In this article, our friend “Cool Play Trends” will review the LEGO 42172 – McLaren P1™ Technic/Sports Cars.
He briefly shares his story and memories with McLaren P1, and this time, LEGO has fulfilled his dream of owning a supercar.
Before diving into the unboxing review, he provides us with some basic information about the McLaren P1 prototype, helping us better understand the story behind this LEGO set. He also lists the key details of the set.
During the actual unboxing review, he goes over the packaging, the manual, and all the included parts. This is followed by a very detailed assembly process, with plenty of explanations and insights into the finer details.
What’s even better is that the article features not only high-quality images but also plenty of GIFs, which really help us appreciate how amazing this LEGO set is!
Without further ado, let’s get started right away!
PS: If you want to learn more about this product and read other reviews by other friends, you can check out the “Review Roundup – LEGO 42172 – McLaren P1™ Technic/Sports Cars” written by Gilbert.
You can also check this article to learn more about McLaren P1.
Official Product link:
Shop McLaren P1 on official LEGO websiteEstimated reading time: 25 minutes
LEGO 42172 Review
Cool Play Trends
Table of contents
Seeing the name “McLaren” brings a flood of memories. There’s so much to say and so many emotions tied to McLaren that I don’t even know where to begin. The first time I came across the name was in 1997, through the EA computer game Need for Speed II. In the game, my favorite car to drive was the McLaren F1, marking my first encounter with this powerful supercar.
However, as time has passed, this once understated supercar has continually evolved with new iterations. Even though I’ve owned a few cars that I considered quite decent, my dream of owning a supercar has yet to be realized.
But this year, LEGO’s biennial Technic supercar flagship set has arrived as expected, allowing me to at least experience the thrill of owning a supercar in the world of LEGO bricks. So, let’s take a closer look at the all-new 42172 McLaren P1 set and see how it performs.
Regarding the McLaren P1
Before introducing today’s main attraction, let’s first talk about the car it’s based on—the McLaren P1. This is a supercar capable of reaching a top speed of 350 km/h with a staggering 900 horsepower, accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.8 seconds. The car is powered by a 3.8L V8 engine that delivers a maximum output of 737 horsepower.
In addition, the P1 features cutting-edge technology with its unique KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System), which provides an additional 179 horsepower. This same system is also used in McLaren’s F1 cars, making it a signature feature of McLaren’s supercars.
The McLaren P1 concept car made its global debut at the Paris Motor Show in late September 2012.
This year, LEGO Group ignites your passion for supercars with the LEGO® Technic McLaren P1™ Supercar set for adults. Build this impressive 1:8 scale model and immerse yourself in its rich details.
Take the time to explore the array of features, including a 7-speed gearbox with shift drum, suspension system, and a V8 piston engine. You can also admire the adjustable rear wing and the butterfly doors that can be opened. Then, proudly display the completed model.
Basic Information
Set Number: 42172
Set Name: McLaren P1
Pieces Count: 3,893
Minifigures: None
Stickers: None
Recommended Age: 18+
Finished Dimensions: 59 cm (L) × 25 cm (W) × 14 cm (H)
Scale: 1:8
Release Date: August 1, 2024
Shop Now:
Official LEGO Mclaren P1 Product LinkPackages
Unboxing a LEGO Technic flagship supercar set is always a pleasure in itself.
This year’s McLaren P1 set breaks away from LEGO’s usual packaging style, featuring a new lift-top box design.
Instead of the usual image of the completed model, the front of the box showcases a rear view of the actual car, with a deep and alluring combination of black and blue colors, making the car’s rear look both profound and sleek.
The back of the box follows LEGO’s traditional packaging design, featuring the completed model prominently in the center, with product details displayed below.
Upon opening the outer packaging, you’ll find all the parts divided into three smaller boxes, each separately packed. The surface of these three boxes can be assembled to form a complete picture of the McLaren P1.
However, the boxes aren’t arranged in sequence, which might be a bit frustrating for those with a perfectionist streak.
Components
Inside the box, you’ll find a total of 23 numbered bags of parts. Additional unnumbered bags contain some of the larger pieces, and the four wheel rims are securely fixed within a cardboard display, which looks quite stylish.
Instruction Manuals
The two instruction manuals are quite hefty, and when combined, their covers form a photo of the real McLaren P1. Like many 18+ sets, the first few pages of the manuals are dedicated to an introduction of the set and its real-life counterpart. This set, however, features the most extensive content I’ve seen, with around 40 pages of information.
The instruction manual provides detailed explanations for each buildable section. It clearly identifies what you’re about to assemble next and includes notes on the design and any new parts introduced.
Building Process
Building the LEGO® Technic 42172 McLaren P1 set is similar to assembling other Technic vehicles, starting with the differential assembly and gradually expanding outward. Since this supercar features a rear-mounted engine, most of the mechanical transmission components are concentrated at the rear of the car.
The First Package
The model assembled from the first bag of parts includes the differential and rear suspension system. The structure here isn’t overly complex, but it’s solid and sturdy. Each step requires only a few pieces, clearly reflecting LEGO Group’s emphasis on ensuring a smooth and enjoyable building experience for this set.
The Second Package
The Second Package extends directly behind the rear-wheel drive system, adding an exhaust system. The exhaust pipe here uses dark metallic gray pieces, highlighting the metal texture of this section.
The tail end of the exhaust pipe is constructed from traditional brick pieces, perfectly replicating the shape of the car’s exhaust.
What surprised me the most was that the designer used bright yellow metallic bricks to replicate the color of the heat shield. These small details really showcase the flagship status of this Technic set.
The Third Package
The Third Package 3 aren’t particularly numerous, primarily focused on assembling the linkage structure for the adjustable rear wing. The combination of the round-holed mechanical plates and the long cross axles makes the operation of this structure incredibly smooth.
The Support
By turning the gear knob below, you can raise and lower the support. You’ll notice that as the two cross axles reach their maximum height, they precisely stop in the mechanical holes designed to secure them, which is quite satisfying to watch.
Powertrain
The entire Powertrain of the McLaren P1 is the most complex structure in this set, consisting of a 7-speed transmission, a V8 engine, and a sophisticated gear assembly. The set uses Parts 4 through 8, a total of five packs, to build the entire Powertrain.
Gear Assembly
Starting with the gear assembly, this part requires careful attention to the manual to ensure each gear is placed correctly according to its size. Since my physics knowledge is quite weak, I can’t figure out the gear ratios, but I’m still amazed at how such a complex system was designed.
Of course, you’ll need to continuously rotate the cross axle that holds the gears in place to ensure the entire gear assembly runs smoothly. This also gives you a chance to check if any of the gears have been placed incorrectly.
7-speed Transmission
The 7-speed transmission of the McLaren P1 is built on top of the gear assembly. Below the red rubber band in the upper right corner of the image is a ratchet piece that connects to the grooved transmission part in front of it. Changing gears allows different-sized gears to recombine, altering the engine’s RPM. I will provide a more detailed and visual explanation of this shifting mechanism later in this article.
The V8 Engine
Next is the core of the entire car—the V8 engine. The cylinders are made of transparent engine parts combined with yellow piston pieces. The assembly process is similar to that of other vehicle engines, but this time, LEGO designers added a printed piece featuring the ‘P1’ logo to this engine.
Final Version of Powertrain
Once you combine the three sections, the Powertrain of the McLaren P1 is complete.
By connecting the Powertrain with the rear suspension, the most complex part of the build is essentially complete. This is also the most enjoyable part of assembling the entire set.
Cockpit
After completing the rear structure of the vehicle, we move on to the cockpit. Here, a linkage allows for two modes: neutral and drive. The red gear lever between the two seats acts as the key for this model. When shifted to the forward or reverse positions, turning the drive shaft will power the rear wheels. In the middle position, it’s in neutral.
The Seats
The seats inside the car perfectly replicate the look of the McLaren racing seats, with the headrest featuring a printed piece with the ‘P1’ logo, capturing the details beautifully. Before installing the steering wheel, the yellow paddle shifters are put in place, enabling gear shifting through the linkage mechanism.
Below the Steering Wheel
Below the steering wheel, there’s an additional white printed piece with a unique number. According to LEGO’s official statement, this number is an exclusive code for each set. By scanning the QR code at the end of the second instruction booklet, you can download some extras. However, since we received the sample before the set’s official release, we don’t yet know what surprises are hidden behind the QR code.
The Butterfly/Scissor Doors
After completing the cockpit, we move on to assembling another key feature of this car: the scissor door lift mechanism. This section uses Technic frame pieces along with shock absorbers to limit the movement range of the scissor doors.
The lifting motion is smooth and controlled, without the jerky feel often caused by gear-linked mechanisms. The design here is truly impeccable.
Interior Center Steering Wheel
Next, we move on to assembling the front steering structure and the cabin. The assembly process here is quite similar to that of traditional Technic supercars, with just a few parts requiring extra attention to their placement.
Once everything is put together and connected to the steering wheel via the linkage, the internal assembly of this supercar is complete.
With the internal assembly of the vehicle completed, the most complex and crucial part of the build is finished. Now, as usual, we move on to constructing the car’s exterior. I won’t go into too much detail about this part; instead, let’s jump straight to the final result.
Finished Product Display
The McLaren P1 set truly lives up to its status as LEGO’s flagship Technic set, refined over two years. The finished model measures nearly 60 centimeters in length, with a striking flame-yellow color scheme that perfectly replicates the original car’s appearance.
The front hood’s decorative panels, assembled with an offset technique, recreate the car’s front air intakes, giving it a powerful and dynamic look.
The Butterfly/Scissor Doors
The scissor door linkage, supported by shock absorbers, effortlessly holds up the heavy doors, and the opening process is exceptionally smooth, with no hint of sticking. Despite the doors appearing precarious, the linkage system secures the mechanical arm parts at multiple points, ensuring they remain firmly in place without any risk of detachment.
Steering System
As with previous Technic flagship supercars, the steering wheel is connected to a linkage system that controls the front wheel steering. This feature has become a standard in Technic flagship supercar sets.
Trunk
Since the McLaren P1 is a rear-engine car, the storage compartment is designed at the front of the vehicle, with the traditional hood area serving as the trunk. This feature is also faithfully replicated in the LEGO set.
Moreover, when you open the hood, you’ll find a support stand and a suitcase inside the storage compartment, although the suitcase is cleverly built from Technic parts.
Rear Wings / Spoilers
The rear wing can be raised and lowered by turning the gear knob at the back of the vehicle.
As a McLaren fan myself, I find that the rear wing looks stunning whether it’s up or down.
Intricate Internal Structure
The original car features a design language with an integrated body shell, and this is also reflected in the McLaren P1 set. By pulling up the two raised orange pins on the rear engine cover and the rear wing, you can first remove the wing and then take off the entire rear cover to reveal the intricate internal structure of the finished model.
Suspension
The finished model features independent suspension for both the front and rear, utilizing brand-new, sturdier shock absorber parts. Despite the vehicle’s low chassis, the rebound effect after the shocks are compressed is not compromised.
Nameplate
Due to the larger scale of the vehicle, this set does not include any minifigures. However, the model does feature a large printed piece for the vehicle’s nameplate, which I have to commend. That said, if this piece’s mold is going to be used for future printed parts, it might be worth considering changing the position of the injection point. The circular injection mark in the middle is somewhat distracting.
Summary
The LEGO® Technic 42172 McLaren P1 set provided me with an unparalleled building experience. If we had more time to dedicate to the build, this would undoubtedly be a set worth savoring, allowing us to fully appreciate every intricate detail.
The set includes no stickers, with all elements being printed, which is a highly commendable design choice. After all, for a flagship set at such a premium price, using stickers would feel a bit underwhelming.
The LEGO designers have clearly put a lot of effort into this product, from the perfectly replicated car shape to the meticulous attention to detail. The use of flame yellow as the main color for the exterior makes the car look exceptionally luxurious. This alone demonstrates the level of importance LEGO placed on this set.
No product is perfect, and LEGO sets are no exception. The one aspect of the model that I find hard to accept is the headlights. The designer used only rubber rods and animal claw pieces to outline the shape of the headlights, leaving them looking like two large gaps, which isn’t very visually appealing. If transparent pieces had been used to fill in the area, the effect would likely have been much better.
I worked overtime for two days to complete the build of the LEGO® Technic 42172 McLaren P1 set. Many of the details were revisited and carefully appreciated again while writing this review. Despite the short build time, it still offered a satisfying supercar experience. All in all, I give this soon-to-be-released set a 4.8 out of 5 in my editor’s recommendation.
Although our friend Cool Play Trends thinks the LEGO McLaren P1 still has some flaws, I believe it looks nearly perfect! Its strengths and features more than make up for its minor flaws.
What do you think? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!
