If you’re not able to stretch to the £500k required for Ferrari’s 488 GT Modificata, might we steer your attention towards the blocky form of Lego Technic’s latest model? The 1,677-piece, 48cm-long car is a scaled down version of Ferrari’s 488 GTE, dressed as the number 51 AF Corse racer that finished second in class at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. It’ll be the perfect winter project for an endurance racing fan – it’s even listed as a model for those aged 18 and over, so it is definitely ok for you to want one.
It won’t be available in time for Christmas, sadly, with sales not starting until January 1st. But 2021 could very well be the 488 GTE’s last year as Ferrari’s top sports car competitor, with an F8 Tributo racer thought to be close. The significance might help justify spending £169.99 on one; you’re going to need all the help possible buying toys the month after Christmas...
What about endorsement from Alessandro Pier Guidi, a Ferrari Competizioni GT driver? Could work. He said: “When I was a kid I played quite often with Lego bricks, so when I saw this reproduction of the Ferrari 488 GTE I was really impressed, especially considering some of the features they managed to replicate. I have to say that to see a Lego Technic model of a car that I raced and carried my name on has made me very proud.”
If that is too much, you could always opt for the £44.99 version of McLaren’s Senna GTR, which has also just been announced. Not only is it cheaper than the Ferrari, it’s also a model said to be buildable by Lego Technic fans of all ages, with 830 pieces to make up the 32cm-long car. That’s 14.8 times smaller than the real 825hp track monster, if you’re wondering, with scaled down versions of the real thing’s incredible aero addenda to match. It mimics the GTR’s aggressive lines pretty well, and even features its dihedral doors, which sound sufficiently complicated to make it ok for grown-ups to covet as well.
“Recreating a car that is so extreme to the core as the McLaren Senna GTR with Lego Technic gave us an incredibly interesting challenge” said Uwe Wabra, a senior designer at Lego Technic. Yes, that is a real job. “This track car is not like any road car I’ve worked on before. It’s got some unique details, like its silhouettes and the awesome rear spoiler, which differentiates the building experience from others. Just like the incredible engineers at McLaren do when designing their supercars, we really pushed things to the max so the resulting model perfectly honours the art form that is the McLaren Senna GTR.”
Oh, who are we kidding - you want both, don’t you? At least Lego Technic has given us something to look forward to in 2021…
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