In honor of Transformers: Dark of the Moon opening this week, I present to you 12 life-sized Transformers sculptures and statues. Every one is made to scale (aka, they’re huge) or close to scale, and they’re all made by fans. Prepare to be amazed.
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Commissioned to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Pittsburgh, the “city of bridges,” this giant robot sculpture is made from parts of bridges, by artist Glenn Kaino. [Image source.]
Bendy Bus Prime
I’m a little reluctant to include this one, as it almost looks like a good Photoshop job. But everything I could find said that “Bendy Bus Prime” is the real deal. It’s made from over 100 bus parts, from England’s famous red buses that bend in the middle, and it’s been dubbed “the very first British Transformer.” [Image source.]
Bumblebee (Cartoon Version)
Tom Rhoads of Lemoore, California created this 18-foot-tall replica in his front yard, using parts of a real VW Bug. Before you laugh at its cartoony nature, remember that this is serious nostalgia for a whole generation of fans. Without old school Transformers like this, there’d be no Michael Bay movies. More pictures at the link. [Image source.]
Citroen C2 “X2”
Three friends from Nanjing, China spent $8,000 American dollars to turn a Citroen C2 into a Transformer that they’ve named “X2.” This is just the first of many Chinese creations you’ll see on this list… The Chinese really love their Transformers! [Image source.]
Cleveland Transformers
A family in Cleveland, Ohio displayed these impressive homemade statues on their front lawn for Halloween. [Image source.]
Guan Yu
Guan Yu was a historic general from China’s Three Kingdoms period, who’s become a pop culture icon and hero in modern times. This statue is made to resemble him and his signature bladed staff, from an old Jie Fang model truck. It stands 30 feet tall and weighs 4 tons. [Image source.]
Megatron Tank
Another Chinese fan build, this one a life-sized recreation of Megatron in his Revenge of the Fallen “alien tank” form. If this guy rides your bumper… let him pass. [Image source.]
Optimus Prime
I’ve shown you this one before (along with another even bigger one that Noemi pointed out from Shenyang City), but it’s entirely worthy of inclusion here because of it’s awesome location placement: it’s right in front of the infamous “Bird’s Nest” arena from the ’08 Olympics. It’s made from recycled car parts. [Image source.]
Optimus Prime Ice Sculpture
Couldn’t find any details about this one, such as where it was located, but it’s one darn impressive ice sculpture. Tons of detail in this thing. See more photos at the link. [Image source.]
Scrap Metal Original
A Chinese original made out of scrap metal from other cars. The builder uses it — and a few others he’s built — as a promotional tool for his scrap metal business. [Image source.]
Studio Re-Creation
Art shop “Studio Re-Creation” takes your favorite personal belongings and re-shapes them into something even more special. This one is a human-sized robot statue made from one of the sculptors’ first car, a Lada Samara Diva. [Image source.]
VW Passat
One more Chinese creation, a robot sculpture on display, made from a VW Passat. Looks pretty nifty, but where’s its head? [Image source.]