The LEGO Group has officially unveiled 42172 McLaren P1, the next entry in its 1:8-scale Technic Ultimate Car Concept Series.
Modelled after the iconic hypercar initially unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 2013, the 3,893-piece 42172 McLaren P1 follows in the tyre tracks of 42056 Porsche 911 GT3 RS, 42083 Bugatti Chiron, 42115 Lamborghini Sían FKP 37 and 42143 Ferrari Daytona SP3 in the Ultimate Car Concept Series. And like its predecessors, it strives to recreate at least a few of the functions of its source material.
For the P1, that includes a seven-speed gearbox with two shifter drums, suspension, a V8 piston engine, an adjustable rear wing, and opening butterfly doors. All of those crunchy internals are surrounded by a shell of flame yellowish orange panels, adding another colour to the palette of this collection (which has so far included standard orange, medium azure, lime green and red).
“It’s amazing to see so many of the elements from the original P1 brought to life by the LEGO team for the LEGO Technic McLaren P1,” said Tobias Sühlmann, Chief Design Officer for McLaren Automotive. “I hope this collaboration inspires the next generation of designers and engineers to push the boundaries of automotive innovation.”
The real-life P1 was among the first supercars to incorporate hybrid technology, and is considered to be the spiritual successor to the McLaren F1 (recreated under the Speed Champions banner in 2023). A total of 375 P1 cars were produced in total, which includes special editions such as the non-road-legal P1 LM. The LEGO set pays tribute to the standard edition of the hypercar.
“From the exterior with aerodynamic shapes to the interior and V8 piston engine, the real McLaren P1 is an incredible car,” added LEGO designer Kasper Rene Hansen. “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.”
42172 McLaren P1 launches August 1 at LEGO.com and in LEGO Stores for £389.99 / $449.99 / €449.99. Early adopters will receive a free buildable McLaren P1 logo through August 7, or while stocks last.
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- I like to think of myself as a journalist first, LEGO fan second, but we all know that’s not really the case. Journalism does run through my veins, though, like some kind of weird literary blood – the sort that will no doubt one day lead to a stress-induced heart malfunction. It’s like smoking, only worse. Thankfully, I get to write about LEGO until then.
