Paul Jeffrey
Premium
Lego have done something pretty epic... built a full size Bugatti Chiron, and even made it driveable!
Incredible things can be made from those marvellous pieces of plastic, something I'm starting to understand all over again thanks to my four year old lad, but even a big petrolhead like me never quite thought it possible to build a full scale and driveable car from the stuff... until today!
Lego have once again upped their game in the master builder stakes, investing over 13,000 man hours to produce the world's first drivable Lego car. Using over 1 million separate pieces of Lego Technic, this wild experiment uses absolutely no glue, is fully functional and is even self propelled! Reaching speeds of up to 20kmh and able to hold two passengers, the new 1:1 scale Bugatti Chiron isn't just a first for Lego, it's also technically the first electric powered Bugatti...
Powered exclusively using motors from the 'LEGO Power Function' platform, the model Chiron contains an incredible 2,304 motors and 4,032 LEGO Technic gear wheels, generating 5.3hp and an estimated torque of 92 Nm. Not bad for a plastic toy...
Lena Dixen, Senior Vice President of Product and Marketing at the LEGO Group said:
“This life-size model is a first of its kind in so many ways and with it, we wanted to push the boundaries of our own imagination. For over 40 years, LEGO Technic has allowed fans of all ages to test their creativity with a building system that challenges them to go beyond just creating new designs, to also engineering new functions. Our Technic designers and the engineers from the Kladno factory in the Czech Republic, the place which also builds the impressive models for LEGO Stores and LEGOLAND parks, have done an amazing job both at recreating the Chiron’s iconic shapes and making it possible to drive this model. It’s a fascinating example of the LEGO Technic building system in action and its potential for creative reinvention.”
The skin of the Chiron is made up of thousands of interconnected triangular segments made into a LEGO Technic ‘fabric’ and matches the real world lines of the production Chiron, with this and 339 types of LEGO Technic elements used to construct the remainder of this impressive machine.
Having completed the build the Lego team took their new baby out to Germany to test the "car" at the Ehra Lessien proving ground in Germany, the same location the Italian manufacturer tried out the real version, and entrusted the car to respected retired racer and former Le Mans winner Andy Wallace, minus moustache, for a short run on track - reaching just over 20km/h!
"When I first saw the LEGO Chiron, I was immediately impressed by the accuracy of the model and the minute attention to detail." Said Wallace. "In fact, from about 20 metres away it’s not obvious that you are looking at a LEGO car. I can only imagine how much time and effort went into making this model."
"Driving the LEGO Chiron was a great experience, which I thoroughly enjoyed. All those years ago I could never have imagined that one day I would actually drive a LEGO car!"
The model is a first of its kind in many ways:"Driving the LEGO Chiron was a great experience, which I thoroughly enjoyed. All those years ago I could never have imagined that one day I would actually drive a LEGO car!"
- first fully-functional self-propelled life-size LEGO TECHNIC car
- first non-glued LEGO TECHNIC model of such complexity
- first large model powered using LEGO TECHNIC power function motors
- first large-scale moving model using LEGO TECHNIC bricks & elements
- first time to create new types of transparent LEGO TECHNIC bricks
- first time to create load bearing parts build purely out of LEGO TECHNIC bricks & elements. …using 58 types of TECHNIC custom-made elements
Facts and numbers:
- Over 1,000,000 LEGO elements in total
- 339 types of LEGOTECHNICelements used
- No glue used in the assembly
- Total weight: 1500 kg
- Engine contains:
- 2,304 LEGO Power Function Motors
- 4,032 LEGOTECHNICgear wheels
- 2,016 LEGOTECHNICcross axles
- Theoretical performance of 5.3 HP
- Estimated Torque of 92 Nm
- Functional rear spoiler (using both LEGO Power Functions and Pneumatics)
- Functional speedometer built entirely from LEGOTECHNICelements
- 13,438-man hours used on development and construction
- The model comes with real Bugatti Chiron wheels and emblem
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