YOKOHAMA: Fans of Nissan's iconic GT-R Nismo car are in for a treat from January 2020 when an affordable, Lego brick version of the sports car joins the Danish firm's line-up of buildable sets.
The Nissan is the first of a new Lego Speed Champion series of models which are 25 per cent larger than the other miniature cars in the range.
This means eight Lego studs per brick rather than six, giving all the new sets more accuracy. The Nismo is expected to retail for around US$20 (RM84).
Lego said the model can be assembled by a typical fan is around an hour. Experts need only 20 minutes to slot all the parts into place.
The red, white and black Lego Nissan is made up of 298 parts with a host of intricate detail right down to the quad rear exhaust system and the distinctive rear lights. The full-size car, meanwhile, has some 90,000 parts.
"Authenticity is always our main concern, and we spent a lot of time exploring different building techniques to correctly recreate the tail-lights, as they are one of the most recognizable details on the car. I am really happy with the end result," said designer Chris Stamp.
The Lego Nismo does not pretend to be an exact replica and naturally it looks more squared-off that the real thing. Despite that the scaled-down issue is instantly recognisable.
It is the first partnership between the Danish toymaker and a Far East car manufacturer and the model was unveiled at the Nissan headquarters in Yokohama alongside its full-size counterpart.
The Nissan set follows the announcements of several more Speed Champions models in 2020, including vehicles from Ferrari and Audi, Lamborghini, and Jaguar.
