McLaren – Racing Heritage

We’re buying everything in the Speed Champions line.

Gah! Unbridled glee! The days of Ferrari having an exclusive hold on branded LEGO cars are officially over. Next year, you’ll be able to buy a minifig-scale McLaren P1, Porsche 918 Spyder, and LaFerrari. (Yes, we know about the Mini and VW stuff, but Maranello has been dominant.) We will take one of each, thank you.

These leaked images come courtesy of YouTube user just2good, so no prices yet, but the kits looks small enough that they should come in around 20 bucks. Again, we don’t care. Buying.

McLaren P1 (75909)

Is that a snowboard acting as the P1’s wing? Yes, yes it is.

LaFerrari (75899)

Some authentic Italian stubble on the LaFerrari test driver. Also: Why didn’t I think of making brick pylons?

All three cars have production-correct wheel designs, the 918’s being the coolest. And each car comes with a wrench, because, uh, why not?

There are also a few competition-inspired sets in the 2015 Speed Champions line, too: a sponsor-sticker-tastic 458 Italia GT2 (75908); a pair of 911 GT cars with podium, mechanics, and LEGO four-way (75912); a full pit-stop setup for the McLaren F1 team (75911); and (yet another) Ferrari F1 transporter (75913). I’m guessing the brick separators included in the F1 sets are in place of wheel guns.

Formula 1 Pit Stop — Formula One Pit Stop

We’ll forgive the similar look of the hypercars because there’s only so much you can do at minifig scale, and come on, minifig-scale hypercars! It’s nice to see few—if any—unique parts. The stickers differentiate them pretty well.

Formula 1 Pit Stop Lego — Formula 1 Pit Spot Lego

20 Years ago McLaren boss Ron Dennis said of the F1, that it was “….the finest supercar the world was ever going to see”.

The F1 represented a step-change in itself…

In Geneva recently he proudly unveiled the latest addition to the McLaren family: The 650S. And in a first season for Jenson Button since the death of his ever present father, the waxing and waning of the generations is sure to be particularly poignant.

But if there are any qualms over fatherly loyalty, Ron Dennis can let himself off on a hereditary technicality. This new machine is a full-series production car and is from a completely different familial line than the balls-out, stripped down and uncompromising, limited edition F1.

…but the coupé is, for us, the prettiest in the sector.

That said, like its F1 uncle, the 650S can trace its DNA right back to the crucible of top level motor racing and McLaren’s particular genius with power-to-weight-ratios.

From 1966, when they created in the M2B their first Formula 1 car in McLaren has always been an innovator with chassis design. By 1968 Bruce McLaren himself won at Spa in the M7A (see image at top of page). By 1981 a zenith was reached when they instigated a step change in Formula 1 by racing the first fully carbon fibre chassis in the sport.

It was, however, the 1988 season with Senna at the wheel of the most successful car in the history of Formula 1, that saw the conception of a new branch of the McLaren family tree with the development of the groundbreaking F1 supercar, bringing Formula 1 engineering to the streets in its rawest.

Scissor doors are a perfect twist.

The 650S learns from both the F1 and the recent P1 and like them is inspired and informed by the latest track developments and based around that carbon fibre chassis.

The 650 refers to the power output (650 PS) of the twin turbo V8 engine which will get the car from 0-100kph in three seconds and reaches a top speed of 333kph. The S stands for sport and harks back to the McLaren obsession with weight and handling.

650S Spider’s carbon acreage tells a tale…

This super lightweight model (1330kg) uses all the aerodynamic tricks learned from its forefathers to keep it on the road and to maximise agility while retaining a level of luxury and utility more at home in a high end saloon.

And just take a look at it. There’s everything that’s good with the combo of wind tunnel and CAD here: but there is, for us, more of an aesthetic loveliness about it than any of the previous McLaren issues.

So if you absolutely need Bluetooth technology in your Formula One precision engineered supercar, but missed out on the oligarch-only P1, this latest chip off the McLaren block should be up your street.

Ancient and Modern: McLaren has always known how to integate past and future…

650S Spider’s carbon acreage tells a tale…

and the signature lines are distinctive….

Retractable hardtop competes with Ferrari’s 458S

The McLaren 650S coupé is, for us, the prettiest in the sector.

Scissor doors are a perfect twist.