Overview

The Lego Technic McLaren P1 is a truly amazing model. It is 1:8 scale with a 7-speed gearbox and a V8 engine. It is a must-have for any Lego Technic fan. The butterfly doors open and stay up due to the shock absorber under the side body panels. It also has a working hybrid system, making this model unique from any other Technic set before it.

This model has more than just mechanical features! The bodywork looks just like the real P1, with complex curves and slopes. The model also has a working rear wing that can be adjusted by turning the gear on the back. It even has a unique serial number for exclusive online content like the real car.

Features And Funtions

7-Speed Gearbox:

The most stunning part about this model has to be the working 7-speed gearbox. All the other cars in the ultimate series that came before it had 8-speed gearboxes, so the P1 gearbox is built a little differently. There are new gears, as well as new parts for shifting. In the driver cab, there are paddle shifters, and when you pull them it changes gear.

Hybrid System:

The real McLaren P1 was the first hybrid hypercar. When designing this set, Lego knew they had to recreate it. In the driver cab, there is a clutch. When moved it switches between Hybrid Mode and E-Mode. The model also has something that looks like the electric motor unlike the Lamborghini Sián FKP 37.

V8 Engine:

The V8 engine with moving pistons is a great addition to this set. It can be turned off due to the hybrid system. When in hybrid mode, the pistons will move as you roll the car. This model has a transparent engine block so you can see the pistons as they move.

Steering:

Just turn the steering wheel and the front wheels will steer. They steer like they would on a real car. The best part is that they can steer, and they have suspension.

Rear Wing:

The rear wing moves up and down when you turn the gear on the back of the car. It looks just like the real car.

The design of the Lego Technic McLaren P1

Design Process

"When we design new Lego Technic models, we ask ourselves, what can we do that we have never done before?" said the lead designer of the set, Kasper René Hansen. And this model does have lots of brand-new features! It has a new gearbox, a new hybrid system, and more. The set was designed with McLaren themselves.

This spring holds the door up on the Lego Technic McLaren P1

Building Process

These sets are designed to be complex and fun to build, and this set lives up to that! The 7-speed gearbox is very complex, yet still enjoyable and easy to assemble. The rest of the model is the same. When building it you start with the rear suspension and exhaust. From there, you will build the gearbox and engine. After that, you will build the hybrid system, front axle, and bodywork. It is a very fun build, with 3,893 parts, making it a big set as well.

Packaging

In a set this expensive even the box has to be well designed. With this set and others in the ultimate series, just unpacking it is an experience.

When you open the box you will find two pieces of cardboard with print of the top of the real car in it.

These pieces flap open to reveal pictures on the inside of each of them. One shows the real P1 and the other shows the Technic version.

Under the flaps there are three boxes. When you pull out these boxes they have all the parts in them.

Under the boxes you will find two instuction booklets.

Issues And What To Fix

This set dosen't have much that should be changed, but there is a little bit. The biggest problem is that the wheels sometimes squeak when you push it but this dosen't always happen. There are also some fragial brick-built bits such as the Exaulst. The paddle shifters don't shift as well as they do on other sets. On these sets it seems like all the problems with one car are fixed on the next.

Other Models

Lego Technic Ferrari Daytona SP3 and Lemborghini Sián FKP 37

You may be curious about how this model compares to others. The Ultimate Car Concept Series includes several other cars. First of all, the P1 features springs in the doors that hold them up, unlike the Ferrari Daytona SP3 or Lamborghini Sián FKP 37, where the doors do not stay up for long. Additionally, it has a hybrid system, and while the real Sián is a hybrid, the Sián model does not do anything to show it. The real Bugatti Chiron and Lamborghini Sián FKP 37 are all-wheel drive, and so are the Technic models. The P1 is rear-wheel drive, just like the real one. The other models have larger engines, and they all feature 8-speed gearboxes instead of the 7-speed of the P1.

McLaren P1

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