Combining my love of LEGO and loud, fast cars, I recently had the unique opportunity to visit the McLaren Technology Centre and get an up-close look at the engineering, design and innovation behind the new LEGO Technic McLaren P1 set.
Exploring McLaren’s state-of-the-art facilities was a dream come true for me – the behind the scenes tour allowed me to see F1 cars of the past, an impressive trophy cabinet and an immaculate assembly line.
On arriving at the McLaren Technology Centre, I was immediately struck by the large glass façade that beautifully reflects the natural surroundings, and the sleek, modern building that blends seamlessly into the landscape.
As you step into the lobby you are greeted by a spacious design that exudes a sense of calm, and at the heart of it all is, of course, a stunning display of McLaren’s most iconic cars, each one telling a story of engineering excellence and racing heritage. It’s surreal.
Equally surreal was building the latest addition to the LEGO Technic Ultimate Car Concept series, surrounded by these incredible cars in the same place where the originals were designed.
Complex Engineering
When the McLaren P1 was launched in 2013, it was the most exciting, most capable, most technologically advanced and most dynamically accomplished supercar of its time.
The car utilises McLaren’s motorsport-based engineering to deliver groundbreaking advances in weight reduction, packaging, high-speed performance, powertrain and aerodynamics – and is intended to be “the best driver’s car in the world for both road and track”.
The McLaren P1’s incredible engineering and technology presented the perfect challenge for the LEGO Technic team to recreate in 1:8 scale.
This is the latest set in the LEGO Technic Ultimate Car Concept series. Made with 3,893 pieces, each car has a unique serial number and unlocks special behind-the-scenes content.
This LEGO set has almost every high-tech feature of the real thing, including a 7-speed gearbox with two shifter drums, working suspension, a V8 piston engine, an adjustable rear wing and opening dihedral doors with highly advanced mechanisms.
As I put together one of the dihedral doors while listening to deep house music blaring from the speakers at the MTC, I could already tell this was going to be an immersive and complex building experience, full of intricate details that would delight any McLaren fan.
“The common thread is that they’re just as passionate as we are.”
The model was created by the LEGO Technic design team in close collaboration with McLaren Automotive, and I had the opportunity to speak to Tobias Suhlmann, Chief Design Officer at McLaren Automotive, about the process.
“It’s a team effort. What I love is seeing the similarities in their work, and seeing the differences. And it was also really fascinating to watch them actually sit down and try to figure out how to build it.”
“I love the details they brought to life. It was absolutely stunning. They understood how we work, they understood what was important to us, and they listened. If you walk around the car and look at how low the rear end is, how high the rear fenders are, if you look at that shape, that was very important, and they kept it that way.”
“When we talk to them, we find a common thread: they’re just as passionate as we are.”
When I asked Zurman if he plans to decorate his office with Lego Technic models, he replied, “For sure. I don’t know if I’ll have a lot of time to build them, but as long as I have the time, I’ll make them.”
To complete it, Zurman will need a large shelf, as the LEGO Technic McLaren P1 model will be over 14cm high, 59cm long and 25cm wide.
You can join him in building the new LEGO Technic McLaren P1 set, which will be available on the LEGO website and in LEGO stores from 1 August 2024 for $460 / £390.
