Lego Speed Champions

Lego Speed Champions (stylized as LEGO Speed Champions) is an auto racing-inspired theme of Lego building sets first released in 2015. It features classic and modern styles from well-known car brands.

Overview
The Lego Speed Champions product line focuses on classic and modern styles from well-known car brands. The series featured Ferrari, McLaren, and Porsche models in its initial release. Each set was designed by Lego Design Manager Chris Stamp. The theme later added Audi, Bugatti, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, Jaguar, Mercedes-AMG, Lamborghini, Koenigsegg, Nissan, Pagani, Toyota, Aston Martin, and Lotus. The line features as the center of a 2019 expansion for the open world racing video game Forza Horizon 4.

In 2022, The Lego Group stated that the theme is an 18+ (18 years and older) theme that does not carry the 18+ label.

In April 2022, The Lego Group built a life-size replica of the 1970 Ferrari 512 M containing 78,496 Lego pieces. The Lego Group also built a life-size replica of the Ferrari F40 containing 358,000 Lego pieces and placed in front of Legoland California.

Development
Initially launched in 2015 at a 6 wide scale, LEGO Speed Champions was focused on reaching older LEGO builders, bringing real cars into the hands of kids and fans. Craig Callum explains the initial Speed Champions concept "I was part of the team that kick-started the Speed Champions. There are a lot of car geeks working at LEGO, and there were lots of cars within various existing lines, but we thought that something was missing. We wanted to create something authentic, that would work for ‘older’ LEGO builders. The primary focus is always on what works for kids, but there’s a bigger story to tell sometimes, too." The line was “Designed for children, but with grown-ups fans in mind too, we know these models will be closely scrutinized for authenticity.”

The line was later developed into a larger scale allowing more detail and changing it's approach to an older target audience.

Launch
The Lego Speed Champions theme was launched on 1 March 2015. The Lego Group announced a partnership with Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, and Porsche. As part of the marketing campaign, The Lego Group released six sets based on racing cars. Each set featured different racing cars such as Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, and Porsche. The sets were designed primarily for children 7 to 14 years old.

Construction sets
In 2015, The Lego Group released seven sets in the new Speed Champions line: the LaFerrari, McLaren P1, Porsche 918 Spyder, Ferrari 458 Italia GT2, F14 T & Scuderia Ferrari Truck, Porsche 911 GT Finish Line, and the McLaren Mercedes Pit Stop. Seven sets - nine vehicles including the Ferrari transport truck and the two Porsche 911 GTs in the Finish Line set.

In 2016, the theme was all about muscle cars, with the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Corvette, and Chevy Camaro. It also included a Ford Model A Hotrod and F-150 Raptor, as well as LMP race cars from Audi and Porsche.

In 2017, The Lego Speed Champions theme returned to Formula 1 cars from Ferrari and the championship-winning Mercedes AMG Petronas team.

In 2018, the theme featured more Ferrari and Porsche Race cars, including the Nurburgring Lap Record holding car, the Porsche 919 Hybrid. The line also included a 1967 Ford Mustang. However, no new brands were added.

For 2019 the theme returned, with a new focus on including new brands into the collection: Dodge and Mini.

The 2020 sets include a Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo and Nissan GTR Nismo as well as introduced electric vehicles with Formula E and Jaguar. Prices also increased with the shift in scale.

In January 2020 a polybag set was released of the Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo. 2 more sets followed in early 2021, McLaren Elva and Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro.

In June 2021, 6 Lego Speed Champions sets were delayed until Summer, causing speculation amongst fans that the theme had been canceled. Featuring in the range are a 1970 Dodge Charger T/A, Top Fuel Dragster, Toyota Supra, Corvette C8.R, and Koenigsegg Jesko.

In March 2022, 5 new sets of Ferrari 512 M, Lotus Evija, Lamborghini Countach, Mercedes-AMG F1 W12 E Performance, Mercedes-AMG Project One, Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro, and Aston Martin Vantage GT3 expanded the collection.

In June 2022, 2 new sets of James Bond's Aston Martin DB5 based on the James Bond franchise and Dominic Toretto’s 1970 Dodge Charger R/T based on the Fast & Furious franchise were be released on 1 August 2022. James Bond's Aston Martin DB5 set consists of 298 pieces and 1 minifigure of James Bond. Also included multiple license plates to swap. Aston Martin DB5 set doesn't include gadgets. Dominic Toretto's 1970 Dodge Charger R/T set consists of 345 pieces and 1 minifigure of Dominic Toretto.

In January 2023, one new set named Brian O'Conner's 2 Fast 2 Furious Nissan Skyline GTR (R34) based on the 2 Fast 2 Furious film released. The set consists of 319 pieces and 1 minifigure of Brian O'Conner.

In January 2023, four new sets named Ferrari 812 Competizione, Pagani Utopia, Porsche 963 and McLaren Solus GT & McLaren F1 LM were announced to be released on 1 March 2023.

Web shorts
The product line was accompanied by a series of animated short films that were released on YouTube.
 * LEGO Speed Champions- Official Trailer was an official web short was released on YouTube on 26 February 2015 that was inspired by Lego Speed Champions sets (Ferrari, McLaren and Porsche).
 * Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team - LEGO Speed Champions - 75883 - Playstarter Animation was an official web short was released on YouTube on 21 June 2017 that inspired by both Lego Speed Champions sets and Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team.
 * Forza Horizon 4 LEGO Speed Champions - Backseat Driver was an official web short was released on YouTube on 16 August 2019 that inspired by both Lego Speed Champions sets and Forza Horizon 4.

Video games
It was announced at E3 2019 that The Lego Group and Playground Games had partnered together to add a new expansion pack to Forza Horizon 4 featuring several cars from the line and a new location made out of Lego bricks. The expansion pack was released on June 13, 2019.

Announced June 2023, 2K Games unveiled a downloadable content pack, Drive Pass Season 1 for Lego 2K Drive was released on 28 June 2023. It adds the 1970 Dodge Charger R/T and the Nissan Skyline GT-R as playable. It includes Bricklandia's Fast Crew, sisters Rita and Lita Malachi, pilot Doug and resident techie Ronnie (aka CoNfL8t).

Reception
In 2020, The Lego Group reported that the Lego Technic, Lego Star Wars, Lego Classic, Lego Disney, Lego Harry Potter, and Lego Speed Champions themes had helped to push revenue for the first half of 2020 grew 7% to DKK 15.7 billion compared with the same period in 2019.