One of the most awaited confirmations has arrived: the new year of the LEGO Speed Champions theme begins with the Nissan GT-R driven by Brian O’Conner (played by the late Paul Wlaker) in the opening scenes of 2 Fast 2 Furiousthe second film in the successful franchise Fast & Furiouswill be available for purchase on lego.com as early as January 1st, while the arrival on the shelves of the other sets of the first round 2023 is scheduled for the month of March (and of which the images are not yet available).
It will be only the first of a long series of Nissan GT-R whose steering wheel ended up in the hands of Brian O’Connor, one of the main characters of the “Fast & Furious” franchise along with Dominic Toretto? Let’s hope so!
The Nissan Skylines used in the film were all R34s, the fifth generation of the model which was introduced in January 1999. They were powered by a 2.6-litre, DOHC, 24-valve RB26DETT in-line six-cylinder positioned longitudinally in the engine compartment and fed by two turbochargers, with a power of 330 HP. The R34’s engine feeds a six-speed Getrag gearbox which in turn sends power to the ATTESA all-wheel drive system, which varies the torque distribution electronically. Super HICAS four-wheel drive is also on board and they include an electronic feedback control system to ensure precise wheel positioning in extreme circumstances. The R34 Skyline’s suspension is stiff, and the R34’s traction power makes possible the “burnouts“. The production engineers responsible for the R34s used in the film had removed the front drive shaft from the vehicles and disabled the Skyline’s four-wheel steering, to “make it behave as badly as normal cars”.
LEGO Speed Champions #76917 2 Fast 2 Furious Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34)
It drives strictly on the right like all the imported Japanese cars that were Brian’s favorites, rear wheel arches printed to give continuity to the “racing stripes” livery of the original car seen in the film, 6-spoke rims designed and printed specifically for this set and “neon lights” under the body as Brian liked to have (unfortunately these are simple transparent water-colored elements and not luminous elements, but they are enough to give the idea. Final gem: the set includes the Brian O’Connor minifigure/ Paul Walker. He wears his typical white t-shirt (and therefore the minifigure’s arms are “half printed”, with the forearm uncovered and with the “skin” visible. For all lovers of the series and of Paul Walker it is absolutely a must-have!
TO this link you will find the interview of colleagues of Racing Bricks to Chris Stampthe lead designer of the team that designs all the sets LEGO Speed Championswhich describes and goes into detail about the set.
- Age: 9+
- Code: 76917
- First name: 2 Fast 2 Furious Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34)
- Number of parts: 319
- Exit date: January 1, 2023
- Advised price: 24.99 euros
We report below the other news regarding the beloved theme LEGO Speed Champions for 2023. Shall we go and discover them together?
LEGO Speed Champions #76914 Ferrari 812 Competizione
There Ferrari 812 Competizione it is a special and limited edition version (a few hundred units) of the 812 Superfast, based on its own on the Cavallino GTS V12. Rich in extreme technical solutions aimed at guaranteeing maximum driving pleasure: under the bonnet the naturally aspirated V12 brings the available horsepower to 830 and a large part of the mechanics has been optimized to adopt solutions never seen before on a Ferrari, such as the steering rear axle with independent wheels. The rear window is formed by a monolithic aluminum structure whose innovative vortex generators improve the aerodynamic efficiency of the car. The gearbox is a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. Basically: it’s monstrous!
- Code: 76914
- First name: Ferrari 812 Competizione
- Number of parts: 261
- Exit date: March 2023
- Advised price: 24.99 euros
LEGO Speed Champions #76915 Pagani Utopia
There Pagan Utopia is Horacio Pagani’s ultimate dream supercar. V12, 6-litre displacement, 864 HP biturbo petrol engine and transverse 7-speed manual Xtrac gearbox or AMT (Automated Manual Transmission) on request, with electromechanical differential produced by Xtrac for Pagani. The Pagani by Brembo braking system features 4 ventilated carbon-ceramic discs measuring 410×38 mm with monolithic 6-piston calipers at the front and 390×34 mm with monolithic 4-piston calipers at the rear. The rims are forged in monolithic aluminum alloy, 21-inch front and 22-inch rear, while the tires are Pirelli PZero Corsa 265/35 R21 front and 325/30 R22 rear (the Pirelli SottoZero equivalents are for driving in low temperatures ). In the cockpit There is no infotainment system and all the most relevant information is provided to the driver via a dedicated display. All instruments on board are analog and are integrated with a design that is very reminiscent of the aesthetics of the 50s. In practice: think about enjoying the drive and leave the distractions alone.
- Code: 76915
- First name: Pagan Utopia
- Number of parts: 249
- Exit date: March 2023
- Advised price: 24.99 euros
LEGO Speed Champions #76916 Porsche 963
There Porsche 963 it is the car with which Porsche will compete in the FIA WEC World Endurance Championship and in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship from 2023. Based on the chassis of the LMP2 category, the heart of the propulsion is a 4.6-liter Biturbo V8 engine and 680 hp , while the standard components for the recovery, storage and distribution of electrical energy of the Porsche 963 are provided by Williams Advanced Engineering (battery), Bosch (motor generator and control electronics) and Xtrac (transmission). The design of the new Porsche 963 is based on the classic 956 and 962 victories of the 1980s. At the rear, a continuous light strip is the highlight of the current 992 generation of the 911. The vehicle livery in black, red and white underlines the reference to successful Porsche racing cars.
- Code: 76916
- First name: Porsche 963
- Number of parts: 280
- Exit date: March 2023
- Advised price: 24.99 euros
LEGO Speed Champions #76918 McLaren F1 LM & McLaren Solus GT
The only duo set in this round of Speed Champions sets, it includes a traditional (for the theme) pair of cars: one from the past and one that takes us to the future. The car vintage of the couple is the iconic McLaren F1LMwhile the role of the car of the future is assigned to the latest addition to the English House, the McLaren Solus GT.
As for the McLaren F1LM, there is little to say: his story speaks for itself. Designed for the track on the basis of the McLaren F1, it was built to pay homage to the five McLaren F1 GTRs that entered and finished the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans in first, third, fourth, fifth and thirteenth overall. The LM is based on the McLaren F1 GTR based on the standard F1 chassis, with the modifications necessary to be a road legal car, but without the restrictions on engine intake that racing regulations impose on race cars GTR. The overall weight of just 1,062 kilograms is driven by a 680 horsepower V12 engine which allows it to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.9 seconds and a top speed exceeding 360 km/h. Another peculiarity, this time concerning the interior, is that of the seating arrangement: seat and driving position (steering wheel and gearbox) in a central position and seats for the passengers on the sides, one on the left and one on the right.
As for the futuristic McLaren Solus GTjust look at it to realize how much the term hypercars fit them perfectly. Presented at the beginning of the year during the 2022 edition of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, we are talking about a single seater almost racing, produced in an ultra-limited series of 25 units. Equipped with a 5.2-litre naturally aspirated V10 engine produced by Judd, it is capable of delivering 829 hp. Mounted in a central position, it has been designed as a structural element of the chassis, just like on racing cars. To the engine of this special supercars it is combined with a seven-speed sequential gearbox housed in an aluminum and magnesium casing, also in this case a structural part of the chassis. All for about 1,000 kg in total weight.
The passenger compartment access/exit system is very particular, and we are curious to see if it will be replicated in the brick-built counterpart: in fact, the sunroof opens by sliding forward, just like on the Batmobile of the Tim Burton film.
- Code: 76918
- First name: McLaren F1 LM & McLaren Solus GT
- Number of parts: 581
- Exit date: March 2023
- Advised price: 44.99 euros
We will update the article as new information arrives, and if you missed the sets in the meantime LEGO Speed Champions of 2022, we talked about it in this article (first semester) and in this article (second quarter).
