LEGO Technic has previously collaborated with big names like Lamborghini and McLaren Racing Formula-1 team to create real-life replicas with LEGO bricks. Now LEGO Technic engineers and McLaren have managed to achieve something truly remarkable with the LEGO McLaren P1. They managed to do a complete lap around the Silverstone track at a respectable speed.
Yes, this life-sized LEGO McLaren P1 was driven around the circuit by the team’s star F1 driver Lando Norris who is in hot pursuit of the championship leader Max Verstappen. This is an extraordinary feat considering how vibrations during the drive can disturb the structural integrity of a car that is made from LEGO bricks. The only thing that comes close to this build is the LEGO Bugatti Chiron which could only go in a straight line.
Designer: LEGO Technic and McLaren
This could be one of the most intricate and detailed LEGO builds ever that’s fully functional just like the real thing. It is constructed out of 342,817 pieces and took 8,344 hours in total to come to life thanks to the dedicated efforts of 23 designers, engineers and builders. The LEGO model is 600 pounds lighter than the real P1 which weighs 8,944 in dry weight. This is also the first ever LEGO model to feature a functional steering wheel that navigates the car around the 3.66-mile track. Powering the four-wheeled LEGO is an electric motor that uses a combination of 768 LEGO Technic motors bundled into eight motor packs (to replicate a V8 engine) in combination with an electric car battery to make up for the range for a complete lap at a top speed of approximately 40 mph.
The only things that are not LEGO in this build for obvious reasons are the steel frame for structural support, wheels, instrument cluster, and the steering wheel. Even the seats and side mirrors are crafted out of LEGO bricks to keep things authentic. According to Ben Gulliver, test and development director at McLaren, “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.”
When Lando laid his eyes on this pixelated version of the real thing, he was a bit nervous to open the door and take the driver’s seat. Once he pushed the pedal on the straights and took the corners he was surprised by the handling of the LEGO version. Even though the car went at a snail’s pace compared to an F1 car or a sports car, it is something remarkable for a structure made completely out of LEGO bricks. Of course, this is the slowest Lando would have driven around the Silverstone circuit, still he was impressed by the build.
The LEGO McLaren P1 is just a one-off creation and the next best thing to get is the 1:8 scale version set of the McLaren P1.
