Nissan GT-R Comes to the Lego Speed Champions Lineup in 2020

Nissan GTR from Lego benefits from the shift to larger cars, allowing for more detail.

Nissan has announced that the legendary GT-R Nismo will be one of the newcomers to the Lego Speed Champions lineup for 2020. The GT-R benefits from Lego’s shift to an eight-stud-wide architecture, which allows for sharper details, a more natural shape and the ability to seat two figures side-by-side in the cabin. Of course, while the Lego block design can only replicate the smooth shape of a modern supercar so well, there is no question that the plastic toy shown in these pictures is the mighty GT-R.

“The Nissan GT-R and the LEGO brand are both renowned and loved by fans of all ages throughout the world, and we are honored to be the first-ever Japanese car manufacturer to partner with the LEGO Group,” said Asako Hoshino, Nissan’s executive vice president of global marketing. “Many of our Nissan customers can trace their automotive passion back to when they built LEGO cars as children. With this partnership, everyone can be a `takumi’ – the specialized craftsmen that build the GT-R. And, it’s the GT-R’s 50th anniversary this year, so what better way to celebrate than to share the GT-R with Nissan and LEGO fans around the world!”

She is right, as many of today’s gearhead played with Legos growing up, making the Speed Champions series particular interesting to automotive enthusiasts. The previous Speed Champions cars are great, but the eight-stud-wide architecture makes a big difference in recreating these cars with greater accuracy.

Nissan GT-R from Lego

The Nissan GT-R coming to the Lego Speed Champions series is kit number 76896 and it is comprised of 298 tiny bricks. When you put them all together, you have a Motul-sponsored GT-R and a figurine in a Nissan racing suit.

As you can see in the pictures here, the car is white with black and red trim. The eight-stud-wide architecture makes the GT-R 25% bigger than the older Speed Champions car, so your little race driver can take a passenger along for the ride.

According to Lego, an expert builder can put this kit together in 20 minutes while a newbie could take up to an hour. When assembled, there is a removable roof panel that allows you to insert or remove the driver.

Price and Availability

The Lego Speed Champions Nissan GT-R will go on sale in early 2020 and when it arrives, it will have an MSRP of $19.99 in the United States.

These kits will likely be available at retailers around the country, but the easiest way to get them is to order them directly from the Lego website. That is the best way to get one early, but if hunting in stores is your thing, places like Walmart and Target are likely to have these in the spring of next year.

When the GT-R arrives, it will join iconic models in brick like the new Dodge Demon, the McLaren Senna, the Ferrari F40, the 1968 Ford Mustang and many more.

Photos: Nissan Media

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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