LEGO Just Tested a Lifesize McLaren Supercar

It's actually kind of hard to believe that LEGO, until now, never had a scale build that could drive around corners.

Transcript

In July, British supercar manufacturer McLaren Automotive unveiled the fruits of an audacious collaboration with the LEGO Group. The LEGO Technic McLaren P1 was a 1:8 scale, 3,893-piece LEGO set that paid homage to "the best driver's car in the world on both road and track."

But like many a toy, the small replica left many fans curious as to whether this box of bricks, once fully assembled, could manage a lap on the track, much less match the performance of its elite engineering inspiration. 

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Yesterday, the LEGO Group and McLaren debuted a one-of-a-kind, fully drivable McLaren P1 made from 342,817 LEGO Technic elements and an electric motor. The car also includes LEGO Technic Function batteries as well as an EV battery, enabling it to travel further than any other LEGO model before it, according to the company. The supercar marks the first big build for the LEGO Group that will navigate an entire lap of a racetrack. It's actually kind of hard to believe that LEGO, until now, never had a scale build that could drive around corners. 

The LEGO Technic engine consists of 8 motor packs, each with 96 LEGO Power function motors, which means the car features a total of 768 LEGO motors. The 8 motor packs mimic the V8 in the original McLaren P1. 

To make it happen, the partners tapped McLaren Formula 1 driver Lando Norris to put the car to the test at the Silverstone Circuit, an iconic racetrack in the UK that spans some 5.891 km (3.66 miles). 

The car weighs 1,220kg (about 2,689 pounds) and has fully functional steering, which was a great benefit for Norris, who drove the concept vehicle around the tricky track corners.

The vehicle required 23 specialists from LEGO and McLaren's design, engineering and building groups, who spent more than 8,344 hours of development and construction. To make it happen, the team had to use 393 different types of LEGO Technic elements, including 11 molded specifically for this project. The vehicle uses zero carbon fiber and the Technic-made flexible skin helped replicate the original car's curvature. 

The LEGO measures up to its real-life counterpart, measuring 4,980 mm long, 2,101 mm wide and 1,133 mm high. 

During the test drive, Norris seemed surprised. "It actually drives pretty good," he said. And hey, for just a shade under $450, you can build your own. The 1:8-scale model, anyways. No word on the cost of the track-ready concept car.

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