Introduction: LEGO once again challenges the limits! This time, the challenge is to replicate the McLaren P1 hypercar at a 1:1 scale using over 340,000 LEGO bricks. The reproduction not only includes the exterior but also the performance aspects of the race car! Challenge difficulty: To race like a car, using LEGO to reproduce the car’s exterior is not the first time for LEGO engineers: as early as 2018, LEGO completed the challenge of replicating the Bugatti Chiron at a 1:1 scale, which also had the function of driving on the road. But the difficulty of this challenge has increased: it needs to drive at high speed on the track like a real race car. Because, the object of this reproduction is the hypercar McLaren P1, which can reach a top speed of 350km/h. Its original power can reach 900 horsepower, and it only takes 2.8 seconds to accelerate 100 kilometers. It is equipped with a 3.8L V8 engine with a maximum power of 737 horsepower. In addition, this car also has a black technology, which is to use its unique KERS kinetic energy recovery system to obtain an additional 179 horsepower. This is the first full-scale, fully functional race car made by LEGO Technic. Although LEGO Technic is different from traditional LEGO bricks, this series uses pins, bolts, gears, and even electric motors to create movable articulated models, but building a race car that can drive at high speed like a race car is still an almost impossible task. Challenge first: Reproduce the exterior curve. In order to accurately reproduce the aesthetic and aerodynamic streamline appearance of the original car and ensure structural rationality, LEGO worked closely with McLaren’s engineers. LEGO Senior Project Manager Luká? Horák said: ‘Their expertise helped us produce a model as close to the real McLaren P1 as possible.’ To reproduce the unique and complex streamline curve of the original car, the engineers used 393 different types of mechanical group brick parts (of which 11 were specially customized for this challenge). Taking the car body as an example, it is connected together by three-arm pieces in an interlaced manner, forming a network similar to the interweaving of silk threads. This special connection method makes the surface it forms flexible enough to reproduce the streamline body of the McLaren P1. Challenge two: Reproduce the hypercar function. The most bold place of this LEGO simulation car is that it does not use the traditional internal combustion engine, but uses 768 LEGO Power Function motors, a total of 8 sets to simulate the V8 engine of the P1, making it able to fly on the track. After a lot of effort, a simulation race car made entirely of LEGO bricks from the seat to the body to the dashboard finally landed: the whole car used a total of 342,817 LEGO Technic parts, weighing about 1.22 tons, and the top speed can reach 60 kilometers.
To verify its driving performance, McLaren F1 team’s star driver Lando Norris personally tested the vehicle. According to the test driver, LEGO designers, and McLaren engineers, this LEGO McLaren P1 can steer and exhibit driving functions similar to those of a real car. The driver commented, ‘It feels quite good to drive!’ Ben Gulliver, Director of McLaren Testing and Development, stated, ‘I hope this collaboration will inspire the next generation of engineers to break the boundaries of automotive innovation.’ LEGO’s new 1:8 mechanical group McLaren P1 hits the market alongside the real car. The impressive performance of the replica car naturally raises expectations for the toy series. The complete set contains 3,893 pieces, equipped with a 7-speed transmission and a V8 piston engine, priced at $500. This product embodies LEGO’s core philosophy of ‘learning through play.’ LEGO’s McLaren P1 replica car is the pinnacle of the mechanical group: it transcends the ordinary LEGO toys and display models, enabling people to create real-world mechanics and engage in genuine innovation.
