3D printing allows everyone to add a 3D printed car, from a toy model to a life-size vehicle, to their collection of 3D prints. Your kids most likely enjoy playing with Hot Wheels, Matchbox, die-cast toy cars, and 1/64-scale realistic vehicles. But you can be the coolest dad in the world if you 3D print car dreams from their or your bucket list and surprise your child with a real Batmobile or a different project.
Below are some of the most impressive and inspiring 3D printed cars, from classic old models and sports car projects to miniatures and toy cars with open doors. Discover some great projects with paid and free STL files. With countless video tutorials for using 3D modeling software, you will gain the required skills in no time if you’re up for the challenge. Don’t lag anymore, and start acting immediately.
3D Printed Car
Everyone knows the most famous phrase in racing, “Drivers, start your engines”! Before 1977, this phrase started with “gentlemen,” not “drivers,” because only males qualified for the races. Since the Indy 500 race in 1977, when Janet Guthrie joined the competition, modifications to the command have been added. Since 2017, it has begun with “drivers.”
Nowadays, ladies and gentlemen can start their engines to join the most incredible race of today by turning on their 3D printers, finding highly detailed STL car files, and 3D printing any vehicle.
Unlike in the past, additive manufacturing technologies have become affordable to many hobbyists, making it easier to produce 3D printed car frames, parts, wheels, and accessories, as well as miniature, regular, and life-size models from plastic and resin at home. Making 3D printed cars yourself can be more affordable than buying a toy car, a collectible piece, or an actual vehicle. You can also have fun designing the project yourself (if you are familiar with 3D modeling software) and 3D print the piece to be proud of. Even if you are not friends with 3D design, you can find many incredible realistic, old classic, 1/64 scale, race, and other 3D printing car STL files online. Many projects are free, and others are available at a fee.
If you are interested in viewing a 3D printed sports car, a DIY Lamborghini, an electric vehicle, or other life-size vehicles, find some stunning photos of the Best 3D Printed Cars to Wow Everyone.
3D Printed Toy Car
You can find many excellent guides on how to make a 3D printed toy car using your desktop 3D printer. There are multiple useful YouTube videos showing how hobbyists work on STL car files, turning them into impressive toys with doors that open up, active suspension, moving parts, and spinning 1/64, 1/32, or 1/16 wheels.
To turn 3D printable car models into physical 3D printed cars, you need plastic filament or resin, flexible material for each 3D printed spinning wheel, and pieces of filament for assembly or decor. Often, you can use the wheels from your original Hot Wheels and non-branded cars, scale down or up your 3D printing models, etc.
If you have no 3D printer at home but wish to expand your collection of 3D printed cars, you can use a reliable 3D printing service that makes models on demand and ship them to you. In this case, you can save some money by choosing a 3D printed car model free project.
1. Racing Car 3D Print
The variety of 3D printed cars ensures everyone can find their best project to recreate. For example, you can bring to life customizable Modarri vehicles. There are three different versions (street, dirt, and track), so hobbyists can create their own hybrid racing car 3D print.
Modarri follows a design line that is attractive to children and adults. They can be used as toys or collectibles.
Also, you can 3D print a car with control over your smartphone. You can transform 3DRacers free car STL a cute moving vehicle. You can even design its look online via the 3DRacers application. Kids will love such a racing adventure!
2. Free STL Car
Your 3D printed car design can resemble an actual vehicle. Using a 3D printer, you can recreate all your favorite realistic car models as 1/64 and 1/32 scale toys.
You can also make a 1/8 scale model of the Bugatti Veyron hypercar. If you choose different filament colors, your 3D printed toy car will require less post-processing work. You will only remove the supports and assemble your piece.
You can download the free STL car files of the Bugatti Veyron model and recreate a 57-cm-long replica of this fancy vehicle.
You can also make realistic 3D printed car toys such as Tesla Model 3. The free car STL files make bringing this design to life simple. If you cannot 3D print spinning wheels, use other car toys’ functioning parts.
The Tesla Model 3 for 3D printing has no particular scale, and it requires using the 1.75-mm filament pieces to secure the axles. But it looks like a miniature copy of the iconic electric-power vehicle.
3. 3D Printed Car Model
Your 3D printed car can replicate some good old classic models. For example, you can get V8 Ford Falcon car STL and breathe new life into this 1973 coupe.
You can find impressive V8 Ford Falcon car 3D print files at 1/64 scale, which can work great with Hot Wheels medium-sized spinning wheels.
The speedy Ford Falcon XB cannot wait to join your shelf with other stunning 3D printed vehicles. This muscle car boasts an atypical supercharger, and it transforms into a beautiful piece on your desktop 3D printer. Get Ford Falcon XB STL files and enjoy bringing this project to life.
A 1978 Volkswagen Brasilia is among other 1/64 scale retro models you can 3D print. This medium-sized vehicle will look great on the shelf with your Hot Wheels and other projects.
According to the 3D model designer, it is best to print this Volkswagen car toy model at 15% infill and a layer height between 0.08 mm and 0.12 mm.
Another great thing designed for 3D printing is the classic 1967 Shelby Cobra. This free 3D printing car model is an iconic sports vehicle from the 1960s. At that time, it was considered one of the best automobiles for competition.
The piece was scaled similarly to Pinewood Derby cars. So, you can make it to extend your collection of 3D printed toy car models. If you have a Pinewood Derby spinning wheel set, use it to make your toy move.
4. Train Car 3D Prints
3D printing cars from a railroad collection is fantastic. Some train car 3D prints are hauled by a locomotive to form a train, while other projects offer separate locomotives and train cars for building with a 3D printer.
A 3D printed train car can be an iconic project from Back to the Future, the Time Train Machine. Hobbyist Jean Jacques Chomard 3D printed it with FDM and resin 3D printers to let Eric Ieu paint all the details. The 1.2-meter-long train looks terrific!
If you don’t like using supports while 3D printing, you can download Taco train STL files and build this simple toy for your kids. If you wish to have more cars, make them and add them to the back of your train.
Recommended for you: 20 Prominent 3D Printed Trains and Railway Models.
5. 3D Print Car Truck
Movies give us many stunning ideas for 3D printed cars. For example, Mad Max films introduced viewers to a crazy War Rig truck. This bizarre custom piece of art can decorate your room.
This 1/16 scale car design is of perfect display size if 3D printed on an FDM machine. The premium quality of Mad Max War Rig truck STL files let you recreate the vehicle’s distinguishing features in detail. You will love building the massive cowcatcher, human skulls decorating the grille, exhaust stacks, sharpened metal protecting the wheels, and other elements.
Find inspiration in the stunning 3D printed cars made by Gambody enthusiasts Wim Dussenbroek and Robert Salvador. These trucks look so realistic!
You can add a tanker and fuel pod to complete your 3D printed toy car.
If your child loves Transformers on top of Hot Wheels toys, you can 3D print a fabulous Optimus Prime model that transforms into a truck.
Hobbyist Jeff Cook 3D printed Optimus Prime at 300%, making a stunning car 3D print that transforms into a famous character. This model stands at about 2.5 feet (0.76 meters) tall!
You will find STL files for 3D printing Optimus Prime 2-in-1 project on Gambody marketplace. This fully articulated model requires assembly, but it boasts many stunning details and incredible features. Transform the Autobot mode into a 3D printed toy truck or recreate two Transformers and display both versions among your other car 3D prints.
6. 3D Printing a Car with Opening Doors
The list of 3D printing cars you can make includes projects with doors that open and close. Such vehicles become impressive display objects or collectible pieces.
Gambody hobbyists show how to make a 3D printed toy car that moves. Building a Chevrolet Impala SS 1967 with movable parts and opening doors can be a fantastic project. The prop from the Supernatural TV series boasts the “KAZ 2Y5” license plate, active suspension, spinning wheels, four opening doors, articulated windscreen wipers, and other details. Such 3D printable cars will amaze the child in you!
The DeLorean Time Machine is among other great examples of 3D printed cars with doors that open up. And you can 3D print it using detailed DeLorean car STL files.
Your 3D printed toy car will look just like the actual vehicle in the Back to the Future movies. This 3D printing model comes in 3 kits that let you equip the project with a flux capacitor, gullwing doors that open up, engines, active suspension, interior, and other features.
7. Miniature Car Printing
If you consider 1/64-scale 3D printed cars too big for your collection, start working on a miniature car toy.
Miniature car 3D printing never ceases to amaze us. Just have a look at these mini 3D prints. Everything from the design to the resolution and the operability of the little objects is impressive. Even their wheels are moving, and the doors open.
You can also make a miniature car designed by LeFabShop. Hobbyists can build it as a single piece, with tires moving once you lose them slightly. This free car 3D model is available to download, and you can scale it up if you wish your 3D printed car toy to be giant or medium-sized.
8. 3D Printed Wind-Up Car Toy
A 3D printer becomes a powerful tool for hobbyists who love working on spinning wheels and building unique models themselves. For example, it is possible to 3D print a wind-up toy car or order one online.
Get free car STL files to make a dual-mode wind-up toy. In the video, you see a project 3D printed on Ultimaker 3 with PLA filament.
It is also possible to order a 3D printed wind-up toy car from Shapeways or other stores. Such a gift can cost as much as $60-$70.
You can also work on a spring motor toy with a rolling chassis. The model in the photo was designed in Sketchup 8, printed with PLA filament, sanded to ensure smooth movement, and assembled.
For boys who live in rocky areas, a 3D designer created the rock crawler car STL. The design features ball joints, a flexible suspension system, and off-road wheels. Even more remarkable is that the entire project, with its excellent workability, is part of a single piece. You will enjoy this 3D-printed all-terrain vehicle toy.
3D Printed Cars from Movies and Video Games
A desktop 3D printer making a 3D printed toy car is not a miracle anymore. Thus, you can 3D print miniatures and large-scale models from your favorite movies and video games.
Gambody enthusiasts love 3D-printing cars from the gambody.com marketplace, such as Warthog, Spinner Blade, Ecto-1, Batmobile 1989, The Nux Car, and more.
1. Warthog M12B Car STL
The Halo franchise’s Warthog M12B (Hog) 3D printing car can overcome all possible obstacles and look like a savior on your shelf with Hot Wheels cars. This 1/32 scale car is more than just a toy. It has many rotating parts, complex suspension, steering wheels, and other impressive options you will love to 3D print and assemble.
2. Police Spinner 3D Printing Car
Have you seen Blade Runner, the 1982 film by Ridley Scott? Many years after, you can start 3D printing car models that resemble a futuristic Police Spinner and have many articulated parts.
Download the Police Spinner car STL files and 3D print this fantastic project at 1/16 or 1/8 scale. The impressive size allows you to enjoy all the rotating parts to the fullest, introduce LEDs to light up the flashing beacons and headlights, and recreate a fantastic interior. You will be proud of this 3D print.
3. Batmobile 3D Project Cars
Batmobile also deserves a space on your shelf with Hot Wheels and other toy cars. It is impossible to imagine Gotham City without the stunning Batmobile and its driver. The elegant yet dangerous vehicle is a premium toy for every collector and Batman fan.
Get Batmobile car STL files on Gambody and put your heart and soul into building this action assembly piece. The wheels come with rotating gear bearings. The guns are retractable. You can replace Batdisc ejectors with wings and enjoy many other features.
Hobbyists looking for a non-typical sleek Batmobile will love the Tumbler 3D printed car. Here is a fantastic example of this model recreated by enthusiast Dennis Mars, who used Bambu Lab A1 Mini and PLA to build the iconic vehicle. You can do the same after downloading the Tumbler car STL files.
Those who prefer new urban machines to the older versions of Batmobile can work on the Batmobile 2022 3D printing model. This project turns out amazing! Hobbyist DeLaun Fifield did an excellent job with the 1/24 version of this 3D printed car.
4. Ecto-1 3D Printable Cars
Those who loved watching Ghostbusters might dream of getting a 3D printed car model from this series. Hobbyist Peter Draxler, for example, spend four weeks recreating Ecto-1 model with water-based resin and Saturn 3D printer. The maker recreated the transparent glass parts in resin as well, sanding those elements with 2500-grit sandpaper and spraying with Alclad Aqua Clear.
Read also: Tips for Making Clear 3D Prints in Transparent Filament and Resin.
5. Barbie Car STL File
Fans of the Gremlins franchise should remember when Gizmo drove a pink Barbie toy car, “Gizmobile.” Now you can 3D print this vehicle using your 3D printer and STL files of Gizmo’s Barbie Car.
A pink Corvette will look beautiful as a 3D printed toy and make a nice gift for a little girl. You can light up the finished project and enjoy all the articulated parts, rotating steering wheel, opening doors, and moving wheels.
If you need a driver for this toy car, you can always 3D print a cute Gizmo figurine. This evil gremlin will look perfect sitting behind the wheel.
3D Printed Vehicles
Various 3D printed car ideas include various vehicles, not always with four wheels. Your new car 3D print can be a motorcycle from Cyberpunk, Terminator, or another franchise.
1. 3D Printed Motorcycle
If your 3D printed car model collection already includes many vehicles, you can add a motorcycle. Gambody marketplace offers several excellent 3D projects with two wheels that you might enjoy.
You can 3D print a motorcycle from Cyberpunk and even build a stunning diorama with Rockerboy Johnny Silverhand and his Yaiba Kusanagi CT-3X bike.
Hobbyists who remember the 1988 action film AKIRA can work on this motorcycle 3D print. Its cyberpunk style, smooth forms, and futuristic design make Akira Bike a stunning 3D printing model. You can download Akira motorcycle STL files to turn them into a toy or collectible piece.
An impressive TRON Light Cycle will look fantastic among your other 3D printed vehicles. You’ll have as much fun 3D printing this visual spectacle as enthusiast Scott Davis!
2. Harley Davidson STL
Those who love realistic toys can 3D print a medium-sized Harley Davidson motorcycle. This 1991 model was featured in Judgement Day and became popular among many fans of Terminator movies. So, download Harley Davidson STL files and make this toy bike for your little kid or the child in you.
That’s it for now. Hopefully, you will find a stunning 3D printed car idea for the weekend and share some pictures of your new 3D prints in Gambody 3D Printing Community. It is always interesting to see what you are building at the moment.