Car lovers of all ages are in for a treat next month when a full-size Toyota Camry made entirely from LEGO® bricks goes on display at the Brickman Awesome exhibition in Melbourne.
The special project, which will require at least half a million bricks, is in the capable hands of Ryan McNaught, the only LEGO® certified professional in the southern hemisphere and one of only 14 in the world.
McNaught, aka the Brickman, said: “Melburnians are in for an absolute treat at my new exhibition, Brickman Awesome. They will be the first in the world to see my brand new LEGO® creation – a life-sized Toyota Camry made entirely from LEGO® bricks!
“I’m a bit of a car fanatic myself so I’m delighted that we have partnered with Toyota to build a LEGO® version of their latest model. The build process is in full swing at the moment – the model is so big that we’ve had to make sure we actually have enough LEGO® bricks!”
Toyota Australia‘s design chief Nicolas Hogios said the project will provide a fun and interactive way for families to experience the all-new Camry.
“It has been fascinating to observe how Ryan has approached the build,” Mr Hogios said. “While condensed into a much shorter time, many of his processes align with our own design approach – moving from an idea sketch, to modelling, to final assembly.”
The LEGO® Camry on display at Brickman Awesome will inevitably lead to further comparisons between the popular sedan produced by Toyota and the model being built by McNaught and the ‘Brickman’ team.
As you’d expect, both versions are high-quality cars that exude fun – and, of course, they have the same basic dimensions and share the stylish Camry design that Toyota has recently introduced to the Australian market.
Toyota, LEGO® and Brickman are also equally focused on the quality, durability and reliability of their respective products.
But that’s about where the similarities end.
The Camry built by Toyota has about 30,000 individual components, counting every part down to the smallest screw. That’s just a fraction of the number of bricks that will be used for the LEGO® Camry.
Throughout a road-going Camry, there are different raw materials and manufacturing processes, including multiple-stage painting.
LEGO® bricks all come from one source, one material and one production method: the famous Danish company uses injection-moulded thermoplastic polymer and generates the colour from a dye.
Toyota takes about 17-18 hours in total to make a single car – a detailed process that includes stamping panels, welding, painting, assembly and inspections. The LEGO® Camry is expected to take 800 hours to assemble – and there’s no need for welding as the bricks are interlocking.
Toyota makes approximately 2,500 Camry sedans around the world per day. The Brickman car is one of a kind.
While the Brickman version will look every inch a Camry, it won’t share the strong performance or dynamic abilities of Australia’s best-selling mid-size car – there’s no engine and the tyres are also made from LEGO® bricks.
Finally, there’s the price. You can buy a real Camry at a Toyota dealership from $27,690*. The Brickman car is, of course, priceless.
Brickman Awesome presented by Toyota Camry opens on Wednesday 21st March at Melbourne Museum Plaza and will run until Thursday 29th April. Tickets are available to purchase from 2pm on 1st March at www.ticketek.com.au