Not too long ago, LEGO showed its love for the Bugatti cars through a cute toy, which took the company a lot of effort to bring to life. But the brand’s admiration for fast cars and Lego bricks goes beyond one’s imagination. So, what could possibly be on LEGO’s mind this time? Nothing too strange. Except, building a real-life Bugatti Chiron. With an engine from the popular bricks too!
You’d think that making a real-size Bugatti out of LEGOs would be impossible. But not for the brick masters themselves, who happily accepted the challenge and gave birth to a stunning four-wheeled vehicle. Oh, and just for the record, the brick-made car is completely functional, although it can’t compete with the real deal – the Bugatti Chiron.
It was in June 2017 when the LEGO team gathered in a room to talk about the next project. The crew first started laughing but they gradually learned that this is no joke: “These projects, they always start with laughing, and then the problems come,” said project manager Lukás Horák.
One million LEGO bricks, 13,500 hours of hard work, and around 339 types of LEGO Technic elements later, the drivable replica of the Bugatti Chiron comes to life. It weighs 1.5 tones and its 2,304 motors and 4,032 LEGO Technic cogs make the car generate five horsepower! Yes, it actually moves by itself.
The resemblance between the two cars is astonishing. But that’s only when they are admired from distance. At a closer look, one can notice that the LEGO one is a bit more complex than the real one. No, we’re not questioning the huge horse power the real Bugatti has. We’re just saying that after one sees the brick-made car, they will get completely speechless at the sight of it. It’s that impressive!
The toy-like automobile’s exterior borrows the same blue shade that made the Chiron famous within the industry. The car body seems to be meticulously woven, “built of interconnected triangular segments made into a LEGO Technic ‘fabric’ designed to mimic the iconic shapes of the original Chiron,” claims the brand. Once you take a sneak peek inside the four-wheeled jewel, you’ll notice that all details had been carefully recreated using LEGO bricks: from seats to steering wheel and dashboard. All ready to be used.
The genuine copy was tested at the exact place of the first tests of the real Chiron, on the Ehra Lessien test track outside Wolfsburg, Germany. Although it doesn’t reach Chiron’s mind-blowing 420 km/h speed (or 260 mph), the LEGO-made vehicle propels itself to a little over 20km/h (or 12.4 mph), “making the ‘Build for Real’ idea truly complete,” adds the company.
“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,” said Lena Dixen, Senior Vice President of Product and Marketing at the LEGO Group. And the new LEGO-built Chiron does just that.
If you’re dying to drive a Chiron and don’t have a few million bucks in your pocket, then you can try the replica. But sadly, you’ll have to work a lot to fulfill this dream of yours, because LEGO doesn’t plan to sell the car nor build another one. While you’re trying to plan a strategy to convince the brand to take you on a ride, we suggest you should take a look at the video below! You’re going to love it!
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Images: TopGear