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 completea 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 lego.com/en-gb/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.”
Lukáš Horák, Senior Project Manager of Installations, 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.