The full-size Lego Bugatti Chiron has made its UK debut at the Savoy Hotel in London, having been unveiled earlier this year.
It is part of a tour taking place during November which gives the public an opportunity to see the Lego model at locations including Westfield London, Westfield Stratford and Bluewater shopping centres.
The fully functional Chiron model fits two passengers and propel itself to a top speed of more than 12mph.
Weighing 1500kg – 496kg lighter than a real Bugatti Chiron - the model is built from more than one million Lego Technic pieces and uses 2304 motors and 4032 gear wheels from Lego Power Function equipment. It generates 5bhp and an estimated 68lb ft.
The Lego Technic car, which took over 13,000 hours to develop and construct and uses no glue, has a functioning rear spoiler, speedometer, front and rear lights, detachable steering wheel and brake pedal.
Bugatti Chiron review
Lego said that the car has a “complex outer skin structure, built of interconnected triangular segments” intended to mimic the shapes of the original Chiron's design. The same applies inside: seats, dashboard and steering wheel closely echo the real thing. The Lego version is equipped with the real Chiron's wheels and emblem.
Bugatti and Lego unveiled a 1:8 ratio model earlier this year. It is made from 3599 Lego Technic pieces and costs £329.99.
Lego said this full-size version stemmed from that project: “Designer Aurelien Rouffiange and the team had just completed the 1:8 scale model of the Chiron and began to debate what the ultimate challenge for the LEGO Technic building system would be. A full-size, self-propelled vehicle seemed to provide the toughest test.”
Once built, the 1:1 Chiron model was taken to Ehra Lessien test track near Wolfsburg, Germany – the same venue used for the real Bugatti Chiron's development – to be driven. It achieved more than 12mph, around 5% of the speed of the 261mph Chiron.
Bugatti’s official test driver and former Le Mans winner Andy Wallace, who tested the Lego Technic version, said “from 20 metres away it’s not obvious that you are looking at a Lego car”.
Bugatti revealed the latest version of its real-life Chiron earlier this year. The £4.5m Divo is a Chiron-based car designed for improved track performance.
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13,000hrs...
I make that about 6 man-years of work. What a gargantuan waste of time and effort. If you have those resources spare to throw at this nonsense, why not go out and do some good in the world instead?
Who else is going to do it?
. There’s nothing wrong with doing this, it’s quite an achievement really, it’ll eventually end up in a Museum....
Really? A waste of effort?
A lot of engineering and design skill has gone into this, good marketing exercise too!
Lego bricks work best as
Lego bricks work best as abstact pieces from which shapes are built wherever the imagination takes you.
Function-specific Lego stifles creativity. Pointless.
2,304 Motors?