Lego could have been perfectly content to simply take the hybrid-powered Sián FKP 37 hypercar and transform it into one of their highly-detailed Technic models – which they have done – but no; they wanted to move from 1:12 scale to 1:1 scale. So, 40,000 bricks, 2,200 kg and about 8,600 man hours of dedication later, here it is: a 1:1 scale rendition of the supercar.
Indeed, just a couple of badges and a set of wheels and tires – Pirelli P-Zero units – come from the actual car. Everything else – from the brake discs and calipers to the steering wheel – is constructed from those famous plastic bricks.
“It’s always a huge undertaking,” said designer Lubor Zelinka. “It’s a huge thing. Working with a group of 15 people to get this done over the year.” Zelinka’s team includes designers, builders, mechanical engineers and even an electrical engineer. This is a full-scale operation, completed with workers Lego calls “Master Builders”. This is not Zelinka’s first project, either; he also helped design and develop full-size versions of the McLaren Senna and Bugatti Chiron.
Those 40,000 bricks are laid over a steel frame that Lego themselves had to design. Not only that, but it can be transported without being glued together; it’s just held together by traditional Lego means.
Designing this ultra Lego “set” was a little more complex than you might think.
“We went to visit the Lamborghini Centro Style,” says. Zelinka. “And actually, we went through the same process you would do as a (Lamborghini) buyer. We would sit down and they have this wall with different samples and they ask some questions and they create a custom paint job just for your car.
“In this case, we settled on the green because the set is green and we settled on some gradients in dark grey because that’s what Lamborghini does on their cars.” To get the full effect, Zelinka’s team actually sent parts of the car to Lamborghini to get painted by the actual artisans that work on the real cars.
“That’s actually a very nice perk of my job, ” he says. “When we do projects (like the Lamborghini), we get to travel to the manufacturers, see their facilities, and talk to their people.”
See the full-size Lego Lamborghini Sián at the Canadian International Auto Show, taking place in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre February 17-26.