Automotive

Life-size Bugatti Chiron made from a million Lego pieces ... and it actually drives

Life-size Bugatti Chiron made from a million Lego pieces ... and it actually drives
The test drive of the Lego Chiron took place at the Ehra Lessien proving grounds in Germany
The test drive of the Lego Chiron took place at the Ehra Lessien proving grounds in Germany
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Over 1,000,000 Lego elements were used in the making of this life-sized, fully-functional Lego Bugatti Chiron
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Over 1,000,000 Lego elements were used in the making of this life-sized, fully-functional Lego Bugatti Chiron
There are 339 types of Lego Technic elements used in the construction of this life-sized Bugatti
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There are 339 types of Lego Technic elements used in the construction of this life-sized Bugatti
From about 20 meters away, it's difficult to tell which is the real Bugatti Chiron and which is the functioning Lego copy
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From about 20 meters away, it's difficult to tell which is the real Bugatti Chiron and which is the functioning Lego copy
There is no glue used in the assembly of this Lego Chiron, including in its support structures and chassis
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There is no glue used in the assembly of this Lego Chiron, including in its support structures and chassis
Bugatti supplied the wheels and tires for this Lego recreation of the Chiron supercar
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Bugatti supplied the wheels and tires for this Lego recreation of the Chiron supercar
The Lego Chiron weighs about 1.5 tonnes, just a few kilos short of the curb weight of the real Bugatti it's based upon
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The Lego Chiron weighs about 1.5 tonnes, just a few kilos short of the curb weight of the real Bugatti it's based upon
The Lego Bugatti Chiron is capable of about 20 km/h and is powered entirely by Lego Technic electric motors and gears
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The Lego Bugatti Chiron is capable of about 20 km/h and is powered entirely by Lego Technic electric motors and gears
The unusual "skin" of the Lego recreation of the Bugatti Chiron is made up of semi-flexible Technic elements designed as a "fabric" to recreate the lines of the original Bugatti
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The unusual "skin" of the Lego recreation of the Bugatti Chiron is made up of semi-flexible Technic elements designed as a "fabric" to recreate the lines of the original Bugatti
Inside, Lego elements are used to create the steering wheel, brake pedal, speedometer, and all other interior elements
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Inside, Lego elements are used to create the steering wheel, brake pedal, speedometer, and all other interior elements
Bugatti also supplied the "Chiron" badge that appears on the rear of the Lego Technic recreation
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Bugatti also supplied the "Chiron" badge that appears on the rear of the Lego Technic recreation
Careful movement is required to open and close the Lego Chiron's doors, which latch by connecting to the Lego bodywork
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Careful movement is required to open and close the Lego Chiron's doors, which latch by connecting to the Lego bodywork
Multiple Le Mans 24 Hours and Daytona winner Andy Wallace pilots what may be the ultimate DIY electric car
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Multiple Le Mans 24 Hours and Daytona winner Andy Wallace pilots what may be the ultimate DIY electric car
The test drive of the Lego Chiron took place at the Ehra Lessien proving grounds in Germany
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The test drive of the Lego Chiron took place at the Ehra Lessien proving grounds in Germany
Lego engineers spent over 13,000 work hours designing and building the life-sized Chiron
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Lego engineers spent over 13,000 work hours designing and building the life-sized Chiron
Highly impressed, driver Andy Wallace exclaimed that he'd never imagined he'd one day drive a Lego car
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Highly impressed, driver Andy Wallace exclaimed that he'd never imagined he'd one day drive a Lego car
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A bit too late to order a coveted Bugatti Chiron? More of a do-it-yourselfer? Why not make one from Lego Technic parts? That's what Lego has done, building a full-sized, functioning Chiron almost entirely from Legos, right down to the powerplant. It may not be fast, but it's really dang cool.

The Lego Technic team (based out of the company's Kladno factory in the Czech Republic) used about a million pieces to build the life-sized Bugatti Chiron, after having scaled one a few months ago as an apparent test run towards the real thing. The full-sized Lego Chiron is a faithful reproduction of the design lines of the world's fastest production car, and is the first large-scale movable construction developed and powered entirely by Lego motors. The full-sized model is packed with 2,304 Technic motors, 4,032 Technic gear wheels, and enough Lego pieces to total 1.5 tonnes (1.65 US tons or 3,300 lb).

The car's thousands of motors produce a total of 5.3 horsepower (3.95 kW) and about 67.9 pound-feet (92 Nm) of torque. Compare that to the actual Chiron, which weighs in at about 2 tonnes and produces 1,500 horsepower (1,118.6 kW). While the real Bugatti might fly around the track at record speeds, the Lego Chiron won't kill you in a top-speed collision. Especially if you wear the recommended helmet, as did Bugatti test driver Andy Wallace when he got behind the Lego Chiron's wheel and took it for a top-speed spin of 20 km/h (12 mph) along the Ehra Lessien proving ground in Germany.

From about 20 meters away, it's difficult to tell which is the real Bugatti Chiron and which is the functioning Lego copy
From about 20 meters away, it's difficult to tell which is the real Bugatti Chiron and which is the functioning Lego copy

Joking aside, the Lego Technic version of the Bugatti Chiron is a full-sized achievement. The Lego vehicle is made entirely from bricks and parts, from its fascinating outer skin structure to its interior seating and steering wheel. A working rear spoiler, front and rear lighting, a brake pedal, and more were constructed using 339 types of Lego Technic elements and over 13,000 work hours of development and construction. None of the parts are glued together, and load-bearing parts are almost entirely Lego pieces. The Chiron does include about 58 types of custom-made Lego parts in its construction. That includes its functional speedometer. Tires and wheels were supplied by Bugatti.

Side-by-side with the original Bugatti Chiron, the Lego version is amazingly accurate in its design elements and detail. "When I first saw the Lego Chiron, I was immediately impressed by the accuracy of the model and the minute attention to detail," says Wallace. "In fact, from about 20 meters away it's not obvious that you are looking at a Lego car."

The Lego Technic Bugatti Chiron model will be unveiled officially at the Grand Prix Formula 1 race in Monza, Italy on August 30, 2018. It can be seen in action, in the video below.

Source: Lego

LEGO Technic full-sized Bugatti Chiron in Action

View gallery - 15 images
2 comments
2 comments
Daishi
Too bad they don't have photos of the power system to share. It wouldn't look anything like the one in the real Chiron but it would be interesting.
f8lee
This would be a great attraction at LegoLand!