Working in close partnership with McLaren was vital to capturing the look and feel of this legendary racer. In 1988, it was an all-new sleek-looking car for that season and would go on to dominate. Winning every race bar one, it led the way as teammates Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost took their fierce rivalry to new heights.
For experienced designer Ann it was really important she got it right. “I’ve designed lots of LEGO vehicles in the past, but this is the first time I’ve done a vehicle that already existed. I knew people had a strong sense of what it looked like, and I wanted to honor that.”
She really took that belief to heart and when it came to replicating the car, there was no cutting corners for Ann: “The 1988 MP4/4 was known for being revolutionary because of how close the driver sat to the ground in a reclined position. The driver could adjust the hardness of the front suspension manually as he went into corners. So, it was important to represent this in the LEGO set.”
She continues, “We made quite a few new elements for this car. One being more authentic F1-style slick tires and a new wishbone suspension element to more accurately represent the look of F1 cars.”