Ehra Lessien, Germany - The Lego specialist department at the Kladno plant in the Czech Republic has become famous for large-scale models of iconic vehicles, using a mix of standard blocks, Lego Technic parts and custom components, including trucks with working cranes and James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5, but this one takes Lego to a whole new level.
This is the Lego Bugatti Chiron - the toymaker’s first full-size replica car - well, we can hardly call it a model, can we? - and it’s driveable! It contains more than a million Lego components of 339 types, including 58 types custom made for this project.
Motorvation is provided by 2304 power function motors, 4032 Lego Tchnic gear wheels and 2016 cross axles, for an estimated total of 3.9kW and 92Nm, and it has a top speed of a little more than 20km/h. It’s the first fully-functional self-propelled life-size Lego car, the first with load-bearing members made exclusively from Lego components, the biggest Lego model ever assembled without glue and, at 1500kg, the biggest ever driven by power function motors.
The smoothly curved outer skin is built from interconnected triangular segments, including specially made transparent elements, the head and tail-lights work, and even the adjustable spoiler moves, using a combination of power function motors and pneumatics.
The interior has been precisely recreated in Lego Technic elements - from the seats to the dashboard, the working speedometer (all in Lego!) the detachable steering wheel and the brake pedal. In fact, the only parts on the car that aren’t made of Lego components are the wheels and the emblem - which are originals supplied by Bugatti.
It took 13 438 man-hours to develop and built the Lego Chiron, and the man chosen to take it on its first test drive was none other than Bugatti chief test drive, multiple Le Mans winner Andy Wallace.
“From about 20 metres away it’s not obvious that you are looking at a Lego model,” he said. “I can only imagine how much time and effort went into building this replica - I never thought that that one day I would actually drive a Lego car!"