McLaren F1 LM and Solus GT Double Pack Is What Collectors Dream About, But Not Like This

Just like the other companies marking some important moments in their lives, the Brits too have several things planned for the year. And they kind of kicked off the celebrations this week, with a rather unexpected announcement.

As it usually happens with the biggest names of the industry, McLaren too is one of toymaker LEGO’s favorite partners. The two have been a pair since 2015, when the first small plastic brick iteration of a McLaren, the MP4-29, hit the shelves. Since then, six McLaren cars were shrunk and transformed into LEGOs as part of the Speed Champions series.

Well, make that eight now, as two more of the British carmaker’s iconic models, one old and the other brand new, are joining the offering. And not separately, as we’re used to, but as a double pack for the ages.

The new set becomes available on Wednesday, March 1, and comprises the McLaren F1 LM and Solus GT. They’ll be sold together as part of the Speed Champions range, and complete with the appropriate LEGO drivers, for just $34.99 (44.99 euros).

Neither of the two cars needs any introduction. The McLaren F1 LM came about in 1995 as a road-legal machine, but meant for the track, and only 5 production examples were ever made. The Solus GT, on the other hand, came about in 2017 as a videogame car in Gran Turismo Sport and will enter production this year, with plans to make only 25 of them.

In its plastic brick incarnation, the F1 LM is quite tiny, but what can you expect from such a toy? It comes in at 1.5 inches (4 cm) high, 5.5 inches (14 cm) long, and 2.5 in. (6 cm) wide. It is, of course, painted in Papaya Orange, the color of the real deal back in the 1990s. The Solus GT is slightly longer, 6.5 inches (17 cm) and wider, 3 inches (8 cm).

Combined, and with the plastic drivers included, the set is not the most extensive LEGO has ever made: it only comprises 581 pieces, hence it’s more than suitable for children as young as nine, who probably have little idea of what the two cars are all about.

Truth be told, as fun as this set may be, it’s not for the truly passionate grown-ups out there (it’s too simple and ultimately too cheap to be something one could be proud of). We’re pretty sure though the fact this toy pair popped up will make some car collectors drool over the thought of having both these cars in their garages for real. But that could prove both extremely complicated (tracking the F1 down and getting a slot for the Solus) and expensive (the F1 LMs are valued at about $20 million, while the Solus will sell for about $3.5 million).