In 2013, McLaren debuted the P1, an iconic supercar that reaches a top speed of 350 km/h. An official, life-size LEGO version? Not so much. But judging by the recent company showcasehis new project is still an impressive feat of creative engineering, especially when you consider that this LEGO iteration, like its inspiration, is perfectly capable of cruising around a race track.
Building on the 1:8 scale LEGO Technic model currently available For hobbyists, McLaren Automotive recently teamed up with the plastic brick makers to build a complete, working modification of the P1 supercar. According to them announcementThe end result required 23 specialists from both companies to work together for 8,344 hours of development and construction, followed by a further 2,210 hours of production time. The bright yellow variant contains 342,817 LEGO Technic elements, divided into 393 different types, 11 of which were cast especially for the project itself.
If The edge notes that the car still needed a steel frame and real tires to actually function, but that’s about it when it comes to non-LEGO parts. Even the P1’s engine system consists of eight electric motor packs, each with 96 LEGO Power function motors to imitate the original McLaren V8 while giving a nod to the P1’s legacy as the world’s first hybrid supercar. All in all: the LEGO Technic weighed approximately 2,690 pounds– approximately 385 kg lighter than the actual racing vehicle.
Once fully assembled, McLaren entrusted the experimental car to its own team racer, Lando Norris. After arriving at Britain’s Silverstone Circuit, Norris managed to complete a full lap around the 5.86-mile circuit at a top speed of 40 miles per hour. Although that’s just a fraction of the speed of its namesake, the LEGO Technic P1 achieved some remarkable feats. It is the first time that a LEGO scale has successfully cornered, completed a full lap of the circuit and been driven by an official Formula 1 driver.
[Related: Dad builds a fantastical and functional wooden sci-fi car for kids.]
This isn’t the first time LEGO has helped build a full-scale racing replica. In 2018, the company debuted one Bugatti Chiron made from more than 1 million LEGO Technic parts. Although nearly 1,400 pounds lighter than the real thing, this iteration only managed a top speed of 12 mph – and only while driving in a straight line.
