Let’s face it. While the LEGO Technic McLaren P1 isn’t exactly hideous like some LEGO sets out there, some people would prefer the new model over the “old” model. If you do prefer the new hypercar—and you happen to own the LEGO Technic McLaren P1 set—LEGO MOC designer Cas (@bricksbycas24), known for his Technic, Speed Champions, and Star Wars builds, shows you how to turn the 42172 into the new McLaren W1.
Using only the pieces from the 42172 set, Cas recreated McLaren’s latest flagship “1” car, and honestly, it’s tempting enough to make me want to buy the P1 just to mod it into a W1. There’s not much similarity between the P1 and W1—actually, the only shared element is the transmission. Even that had to be tweaked: Cas added an extra gear to bump it up to 8 speeds, since the W1 sports an 8-speed gearbox compared to the P1’s 7.
Beyond the gearbox, it’s basically a full teardown and rebuild. We’re talking redesigned front and rear axles, revised suspension geometry, a new chassis, reworked doors, an all-new spoiler mechanism—the works. But let’s not get too deep into the technical weeds.
What matters is that Cas’ alternate build looks way more cohesive than the official P1 set, which suffers from some pretty noticeable gappy gaps. His custom W1 even features an adjustable spoiler and a removable engine cover to show off the details underneath—hood or trunk, depending on where you stand in the mid-engine civil war.
If you’re itching to transform your LEGO Technic McLaren P1 into a sleeker McLaren W1, Cas’s instructions are available on Rebrickable for US$15. “Upgrading” to a new hypercar hasn’t been this affordable!
Images: Instagram (@bricksbycas24).
