It might be a decade old now, but the McLaren P1 is still one of the greatest, most technologically advanced hypercars of all time – and now you can build one for yourself, in 1:8 Lego form.
The latest addition to Lego’s Technic collection is an orange and black McLaren P1, complete with vertically-hinged doors, working steering and suspension, a deployable rear wing, moving gear shift paddles and even pistons that move authentically inside the turbocharged V8 engine.
You’ll need plenty of space for this kit – and plenty of time to build it, too. There’s a whopping 3,893 pieces in all, and the completed car is 1:8 scale. It measures 14 cm tall, 59 cm long and 25 cm wide.
Available from 1 August and priced at £389.99 (€449.99), the McLaren P1 Lego kit is part of the Lego Technic Ultimate Car Concept Series. This also includes the equally large Ferrari SP3 Daytona and Lamborghini Sian FKP 37.
Lego designer Kasper Rene Hansen said: “From the exterior with aerodynamic shapes to the interior and V8 piston engine - the real McLaren P1 is an incredible car. We wanted to capture these details in the best way possible with our LEGO Technic model and we did not want to compromise in any way
“Therefore, we worked on multiple variations of the car to test different designs. We also faced a huge challenge with the iconic butterfly doors because they needed a new mechanism to stay open. It was a great experience to recreate the McLaren P1 and I’m hoping all supercar enthusiasts out there are ready to explore the details and intricacies of the real McLaren P1 in Lego Technic form.”
McLaren’s first hybrid, the P1 formed what became known as the hypercar ‘Holy Trinity’, along with the Ferrari LaFerrari and Porsche 918 Spyder. The P1 is powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V8 engine and an electric motor with a tiny, 4.7 kWh battery, and has a total power output of 903 horsepower. That sort of figure isn’t too unusual these days, and some electric hypercars are even knocking on the door of 2,000 hp, but back in 2013 a near-thousand-horsepower hybrid was a very big deal indeed.
A spiritual successor to the McLaren F1 of the mid-90s, the all-carbon P1 accelerates to 60 mph in a little under three seconds and is electronically limited to a top speed of 217 mph. The car can drive for about six miles on electric power alone, but the hybrid system is primarily intended to supplement the engine, resulting in more potent acceleration and no drop in torque between gear changes. The P1 launched with a base price of £866,000 plus options, and 375 examples were produced. Today, examples sell for between £1 million and £2 million.
