Lego Drops BMW M4 GT3, Mercedes-AMG F1, and Ayrton Senna's McLaren MP4/4 Sets
Just when we think we're good with all the Lego sets we've collected, the Danish plastic brick company finds a brand new way to pull us back in. Lego just released several motorsport-themed sets large and small that cover modern and classic F1 as well as some GT3 flavor. We would be lying if we said our wallets weren't tingling at little bit at the thought of collecting all of them.
For these newest sets, Lego teamed up with Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1, McLaren Racing, and BMW M Motorsports. There's even a set that throws back to Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna that we are already making a special place for on our desks. Let's take a look at each of the new sets. Disclosure: MotorTrend may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our affiliate links.
Lego Icons Mclaren MP4/4 and Ayrton Senna
If you're even a casual Formula 1 fan then you know who Ayrton Senna is and how important he was to the sport. His exploits in F1 are legend and his run at McLaren is one of the most storied seasons in the sport's history. Senna's 1988 McLaren MP4/4 is arguably the most popular car from his tenure in F1 so it's no shock that Lego would want to recreate it. Considering the Lego medium, the missile-like silhouette of the MP4/4 has impressive detail.
The set has working steering, a pushrod suspension, an adjustable rear wing, working gearshift, racing slick tires, and turbocharged V-6 engine. Though our favorite detail is the Ayrton Senna minifigure that stands on a tiny podium holding a trophy and his iconic yellow helmet.
- Pieces : 693
- Set number : 10330
- Recommended age: 18+
- Dimensions : 5 inches high, 12.5 inches long, and 6.5 inches wide.
Lego Technic Mercedes-AMG F1 W14 E Performance
The Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team may not have had a great showing in the last few seasons, but they can at least say they've had one of the best looking cars on the grid. Now you can build a 1:8 scale version of it that can always be the constructors champion in your book. Jokes aside, this set based on the 2023 Mercedes-AMG F1 W14 E Performance chassis is pretty sweet.
The set features working steering, a full suspension, rear differential, V-6 engine with clear valve covers, and a movable DRS flap on the rear wing. Love them or hate them, it even features the aerodynamic wheel spats. We just wish it came with minifigures of Lewis Hamilton and George Russel.
- Pieces : 1,642
- Set number : 42171
- Recommended age: 18+
- Dimensions : 5 inches high, 25 inches long, and 10 inches wide.
Lego Technic Mercedes-AMG F1 W14 E Performance Pull Back
No, this isn't Groundhog day and you aren't stuck in a time loop. This is another Lego Technic set of the Mercedes-AMG F1 W14 E Peformance race car, but with a few key differences. The first major difference is that this set is much smaller in scale than the 18+ 1:8 set. The second—and more fun—detail is that this is a "pull back" car. It's amazing that even with kids playing with smartphones and tablets, a good ol' pull back car is still relevant!
Because this is a smaller set, it doesn't quite capture the details of the W14 as the 1:8 scale kit does. However, despite the smaller scale Lego's designers still managed to render the W14's aerodynamics nicely. Especially the side pods and front wing.
- Pieces : 240
- Set number : 42165
- Recommended age: 7+
- Dimensions : 2 inches high, 9.5 inches long, and 4 inches wide.
Lego Speed Champions 2023 McLaren Formula 1 Race Car
In 2022, Lego released a 1:8 scale Technic set of McLaren F1's 2022 MCL36 chassis with tight timing against the reveal of the real car which was unprecedented considering level of secrecy among F1 teams and their cars. Lego is following up that set with a smaller version of the 2023 McLaren MCL60 F1 car for its Speed Champions line.
Speed Champions cars tend to be what gets folks hooked on collecting as their small size makes them easy to display and small piece count means they can be built in a relatively short amount of time. The Speed Champions 2023 McLaren F1 car doesn't have a pull back function or as many adjustable parts as a larger set but it does have a full livery featuring McLaren's signature "papaya orange." It also comes with a F1 driver minifigure.
- Pieces : 245
- Set number : 76919
- Reccomended age : 9+
- Dimensions : 1.5 inches high, 7 inches long, and 2.5 inches wide.
Lego Speed Champions BMW M4 GT3 & BMW M Hybrid V8 Race Cars
This year's Speed Champions two-back gives us a pair of BMW race cars both of which are rocking M Motorsport's signature blue, red, and white liveries. The set includes the BMW M4 GT3 race car and the wild and wide nostril-ed BMW M Hybrid V-8 WEC racer. Seriously, even the Lego versions of these cars have big nostrils, but hey it's all about accuracy so we dig it.
The wide fenders and aggressive aerodynamic work on both race cars stand up well to being translated in Lego form. The M4 GT3 has a particularly detailed interior cockpit given the size of the model. We also dig the adorable set of Lego racer minifigures.
- Pieces : 676
- Set number : 76922
- Recommended age: 9+
- Dimensions : Full dimensions not available.
Andrew Beckford’s passion for cars started as a middle schooler when his friend Richie explained how an internal combustion engine works. He was bitten by the bug and the rest, as they say, is history. He dug deep into the tuner scene and eventually wrote for Turbo Magazine, Import Tuner, Super Street. He covered car shows, feature builds, and reviewed racing games for those magazines in addition to covering motorsports including Formula Drift, Indy Car, and F1 for his personal blog. Eventually Beckford joined MotorTrend to cover the daily automotive news beat. Besides being a gearhead, Beckford has been a gamer since the ’80s and is a huge fan of the arcade racing games of the ’90s like Daytona USA, SEGA Rally, and Ridge Racer. Beckford’s a movie buff as well, especially comic book films from DC and Marvel. When car culture crosses over with gaming and entertainment, rest assured Beckford is aware of it. In addition to serving as a consultant on a “triple A” racing titles, he’s reviewed major racing games such as Forza Motorsport, Need for Speed, Gran Turismo, F1, and more. He’s also interviewed blockbuster directors including Steven Caple Jr. (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts) and Neill Blomkamp (Gran Turismo). His biggest profile to date was with Robert Downey Jr. on his love affair with cars and his show Downey’s Dream Cars on MAX. Beckford’s profile of Downey Jr. was the first print cover story written by an African American in MotorTrend’s history. Along with KJ Jones, Andrew Beckford also heads up MotorTrend’s celebration of Black History Month by spotlighting diverse voices in the automotive industry and motorsports. Beckford’s first car was a 1982 Nissan Stanza affectionately named “Stanley” by his late mother.
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