Time to Play

Nissan partners with LEGO for a more affordable GT-R variant, coming early 2020

Eileen Falkenberg-Hull
Nov 25, 2019, 1:33 pm

There's a new GT-R model coming to a sales location near you.

Photo courtesy of The Lego Group

Nissan has partnered with LEGO to introduce the LEGO Speed Champions Nissan GT-R NISMO. Set for arrival on store shelves in early 2020, the model is the first in the 2020 Speed Champions themed sets, which will be 25 percent bigger than they were in previous years.

"The Nissan GT-R and the LEGO brand are both renowned and loved by fans of all ages throughout the world, and we are honored to be the first-ever Japanese car manufacturer to partner with the LEGO Group," said Asako Hoshino, executive vice president at Nissan. "Many of our Nissan customers can trace their automotive passion back to when they built LEGO cars as children. With this partnership, everyone can be a `takumi' – the specialized craftsmen that build the GT-R. And, it's the GT-R's 50th anniversary this year, so what better way to celebrate than to share the GT-R with Nissan and LEGO fans around the world!"

LEGO Speed Champions Nissan GT-R Nismo box LEGO is bringing this model to store shelves in early 2020.Photo courtesy of The Lego Group

The LEGO model was revealed by LEGO Group CEO Niels B. Christiansen and Hoshino at the automaker's global headquarters in Yokohama today. It is made from 298 LEGO elements and posed an interesting challenge for LEGO design lead Chris Stamp.

"In LEGO Speed Champions, we always aim to include new types of racing vehicles," said Stamp. "And when we focused on drifting and racing, the record-breaking Nissan GT-R, and especially the new GT-R NISMO, was at the top of our wish list. Authenticity is always our main concern, and we spent a lot of time exploring different building techniques to correctly recreate the taillights, as they are one of the most recognizable details on the car. I am really happy with the end result!"

LEGO Speed Champions Nissan GT-R Nismo LEGO designers used 298 elements to craft the model.Photo courtesy of The Lego Group

Hiroshi Tamura, Nissan's chief product specialist for the GT-R – known informally as "Mr. GT-R" – gave the scaled-down LEGO version his stamp of approval: "The GT-R has been part of my life since I was 10 years old. Working with the LEGO Group was like awakening my inner 10-year-old self to rediscover what makes the GT-R so special to me. It's amazing how much the LEGO Group's attention to detail reminds me of our own craftsmen."

Fun facts: The real 2020 Nissan GT-R NISMO vs. the LEGO Nissan GT-R NISMO

Nissan GT-R NISMOLEGO Nissan GT-R NISMO
Development time

 10-plus years Approximately 12 months
Parts

 More than 90,000 298
Assembly time




 Approximately 8 hours for the vehicle,
plus additional hours for the
takumi-built engine 		Expert LEGO® builder: 20 minutes
Normal LEGO® builder: 1 hour
Top speed

 315+ kph Hand-driven
Gears

 6-speed dual-clutch 1 forward, 1 backward
Weight

 1720 kg 193 g
Building instructions

 Not included Included
Fuel

 Premium gasoline Creativity
Range

 550+ km Unlimited
Hours of fun


 Endless Endless

Pricing on the new model has yet to be announced but is expected to be well below the traditional GT-R NISMO's starting price of $210,740.

From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web

Trending News

Nuts & Bolts

 
 

Electric Vehicles

Nissan turning electricity into currency in Japan

Attendees parking at the event can use the electricity in their EV to pay for parking.

Photo courtesy of Nissan Motors

Paying for parking by plugging in may be the new "tap here to pay". Electric vehicle drivers can now discharge battery power as payment for parking rather than directly trasferring funds from one account to another.

The Nissan Pavilion in Yokohama, Japan is designed to show the possibilities of an electrically-powered future. Inside the pavilion, the Nissan Chaya Cafe operates on power supplied by Nissan Leaf vehicles. Similar exhibits have been shown on a small scale at events in the U.S. where auto show or concert attendees can get milkshakes or coffee made using power from the Leaf.

Nissan Pavilion The Nissan Pavilion is located near the company's headquarters.Photo courtesy of Nissan Motors

Attendees can also explore a virtual reality realm that lets them experience the thrill of Formula E street racing, or they can go for a ride in the just-revealed Nissan Ariya all-electric crossover. Guests are also invited to play a virtual tennis match with Grand Slam champion and Nissan brand ambassador Naomi Osaka in the Pavilion theater. Additionally, they can learn about Nissan's Invisible-to-Visible (I2V) technology, which combines information from the real and virtual worlds to assist drivers.

The 10,000-square-meter, zero-emission Pavilion is outfitted with solar panels and supplied with renewable hydroelectric power.

"The Pavilion is a place where customers can see, feel, and be inspired by our near-future vision for society and mobility," said Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida. "As the world shifts to electric mobility, EVs will be integrated into society in ways that go beyond just transportation."

Nissan Pavilion The Nissan Ariya is the company's new all-electric crossover.Photo courtesy of Nissan Motors

In addition to power coming from the sun and Leafs, the company offers Nissan Energy Share and Nissan Energy Storage technologies, which allow electricity from EV batteries to be stored, shared and repurposed, for instance by powering homes or businesses – such as the off-grid cafe in the Nissan Pavilion.

Further, in Japan the company has entered into agreements with local governments allowing Leaf vehicles to be used as mobile batteries in the event of a natural disaster. In another partnership, the company is repurposing used EV batteries to power streetlights.

Nissan Pavilion The immersive Formula E racing exhibit puts attendees behind the wheel of a race car.Photo courtesy of Nissan Motors

The Nissan Pavilion, located near the company's global headquarters in Yokohama, will be open to the public from August 1 through October 23. To take a virtual tour, visit https://www.thenissannext.com/en/virtual-tour.html.

From Your Site Articles

Trending News

 
 

Time to Play

Bugatti Baby returns as an electrified ‘unruly teenager’

The Bugatti Baby II continues the lineage of the original Baby from nearly 100 years ago.

Photo courtesy of Bugatti

This year, Bugatti celebrates its 110th birthday. In honor of the occasion, the company is giving itself a present. Meet the Bugatti Baby II, a “reimagining" of the original Bugatti Baby, which was born 94 years ago.

The 1926 version came to be after Ettore Bugatti and his son, Jean, decided to build a scaled-down version of the company's Type 35 car for Ettore's youngest son Roland's fourth birthday. What they ended up with was a 50 percent scale version of the car.

According to Bugatti history, “Ettore and Jean had intended the present as a one-off car, however the feedback from customers visiting Molsheim was so positive that the Baby went into production and was sold between 1927 and 1936."

Bugatti Baby II

Bugatti Baby II

Photo courtesy of Bugatti


The size of teh Bugatti Baby would barely fit the average eight year old today. So, in making the Bugatti II, The automaker decided to up the ante, designing a 75 percent scale model that is designed to fit the modern 14 year old.

"Ettore Bugatti himself was already interested in catering to the children of Bugatti enthusiasts and designed the Type 52 miniature car as a genuine Bugatti. That was a sensation at the time," says Stephan Winkelmann, President of Bugatti. "We are continuing this tradition with the new edition of the Bugatti Baby II, and I am delighted that we have found The Little Car Company, a partner that shares the same values as us. With the Bugatti Baby II, we invite a young generation of enthusiasts to fall in love with the wonderful world of Bugatti."

The electric car is sold in three models: Base, Vitesse, and Pur Sang. The Baby II Base has a composite body and is a powered by a 1.4 kilowatt-hour battery pack. The mid-grade Vitesse features a carbon fiber body and 2.8 kilo-watt-hour battery back as well as a Speed Key in a similar fashion as the Chiron1.

The Baby II Pur Sang is the ultimate expression of opulence. It has the same 2.8 kilowatt-hour battery pack as the Vitesse model but is enhanced by featuring aluminum bodywork. It is crafted using the same coachbuilding techniques as the original Bugatti Type 35, taking over 200 hours to create.

Bugatti designed the model by 3D scanning the originals Type 35 and giving the Baby II identical geometry and suspension. Bugatti says that the only “nod to modernity is the introduction of adjustable campers". Bugatti Test Pilot, Andy Wallace, was even involved in the final development of the tuning and setup of the Baby II.

The cockpit features replicas of the original Baby's gauges with slight modification on its turned aluminum dashboard - the fuel pressure gauge has now become a battery gauge. The four-spoke steering wheel now has a quick release feature. Adjustable machined aluminum pedals have the famous “EB" logo. The fuel pump handle has also been reproduced, but now serves as a s shifter with forward, neutral, and reverse options.

Developed in partnership with The Little Car Company, those that have driven the Baby II describe it as "more of an unruly teenager than a Baby." It features a limited slip differential, high performance hydraulic brakes, Michelin tires, and selectable driving modes. The Base model comes with two modes; Novice which is limited to 20 kph (12 mph) and one kilowatt (1.3 bhp) of power, and Expert which is limited to 45 kph (30 mph) and 4 kilowatts (5.4 bhp) of power.

The Vitesse and Pur Sang versions add Novice and Expert driving modes, allowing drivers to use up to up to 10 kilowatts (13.4 bhp). Those two models are able to reach up to 42 mph. Depending on the weight of the driver, that speed can be hit in as little as six seconds.

The Baby II Base can get 25 km of range out of a single charge. Mid-grade and top-tier models have more than 50 km of range, though that range is diminished if drivers go hard on the throttle. A replacement lithium-ion battery is available and able to be swapped with the original in just a few minutes.

Buyers can customize their model's exterior and interior in the same solid shades as the Chiron.

In addition, all owners of Baby IIs will receive membership of The Little Car Club and the Bugatti Owners' Club, and be able to attend events where they, their children and grandchildren can drive their cars at famous motor racing circuits.

The Base model starts at €30,000, the Vitesse at €43,500 and the Pur Sang starts at €58,500.

Bugatti is making just 500 examples of the Baby II. Though most slots are filled, a few still remain open. Visit bugattibaby.com today to reserve yours.

From Your Site Articles

Trending News