The latest set from the Ultimate Car Concept Series is 42172 McLaren P1, which was revealed at McLaren Technology Centre in an exclusive reveal event.
42172 McLaren P1 is the latest release in the Ultimate Car Concept Series, available from August 1 at LEGO.com for £389.99 / €449.99. The set is made up of 3,893 pieces.
McLaren Technology Centre in Woking played host to the launch of the brand-new LEGO Technic set. Secrecy was the order of the day at this iconic and exclusive location, with the attendees – including Blocks magazine’s Dave Cartlidge (hey, that’s me!) and Phil Wrighton – required to gather some distance away from the well-guarded factory to speculate about what the evening may have in store.
With the members of the press bundled into the back of a (very nice and air-conditioned) minibus, various social media influencers and YouTube personalities were chauffeur-driven to the event in McLaren supercars. No feelings of jealousy were expressed by the mature and professional journalists as the sensational sight of the technology centre came into view, every bit as spectacular as it promised to be.
As the Blocks crew were greeted by members of the McLaren press team and representatives of the LEGO Group, the vision of dozens of supercars, Formula One racing cars and legendary vehicles from the past 60 years was almost overwhelming. With small talk, drinks and nibbles duly dispatched it was a short but memorable walk along ‘the boulevard’ to the launch event itself.
With its wide-open space and curved-glass-everywhere approach to design, this section of the building is deeply impressive as an engineering feat of its own. Passing by world championship-winning cars driven by the likes of James Hunt and Ayrton Senna on the way to witness a brand-new LEGO Technic set was an almost surreal moment. The mysterious, futuristic and historic atmosphere of the location was amazing, only heightened by polite requests that certain areas of the McLaren HQ not be photographed, filmed… or even discussed.
Interest piqued, the launch event began as McLaren Chief Design Officer Tobias Sühlmann revealed a real-life P1 supercar, before LEGO Design Manager Aurelian Rouffiange unveiled the LEGO Technic version that he and Model Designer Kasper Rene Hansen had been working on for more than a year.
The car looks stunning and, based on first impressions, the LEGO Technic rendition is every bit its equal. The fifth vehicle to be added to the Ultimate Car Concept Series, the P1 was chosen for its legendary status and the impact and influence it created in the motoring world.
Aurelian and his team went to great lengths to bring the P1 to the brick, including several long weeks creating the complex door opening mechanisms that mimic the real car. Having access to the real car, as well as being in close contact with the McLaren design team that made it in the first place, was clearly helpful.
The partnership between the companies is something they both relish and it’s clear they share a common dedication to excellence. When the event was in the planning stages, McLaren suggested that they hold it at the Technology Centre and the LEGO team didn’t hesitate in accepting the offer.
Various versions of 42172 McLaren P1 were on display in different stages of its completion, including some using 3D-printed prototype elements that eventually made it into the final set. The process of designing and getting approval for a new element isn’t something that’s usually shared openly, so being able to see them up close (and feel their weird, rough texture) helped bring the LEGO creative process to life.
Thoughts turned away from LEGO briefly, as attendees were given a guided tour of the McLaren factory – including many definitely-no-photos-here rooms hidden behind doors that would make James Bond jealous. These were filled with classic Formula One cars, prototype elements for the current car and the factory itself where the supercars are handcrafted.
After being up close and personal with cars driven by legends, Blocks returned to the main event and was lucky enough to be able to get up close and personal with the latest LEGO Technic set. Aurelian led some actual building and putting a LEGO set together as a group proved to be a great leveller. Despite the stunning location and the great innovation and history that live within its walls, a group of people were sitting around a table building a LEGO set and talking about the brick.
Multiple bags and instructions were scattered across the table so that everyone could build a small section of the finished vehicle. Even at this scale, the amount of detail crammed into the P1 is impressive and the new elements seem very well-judged.
This was also an opportunity for a good look at 42172 McLaren P1, which was on display in each stage of its build. The functions, such as the extendable rear wing, are satisfying to play with, even though Blocks hasn’t had chance to see how they were built yet (don’t forget to subscribe, because the review is on the way).
Smaller sub-sections, such as those impressively complex doors, were on display as stand-alone items to allow for closer inspection and scrutiny. Everything about the P1 seems to have been designed to be as accurate to the real car as possible and the set has been created with the builder mind.
Not only has the packaging and unboxing process been crafted to enhance the overall experience, but smaller details (like the complete lack of any stickers, the use of exclusive elements and individually designed wheel rims) have all been added to elevate this LEGO Technic set and earn that ‘Ultimate’ name badge.
The McLaren P1 is an incredible machine and this tantalising glimpse of the LEGO Technic version feels like it will be a fitting celebration of this automotive icon.