Hovering DeLorean tensegrity sculpture over a diorama base

Oct 28, 2026 Last reply: 2 days ago 3 Replies
Jump to replies (3)

The hardest job in this project is keeping a car suspended in thin air, and hachiroku24 handles it with genuine tensegrity. Black cords run from the rear and sides of the DeLorean down to the edges of the base, while the car's inverted curved arm hooks into a loop of string held at the top of a transparent mast. Once the outer cords carry tension, the whole assembly balances and floats stably in mid-air.



Everything below the car works as a display base styled as a mini-diorama. It is built from ordinary plates and Technic bricks joined with pins, and an upright curved liftarm in transparent plastic rises from the middle to form the mast. A matching transparent curved arm is attached under the DeLorean chassis, giving the two halves a mirrored pair of anchor points.



The stand-out details are on the vehicle itself. It is modelled in hover mode, with the wheels folded horizontally and translucent light-blue discs set underneath them to simulate hovering thrusters. The rear thruster components are nicely detailed, and a Marty McFly minifigure rides along on a pink hoverboard.



My one wish is a building guide. The mix of folded wheels, curved liftarms, string loops and tensioned cords looks like a puzzle I would struggle to reverse-engineer from pictures alone, and a parts list would make the whole thing far more buildable for everyone else.



Project by hachiroku24. Watch it on their YouTube channel:

formatting link


Folding the wheels horizontally and tucking translucent discs underneath them seems like the cleverest choice in the whole design. A wheels-down arrangement would break the hover illusion immediately, while this version keeps the underside clean and lets the discs carry the effect. Combined with the detailed rear thrusters, the car genuinely looks like it is flying rather than resting on a stand.

One question about the balancing act: if the car starts to tip or sit out of level, is there a way to fine-tune the tension on the outer cords, or does the assembly need to be restrung from scratch? I am also curious whether moving the cord attachment points between different holes in the base would shift the car's resting height.

A variation worth trying: place a small light element under each of the translucent discs. In a dim room the thrusters would give off a glow, and the transparent curved liftarms on the base and car would pick it up as well. It would strengthen the floating effect without touching the delicate tension setup that keeps everything balanced.

Join the Discussion

Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.

Didn't find your answer?

Ask the community — no account required