Brick set manufacturer Lego has found a novel way to celebrate the anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans: a team of enthusiasts build a life-sized replica of the Peugeot 9X8 in a single day, as opposed to the several months such projects typically require.
The Lego Technic lineup already includes a downsized replica of the racecar (see video). That set comprises 1,775 standard-size parts. In contrast, building a life-size car 5.2 meters (17 feet) long and 2.2 meters (7.2 feet) wide took 626,392 parts of 623 different cars. The result weighs 900 kilograms (around 2,000 pounds).
Granted, the team resorted to a trick in order to complete the entire job in 24 hours. They used so-called ‘hyperelements’ – large-sized counterparts of standard Lego pieces pre-constructed from such pieces (usually between 1,500 and 2,000 of them). Even so, it took a day for a group of 12 people working virtually non-stop to accomplish what they had set out to do.
The event was broadcast live and was formally registered as a world record.