Dedicated team builds full-sized McLaren from Lego, conquers Silverstone
Although the McLaren car made from Lego bricks does not reach a speed of 354 km/h, it managed to complete a full lap on the famous Silverstone Circuit in the United Kingdom. This extraordinary project required over 340,000 bricks, and a team of 23 specialists was responsible for its construction.
In 2013, McLaren unveiled the P1 model, which quickly gained the status of a cult supercar. Under favourable conditions and with the appropriate driver skills, the McLaren P1 can reach a speed of 299 km/h in just 16.5 seconds, and its maximum speed is an impressive 354 km/h.
Recently, in collaboration with Lego, McLaren Automotive created a full-sized, functioning replica of the P1, based on the Lego Technic model on a 1:8 scale, available for collectors. According to popsci.com, the construction of this unique project required the involvement of 23 specialists from both companies, who spent a total of 8,344 hours on development and construction work and an additional 2,210 hours on production.
They created a McLaren replica out of Lego bricks
The final model, made of 342,817 Lego Technic pieces in 393 different types, includes 11 specially designed parts created exclusively for this project, and the entire model was made in the characteristic bright yellow colour.
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Although the car made of bricks required a steel frame and real tyres in order to function, these were the only elements that did not come from the Lego set. Even its drivetrain was designed based on eight sets of Lego Power electric motors, each containing 96 functional motors.
The entire mechanism was meant to mimic the original McLaren P1's V8 engine, while also reminding us of the unique heritage of this model as the world's first hybrid supercar. As a result, the finished model weighed about 1,220 kg, making it 174 kg lighter than the real McLaren P1.
The Lego car completed a full lap
After construction was completed, the vehicle was handed over to McLaren's racing team, with Lando Norris behind the wheel. On the famous Silverstone Circuit in the United Kingdom, Norris managed to complete a full lap, reaching a maximum speed of 64 km/h. Although this is only a fraction of the speed achieved by the original P1, this success was highly significant.
As reported by "Popular Science," this was the first time a Lego model not only navigated the turns on the track but also completed a full lap and was driven by an official Formula 1 driver. This historic achievement highlighted not only the construction capabilities of the Danish bricks but also the close collaboration with McLaren.
