores and shop.LEGO.com.

Eaglemoss offer this exquisite 1:8-scale die-cast model of James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 from Goldfinger. It includes working lights, pop-out machine guns, flipping license plates, ejector seat, and more. The kit ships as 86 weekly issues ($10.90 ea), spread out over 22 months.

The Honda Civic Type R is the latest in the growing number of life-size LEGO car models. Honda Australia commissioned the project, which took over 1300 hours to make and has over 320,000 pieces. It has lots of functioning lights. More on Carscoops.

LEGO enthusiast Lachlan Cameron designed and built a remote-controlled Technic scale model of Ken Block’s Ford Mustang Hoonicorn. The all-wheel drive toy has working steering and suspension, doors and a hood that open, and lights.

These books are the perfect gift for any Star Wars fan. Each one comes with a laser-cut and engraved 3D wood model of an iconic vehicle, spaceship, or droid. Display them as-is, or paint them to your liking. The accompanying books provide background details.

ROKR’s bass wood replica of a classic film projector is one of the coolest flat-pack model kits we’ve ever seen. Not only does it look awesome, it actually can project a short loop of film that’s included with the kit. The hand-cranked projector isn’t bright, but it requires no batteries to operate.

While it’s not as fast as the life-size LEGO Bugatti, this LEGO replica of a Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LT Trail Boss is still quite the feat. It took 18 builders over 2,000 hours to construct from over 334,000 bricks. It’s on display at the 2019 NAIAS in Detroit.

Adam Savage and fellow modelmaker Kayte Sabicer show off one of the coolest replicas we’ve seen in a while – an insanely detailed recreation of the blimp that hovers overhead in Blade Runner, enticing Earthlings to head for the Off-World Colonies.

LEGO set 10264 is a 2500-piece, model of a 1950’s-style building loaded with details, including a fuel pump and vehicle lift, an animal hospital on the second floor, a furnished apartment on the top floor, and a roof deck for minifigs to sun themselves on. Drops 1/2019.

LEGO Ideas contributor Sleepy Cow created this 2,798 piece model of a grand piano which features 25 working keys, complete with strings, pedals, and dampers. It doesn’t actually play music, but it’s still a mechanical marvel. If you’d like to see it produced, vote here.

Cath of The Square to Spare shows off a fun little project for guitar players and anyone who appreciates a good musical instrument. In the first clip, she shows us how to make tiny electric guitars using popsicle clips, and in the second, she crafts a mini acoustic.

Art Insider takes us on a tour of the world’s largest architectural model. Located at the Queens Museum, this incredibly detailed miniature of New York City was first revealed at the 1964 World’s Fair, and was updated with new buildings all the way until 1992.

Tested’s Adam Savage has built some incredibly complex projects, but here he returns to his model-making roots, and shows us how to make a completely unique robot sculpture using parts cobbled together parts from Weta Workshop’s Giant Killer Robots board game.

Guinness World Records spoke with the creators of Miniatur Wunderland, the world’s largest model train set. Despite already having thousands of vehicles across different country sections, they are still expanding. Their latest addition is Italy, which took 2 years to build.

Artist Dutch exp shows us how he uses a 3D printing pen (in this case a Myriwell Pro) to create amazing full color replicas of characters from pop culture, including Spongebob Squarepants and Patrick Star, Q*Bert, Pac-Man, Sonic, Olaf, and Rick Sanchez.

CoasterDynamix is known for its miniature roller coaster models. But in this video, they show off working O-scale versions of a tumbler and spinning rocketship amusement park rides. They also make a teensy ferris wheel, and a LEGO-compatible roller coaster.

Up for a fun and challenging project with a satisfying result? Look no further than this wooden model of a London-style double decker bus. Once you assemble all 216 laser-cut parts, you’ll have a working vehicle that can actually move up to 12 feet on rubber band power.

Zupagrafika’s cut-out model book lets you build your own cold and impersonal miniature city filled with the brutalist architecture of Central and Eastern Europe. Includes seven buildings from Serbia, Moldova, Russia, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Poland, and Russia.

Taiwanese artist Hank Cheng makes incredibly realistic dioramas and scale models. Whether he’s making vehicles, store exteriors or bedroom interiors, the finished work will make your jaw drop. Check out more of his work on his Instagram and Facebook pages.

LEGO teamed up with hypercar maker Bugatti to create this incredible 1/8th scale, 3,599-piece replica of the Chiron, which measures 22″ long, and features details like an active rear wing, a working suspension, gearbox, and a W16 engine with pistons that move.

Most of the builds we’ve seen from The Q are small enough to carry, but the serial maker’s latest construction is substantially larger. It took over 400 hours to put together this 1.5:1 scale model of a Formula 1 race car, made entirely from soda cans and glue set onto a PVC chassis.

Monsterchannel24 presents close-up footage of a number of handmade remote-controlled model trucks, tractors, construction equipment, and other machines, each of which is a tiny mechanical marvel unto itself. The amount of detail in each vehicle is truly incredible.

For those of you unfamiliar with Nanoblocks, they’re teensy LEGO-style building blocks. We really love these sets, which feature mini cityscapes of New York and London. The also have architectural models of the Taj Mahal, Himeji Castle, and the Vatican, among others.