Brick to the Future: The story behind the LEGO® Technic™ BMW Hover Ride Concept Model

Brick- and beamer-loving motorheads will know that the design geniuses (genii???) at the LEGO Group have collaborated with the wizards at BMW Group on various vehicles, starting with the small and beautiful MINI Cooper via the LEGO® Creator range as well as many other brilliant LEGO Technic™ design translations. Using the limitless functional flexibility of the LEGO Technic portfolio, these brick-rendered vehicles are a perfect miniaturized LEGO brick homage to the full-size machines.

But back in 2017, a special kind of alchemy arose between these groups of designers and engineers, where the collaboration went beyond what was merely possible…and into something even more forward-thinking, to create the bike of the future.

It all began with a cool collaboration between designers and engineers at the LEGO Group and BMW for the co-creation of the LEGO BMW R 1200 GS Adventure…a lot of numbers and letters which basically spell out what is an incredible BMW motorbike. The LEGO version is a great homage; 603 pieces that together celebrate all the innovative design and engineering packed into the motorbike.

However, when it came to the alternative model, a mainstay of LEGO Technic 2-in-1 building sets, the spirit of inspired collaboration between the two design groups continued and imaginations started to really fly, or more specifically… hover.

The two LEGO designers tasked with creating the alternative model reconfigured the bricks and functions from the original model into something completely different, and together with their partners at BMW Motorrad created a beautifully designed hoverbike, representing the ultimate in solo-riding freedom and adventure.

The LEGO® Technic™ BMW Hover Ride Concept Model

We caught up with the brains behind the beauty, LEGO Technic designers Aurélien Rouffiange and Samuel Tacchi, to get a bit of insight into this unusual process.

Looking back now, what was the most special thing about the project?

Aurélien: Normally in LEGO Technic, we capture what the partner is doing, then we make a representation in the LEGO format. But this time, we pushed it to the next level by creating something conceptual: the bike of the future. Of course, it had to fly… it couldn’t be just a motorcycle on wheels on the road. So, we made a hoverbike.

Samuel: We had some very nice concepts at the beginning of the exploration; we were going everywhere. That was fun! Suddenly we were one team with the guys at BMW Motorrad. Although they work in Munich and we work in Denmark, we were together from A to Z on the design process. It was insane.

Some different angles

A: What was cool about that project was that extra loop in the process. It’s the first time that LEGO Technic has made a concept model for the alternative build, but what followed was a design loop where the team at BMW Motorrad then translated the LEGO hoverbike into a real-life version.

The design process: from LEGO bricks to real life

S: When we finished the model, we learned that they wanted to create a real version of it. Then they created it themselves! That was the first time in the LEGO Group’s history we saw a partner creating a real version of the LEGO model.

The real-life version

So what were the challenges in the design process?

A: Putting the functions in the model. Because they were functions that didn’t exist in the real world, we had to really go and dig into information from engineering and how things fly. We wanted to make it authentic and plausible too; a true LEGO Technic model so people could believe that it could exist, that it is a vision of what is a motorcycle in the future. The BMW Motorrad team had a lot of experience in that area so there was a lot of good feedback.

LEGO Technic designer, Aurélien Rouffiange

S: Exactly. It was clear at the start that we couldn’t make something that would levitate like a spaceship...we had to find out ‘how’ it could fly. But in a way, the process wasn’t that different from what we learned in design school. Seeing the LEGO concept model coming to life in real scale and having all the people involved in that process was just amazing.

So, it’s been a few years since the concept was made, how close is it to actually flying?

S: We cannot tell for sure; I hope we will see something that flies like that one day! But I guess it will be far in the future because of all the safety regulations and technologies.

A: They used the real parts from the GS Adventure to make the concept model, as we did in the LEGO version, so you can see the engine from the bike. So, in that sense it’s not designed to have true flying capacity.

S: When you look right now at what’s going on with flying objects, you start to see more and more individual flying people and drones, and it’s nice for us that, in a way, we were part of this movement. Before 2017, there weren’t as many personal flying vehicle concepts. There was just one guy with a rocket suit. Something that goes fast and up in the air, I would dream of flying to work every day really!

Is the LEGO brick normally a relevant prototyping tool? Could it be used as a material for prototyping in design schools?

A: LEGO bricks are a fun starting point in design schools: normally we are trained to sketch and when we start at LEGO Technic, we traded that for the LEGO elements. A mix of the two would work well. It would be good to introduce LEGO Technic at an early stage in design school so they could maybe have frames or chassis knowledge...

S: Knowledge for sure because if you explain to a first-year engineering student what a 7-speed gearbox is and how it’s built ... it would take a few days to really understand it, but with LEGO Technic bricks, it would be easier, more fun and more hands-on.

The work-in-progress LEGO prototype

What would be a dream concept model to prototype in LEGO Technic bricks?

S: My background is in transport design, so I would like to do something for going to Mars. Transport in space... maybe with NASA!

A: I would love to work on a drone made from LEGO bricks. I fly a lot of drones and have a side project, working on a LEGO Technic drone. There are a lot of safety issues with sharp blades and stuff, but maybe we can design a way around that and release a drone.

Why are concept models so important for innovation?

S: For creative designers, it’s refreshing for the brain to work on what could happen. It’s like having a sneak peek into the future, because you have the possibility of creating something never seen before and pushing the boundaries – not into spaceship territory, but 5 or 10 years into the future. You don’t want something that can only be made with CGI. What is nice with LEGO bricks and with this LEGO Technic hoverbike process was to have one foot on the ground and not in hyperspace. Something that is plausible.

A: We have concept phases during the year, to drive innovation and find new opportunities for the next assortment. We like to go beyond what we would normally create for future assortments, to test out new builds and more futuristic creations…that process really boosts the mood and creativity. Just to imagine what could be other future visions of what is out there, similar to what we did with the BMW Hover Ride. With the BMW Hover Ride, we had the possibility to push that even further forward and make it more of a reality. It was a step into the future, and we hope that the concept model will keep inspiring others.

Great work, whiz kids. We salute you.