After crafting a life-sized, driveable car from Technic elements in 2018, today the LEGO Group has unveiled its latest ‘Built For Real’ creation. In partnership with McLaren Automotive, a life-sized version of the LEGO Technic McLaren P1 set has been created from over 342,000 LEGO elements. It’s the first ‘Built For Real’ big build which can be driven and steered. The technical achievement is so impressive, that McLaren F1 driver, Lando Norris completed a lap of the Silverstone Circuit in the brick-built vehicle. Powered by an electric motor and taking expert LEGO engineers over 8000 hours to build, the life-sized McLaren P1 car will be available for LEGO fans to view at various locations later this year and beyond. If you’d prefer something a little easier to display at home, the LEGO Technic McLaren P1 set is available now.
Lando Norris Takes on Silverstone Circuit in a Life-Size LEGO® Technic™ McLaren P1™
The LEGO Group and McLaren Automotive have embarked on the ultimate challenge: creating a life-size, driveable LEGO® Technic™ version of the iconic McLaren P1™ supercar
McLaren Formula 1 Team driver Lando Norris puts the one-of-a-kind car to the ultimate test, completing a lap around the iconic Silverstone Circuit, a track holding many memories of historic moments for McLaren
The life-size car features an incredible 342,817 LEGO Technic elements and an electric motor; it is the first big build the LEGO Group has ever made, that’s capable of steering and driving an entire lap of a racetrack
The 1:8 scale LEGO Technic McLaren P1™ set is now available at www.LEGO.com/McLaren
Silverstone, England, 12 September 2024: The LEGO Group and McLaren Automotive have embarked on the toughest LEGO Technic challenge to date, recreating a one-of-a-kind, fully drivable McLaren P1™ made from LEGO Technic elements. And if that wasn’t enough, McLaren F1™ driver, Lando Norris has been enlisted for the ultimate challenge, to complete a lap of the iconic British racetrack, Silverstone, in the 1:1 scale LEGO Technic McLaren P1.
This life-size replica of the McLaren P1™ is made from 342,817 LEGO Technic elements, weighing approximately 1220kg, with some truly remarkable displays of engineering. The car has fully functional steering, making it the first LEGO big build ever capable of steering and taking on tricky racetrack corners. The build features an electric motor consisting of LEGO Technic Function batteries and an electric car battery, allowing it to travel further than any other LEGO model before it.
The big build process came to life with 23 specialists from design, engineering and building from the LEGO group and McLaren Automotive, with 8,344 hours of development and construction and requiring 393 different types of LEGO Technic elements.
With the car assembled, all that was left to do was to embark on the ultimate challenge, and with it being a McLaren supercar replica, who better to get behind the wheel than McLaren F1™ Driver, Lando Norris. The British driver was more than up to the task, taking on the twist and turns of the 5.891km (3.66 miles) track and completing the lap around the Silverstone Circuit. With the enormity of this challenge, Silverstone was the perfect setting given McLaren’s rich history with the home of British racing.
Fans can see the full video of Lando Norris completing the Ultimate Challenge in the life-size LEGO Technic McLaren P1™ by visiting www.LEGO.com/themes/technic/mclaren-p1
“Having worked on the original P1 programme 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. 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.” Ben Gulliver, Test & Development Director, McLaren Automotive.
“This project marks the latest in a long list of collaborations between the LEGO Group and McLaren, bringing together McLaren engineers and the LEGO Model Production team from conception all the way to the final build.
McLaren’s automotive and engineering expertise has been invaluable in helping us produce a model as authentic to the original McLaren P1™ as possible, allowing us to turn a dream into a reality. It was incredibly cool to see McLaren F1™ driver, Lando Norris driving the car we created.” Lukáš Horák, Senior Project Manager in Model Production, LEGO Group.
The LEGO Technic McLaren P1™ 1:8 set is available at www.LEGO.com/McLaren and LEGO Stores priced at £389.99 / €449.99 / $449.99.
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