Lego has teamed up with McLaren to create a fully drivable 1:1 scale model of the storied P1 hypercar – and it has just set a lap of the Silverstone circuit with Formula 1 ace Lando Norris at the wheel.
Made from more than 342,000 Lego Technic elements, the plastic P1 tips the scales at 1220kg and has been co-developed by Lego and McLaren to be the first drivable Lego big-build model to date.
Lego has partnered with the Woking-based car maker on several occasions since 2015, creating a number of Technic models including the Senna GTR and 2022 MCL36 F1 racer.
The two firms recently co-developed a 1:8 scale Technic version of the P1, featuring its own seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, suspension, V8 piston engine and dihedral doors to fully replicate the hybrid hypercar.
The 1:1 Lego P1 replica is powered by Technic batteries and an electric car battery. This feeds eight motor packs (a nod to the V8 of the original P1), each consisting of 96 Lego Power function motors, for a total of 768 Lego motors. Lego claims its P1 can reach speeds of up to 40mph.
Built by a team of 23 Lego and McLaren engineers, the P1 took more than 8300 hours to develop and required 393 types of Technic elements, with 11 bespoke parts made for the car.
While it's predominantly made from Technic parts, the P1 retains some elements from the original car, such as the wheels and steering wheel, with the flexible body built around a steel chassis.
“For the yellow body, it took months of hands-on testing and building before we got to the final design,” said Lubor Zelinka, Lego’s design manager who helped spearhead the project.
“One of the biggest challenges was space, or lack of it, because the P1 is a very compact and nimble car. But we needed to make sure there was enough room for the conventional steering and suspension while also creating a rigid structure using layers of Lego Technic elements."
To test the durability of its creation, Lego enlisted F1 star Lando Norris to lap the P1 at Silverstone.
“It was incredibly cool to see Lando Norris driving the car we created,” said Lukáš Horák, Lego’s senior project manager.
“McLaren's automotive and engineering expertise has been invaluable in helping us produce a model as authentic to the original McLaren P1 as possible.”
The Lego P1 is now set to embark on a world tour, being showcased at sporting events.
