Lego models are getting bigger and more complex than you would have ever dared to dream as a child. The toymaker has teamed up with McLaren to build a life-size P1 supercar out of toy bricks. The vehicle isn’t just for display, either. The two companies worked together to make it drivable.
The 1:1 scale P1 was constructed from 342,817 Lego Technic pieces. That number includes 393 distinct types of pieces, including 11 that were made specifically for the model. The car tips the scales at 2,690 pounds, making it nearly 400 pounds lighter than the vehicle it is based on. In total, 23 designers, engineers, and builders were involved with the project, which took 8,344 hours to complete.
The Lego P1 may not be as aerodynamic as the actual supercar, but it shares its general shape and dimensions. It also features a motor that consists of Lego Technic Function batteries and an electric car battery, according to the automaker. This element allows the P1 to go further than any of the toymaker’s previous models. McLaren F1 driver Lando Norris was even able to complete a lap around the 3.66-mile Silverstone Circuit in the car.
The model’s “powertrain” may be boundary-pushing by Lego standards, but it is the one area where the Lego P1 cannot match up with the actual car. The real P1 is powered by a hybrid twin-turbo 3.8-liter V-8 that churns out a 903 horses and 723 ft lbs of twist. Thanks to all that power, the car can rocket from zero to 60 mph in 2.7 seconds, zero to 124 mph in 6.8 seconds, and reach an electronically limited top speed of 217 mph. Neither Lego or McLaren announced how fast the brick-built P1 is, but we imagine it’s a lot slower than that.
Want a Lego P1 of your own and are okay with it being smaller? Well, you’re in luck. This summer, the toy company released a 1:8 scale replica of the supercar as part of the Technic Ultimate Car Concept Series. This version of the model is made from 3,893 Lego pieces and includes a working V-8 piston engine and a seven-speed gearbox with two shifting drums. We wouldn’t try driving the $450 model, though.
Lego has launched its new LEGO Technic McLaren P1 with a feat that goes far beyond what it has done before: A fully driveable car, made of the famous bricks, with Lando Norris taking it for a lap of Silverstone.
Comprised of more than 342,000 LEGO bricks and powered by an electric battery, Norris took the car for its first successful test after thousands of hours of design and development went into the full-scale model.
We've seen life-size Lego cars before. Heck, we've even seen them move. But a 1:1 scale Lego McLaren P1 doing a lap of Silverstone under its own power? That's a new one. And it's not a supremely slow lap, either.
Before clicking play on the video below, here are some astounding statistics to consider. It consists of 342,817 individual Lego Technic pieces, using 393 different brick shapes including 11 made specifically for this build. The exterior is comprised of flexible pieces to give the P1 its curvy shape, and also to help ensure it doesn't rattle apart before the first corner. It's powered by no less than 768 Lego motors bundled into eight motor packs. Lego Technic batteries make them spin, but this isn't entirely a Lego affair. A car battery is also used to give it enough range for a lap.
McLaren doesn't share details about the chassis, but from what we see in the video, everything except the wheels, instrument cluster, and steering wheel are in fact Lego. McLaren F1 driver Lando Norris admits to being nervous just getting into the car, but nestled into the Lego seat, he helmets up and sets off around the track.
There are points where the video is obviously sped up, but this car doesn't creep along the course. Norris says it actually drives pretty well and even takes it up on the curb through one turn. Side mirrors shake in the wind, but at the end of the lap, the P1 appears just fine. We don't know the lap time or the speed achieved, but considering this 2,700-pound car is powered by Lego motors, it's a seriously impressive feat.
“Having worked on the original P1 program for McLaren, it’s amazing to see so many of the elements from the original McLaren P1 brought to life so realistically by the Lego Technic team for the full-scale model,” said Ben Gulliver, test and development director at McLaren. “The car was an icon of its time. I hope that through this collaboration with the LEGO Group, we are able to inspire the next generation of designers and engineers to push the boundaries of automotive innovation.”
Of course, you can't go out and buy a full-size Lego McLaren P1. But a 1:8 scale McLaren P1 Technic kit is available for brick builders to live out their own Lego supercar dreams.
