Life-size Lego McLaren P1 laps Silverstone racetrack

Taking over 342,000 bricks and 8,000 hours to build, Lego’s latest collaboration with McLaren proves anything’s possible. Lando Norris finds out how the 1:1 model handles Britain’s longest circuit.

What’s the biggest thing you’ve ever made from Lego? We’re willing to bet it wasn’t a full-scale, running, driving, hypercar… 

Ok, so it’s not quite as fast or powerful as the real deal P1 — actually, with a top speed of 40 mph, it’s not even as quick as most mopeds — but for something made out of thousands of toy plastic bricks, it’s a miracle it moves at all.  

As with the incredibly detailed body, Lego components are also responsible for propulsion. Eight Lego Technics Function motor packs contain no fewer than 768 individual motors and draw power from a conventional car battery. Total range? Who knows, but there is enough power to complete all 3.66 miles of Silverstone with F1 star, Lando Norris at the helm.

Thankfully, despite using nearly 400 different types of blocks in its construction — 11 of which were bespoke to the P1 project — the Lego McLaren isn’t entirely made of plastic. A steel chassis acts as the car’s backbone and stops the P1 shattering into a sea of orange bricks when you run over a pebble. 

Similarly, despite technically being the world’s largest tyre manufacturer by volume, Lego has opted for some more conventional Pirelli boots for this application. As for the other wheel, well that’s a standard McLaren item — anyone who’s ever stepped on one knows why a Lego clad steering wheel wouldn’t make sense.  

Speaking on the creative collaboration between toy and car manufacturer, Lukáš Horák, Senior Project Manager of Installations, LEGO Group, adds “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.”

Ben Gulliver, Test & Development Director, McLaren Automotive, is equally passionate about the project: “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.” 

Feeling inspired to crack out that big tub of Lego hiding in the cupboard? For just £389.99 you could make your own, smaller copy of the epic hypercar. Though, at 1/8th scale, you’ll probably not fit behind the wheel.  

Is this the coolest Lego car ever? Let us know if there’s a model which beats it.

Hero image credit: McLaren