Slide of
Lego’s target audience has no upper age limit.
The famous Danish brick-maker known around the world as a toy company also offers kits an adult can spend hours putting together. Some of its car replicas are almost as advanced as the real, running and driving models that inspired them. They incorporate moving engine parts, intricately-designed door hinges and life-like interiors.
We’ve singled out some of the most eye-catching kits from Lego’s past and current collections.
Note the firm splits its sets into several lines. The Speed Champions kits are small, relatively simple to put together and correspondingly affordable. The Creator Expert kits are more challenging and more expensive. Finally, the full-fat Technic kits are for seasoned builders with a budget to match. But whichever you go for, they all offer an enjoyable challenge for the family to work on together. We include current prices as listed on day of publication on Amazon for both US and UK:
- Slide of
Ford GT and GT40 (Speed Champions set #75881, US$61/£30)
Re-live the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Lego’s Minifigure-scale Ford GT and GT40 set. The 366-piece kit creates the GT that spearheaded Ford’s spectacular return to Le Mans in 2016 and the race-winning, Ferrari-beating 1966 GT40 that inspired the contemporary car. Both racers wear period-correct livery.
In addition to the two cars, the kit includes three Minifigures, a podium, a checkered flag and a trophy. It’s priced at US$61/£30.
- Slide of
Ford Mustang Fastback (Speed Champions set #75884, US$12/£16)
Ford’s partnership with Lego has spawned numerous sets, including this 183-piece replica of a 1968 Mustang Fastback. It’s a relatively small, Minifigure-scale model but designers retained key styling cues like the fuel filler cap between the rear lights. The stripes hint at the Mustang’s performance potential without copying an existing race car.
Lego charges US$12/£16 for its classic Mustang. The kit includes a timing board and a Minifigure wearing a period-correct, Ford-branded racing suit.
- Slide of
McLaren 720S (Speed Champions set #75880, US$21/£16)
Turning the McLaren 720S into a Lego kit must have been easier said than done due to the car’s many wind-sculpted design elements. The main ones are present on the replica, including the recessed headlights and the vents chiseled into each side. The 161-piece set includes a Minifigure wearing a McLaren polo shirt plus a design desk with a sketch of the real 720S.
Plan on spending US$21/£16 to put one on your desk.
- Slide of
Mercedes-AMG GT3 (Speed Champions set #75877, US$18/£18)
The Mercedes-AMG GT set’s 196 pieces come together to create a GT3-spec car with the emblematic Panamericana grille, a front splitter and a sizable rear wing. Alternatively, builders can assemble a road-ready GT by installing a toned-down front end without the splitter and removing the rear wing.
Lego priced the two-in-one kit at US$18/£18. It includes the two different front ends, a Minifigure and a wrench.
- Slide of
Porsche 911 RSR and 911 Turbo (Speed Champions set #75888, US$24/£35)
Lego’s 391-brick Porsche 911 set is for enthusiasts who refuse to choose between old and new. It includes a classic 911 Turbo from the 1970s and a scaled-down version of the 510hp 911 RSR developed exclusively for racing. Both cars come with their own Minifigure.
Lego charges US$24/£35 for its two 911s.
- Slide of
Mercedes-AMG Formula One team (Speed Champions set #75883, US$150/£90)
Lego offers a Formula One team that fits in a shoe box.
Its designers worked hand-in-hand with the championship-winning Mercedes-AMG Petronas team to re-create every part of the Formula One experience with bricks. The 941-piece set builds two F1 W07 Hybrid race cars, a grandstand, a fully equipped pit garage and, for good measure, a hot dog stand. It comes with several Minifigures including two vaguely styled like pilots Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas.
- Slide of
Audi R18 e-tron quattro (Speed Champions set #75872, US$35/£35)
Audi spends several thousand euros annually to keep its Le Mans-winning cars in running condition. The Minifigure-scale R18 e-tron quattro is maintenance-free unless it falls off a shelf and breaks. It’s a simple, 166-brick set so putting it back together is a straight-forward process.
Audi left endurance racing for Formula E after the 2016 race so the R18 likely won’t lap the Circuit de la Sarthe again.
- Slide of
Ford Mustang GT (Speed Champions set #75871, US$52/£50)
Lego’s Minifigure-scale Ford Mustang GT wears the long front, short rear proportions of the real car. It’s a GT model powered by the V8 engine, according to emblems located behind the front wheels, and the blue and white paint job echoes the one commonly seen on Shelby-tuned models.
The set includes a Minifigure in a Ford racing suit, a timing board and a wrench.
- Slide of
Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (Speed Champions set #75870, US$54/£43)
Lego released a Minifigure-scale Chevrolet Corvette Z06 to race against the Ford Mustang GT that’s part of the same Speed Champions collection. It’s hardly a fair comparison; the life-sized Corvette Z06 boasts 650hp while the Mustang GT tops out at 460hp. The set also includes a Minifigure with a Corvette-branded racing suit and a television camera.
- Slide of
James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 (Creator Expert set #10262, US$219/£198)
Lego faithfully replicated many of the gadgets James Bond used in the 1964 movie Goldfinger when it designed its Aston Martin DB5 replica. The list of features includes a working ejector seat, revolving number plates, machine guns hidden beneath the headlights and a radar tracker. It all comes together in a challenging kit made up of 1290 pieces. Plan on spending several hours to put it together.
007’s scaled-down DB5 costs US$219/£198. It’s a real bargain compared to the limited-edition, Aston Martin-built recreation priced at US$3.5 million/£3.3 million.
- Slide of
London bus (Creator Expert set #10258, US$140/£108)
Lego generically calls its double-decker a London bus, though it looks like an AEC Routemaster to us. This mammoth of a kit consists of 1686 bricks used to build details like a ticket bin in the back of the bus, a detailed driver’s cab and a half-spiral staircase. The set even includes reversible advertising posters and accessories like a newspaper, an umbrella and a soda can.
The bus costs US$140/£108, but stocks seem quite low so act fast if you want one.
- Slide of
Mini Cooper (Creator Expert set #10242, $120/£90)
Don’t let the external door hinges fool you; Lego modeled its Mini Cooper replica after an example built between 1996 and 2000. It’s finished in British racing green with a contrasting white roof panel, a combination popular on the real car during the 1990s, and it comes with period-correct tan seats as well as a walnut-colored dashboard.
Lego prices its Mini Cooper at US$120/£90. For enthusiasts with the urge to tinker, it’s a considerably cheaper route than restoring a real classic Mini and we're not aware of any rust or electrical issues with the kit. It won’t take you to cars and coffee when you’re done, though.
- Slide of
Volkswagen Beetle (Creator Expert set #10252, US$100/£75)
The Volkswagen Beetle kit illustrates the versatility of Lego bricks. Designers replicated the Beetle’s soft, rounded lines using angular bricks with surprising accuracy. The proportions are excellent, all things considered, and every part of the car opens. The rear decklid even swings up to reveal a flat-four engine. Builders don’t need to worry about adjusting the valves, though.
Lego’s 1137-piece Beetle set costs US$100/£75.
- Slide of
Volkswagen Bus (Creator Expert set #10220, US$120/£107)
The original, split-window Volkswagen Bus stands out as one of the most recognizable vehicles of all time. Lego designers reproduced the proportions for the 1334-piece kit while keeping the V-shaped front end, the opening front windows and the functional pop-up roof.
The interior is just as detailed. Configured as a camper, it comes with curtains, a fridge and a realistic-looking dashboard.
Lego’s Volkswagen Bus costs US$120/£107. That’s less than you’ll pay for a brand-new, 22-piece set of engine tins that fits a real 1960s Bus.
- Slide of
Ferrari F40 (Creator Expert set #10248, US$197/£216)
Buying a Ferrari F40 in pieces and re-assembling it is a costly, time-consuming project. Lego’s version of the car is the exception to the rule. In about five hours, builders can put together a scaled-down F40 with a twin-turbocharged V8 engine, pop-up headlights, racing seats and cabled interior door handles. Designers even included a fluid reservoir under the front clamshell.
Lego’s 1148-piece F40 replica is very popular and seems to sell out quickly, so if you want one, you're going to have to be as fast the real F40 is.
- Slide of
Caterham Seven 620R (Ideas set #21307, US$82/£116)
The idea of buying a Caterham Seven as a kit and building it yourself isn’t new. It’s been part of the firm’s business plan for decades. The concept inspired Lego to release a 770-brick Seven 620R set with a detailed four-cylinder engine, accurate graphics and stunning proportions. The kit takes about three hours to build.
Caterham still sells several variants of the Seven in kit form but they’re more expensive than Lego’s, they take longer to build and we don't guarantee they'll fit on your dining room table.
- Slide of
Porsche 911 GT3 RS (Technic set #42056, US$309/£198)
Lego’s Porsche 911 GT3 RS is the next best thing for racers who can’t afford to buy the real thing. The 1/8-scale replica boasts life-like features such as rubber band-loaded shift paddles behind the steering wheel and red shock absorbers. The pistons inside the 4.0-liter flat-six engine move, too, making it a real treat for gearheads.
The kit costs US$309/£198, which is less than what Porsche charges GT3 RS buyers who add SportDesign exterior mirrors painted in high-gloss black. It comes with a detailed book that provides instructions while shedding insight into the history of Lego’s Technic division and Porsche’s GT cars.
- Slide of
Bugatti Chiron (Technic set #42083, US$340/£240)
Speed enthusiasts craving 1500hp can save a substantial amount of money on a Bugatti Chiron by buying it from Lego and building it themselves. Released in 2018, the 1/8-scale model consists of 3599 individual pieces that make up the body, the interior and the surprisingly realistic 16-cylinder engine. Lego notes the front and the rear parts of the car come together like they do in the firm’s Molsheim factory, a process Bugatti proudly calls the marriage.
You’ll need to send Lego US$340/£240 to take home this scaled-down Chiron.
- Slide of
BMW R 1200 GS Adventure (Technic set #42063, US$70/£54)
Lego’s portfolio isn’t limited to four-wheeled machines. The firm joined forces with BMW’s motorcycle-building division to offer a replica of the R 1200 GS Adventure complete with functional steering and suspension parts, a single-sided swingarm like the one found on the real bike and, of course, the famous flat-twin engine.
The kit consists of 603 pieces. Lego priced its BMW R 1200 GS Adventure at US$70/£54.
- Slide of
Ford Anglia (Harry Potter set #73953, US$64/£60)
Lego’s armada of Ford products includes a two-door, 105E-generation Anglia with opening doors. There’s a catch: Lego doesn’t sell the Anglia on its own. There wouldn't be enough demand for it. It’s exclusively part of a Harry Potter-themed set that includes a replica of Hogwarts and six Minifigures from the book, including Potter himself.
Close
