Bugatti Expands Its LEGO Garage With Two New Hypercar Sets

Bugatti has never been especially good at staying in its lane. The Veyron bulldozed the definition of “production car,” the Chiron Super Sport redefined what sanity looks like north of 300 mph, and the Bolide all but asked whether roads are even necessary. Now, in a move that somehow feels both inevitable and charmingly subversive, Bugatti is pushing its obsessive engineering ethos into a medium where tolerance stacks are measured in millimeters and horsepower is entirely imaginary.

Enter LEGO.

As of January 1, Bugatti and the LEGO Group have expanded their partnership with two new kits: the LEGO Technic Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport and the LEGO Speed Champions Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo. Their arrival means four Bugatti LEGO models are now on sale simultaneously—joining the Centodieci and Bolide—for the first time ever. That may not sound like headline news in the world of hypercars, but it is a quiet flex all the same: Bugatti has figured out how to scale its mythology from seven-figure machines to living-room coffee tables without losing the plot.

Let’s start with the Pur Sport, because if any Chiron variant was destined for a Technic set, it’s the one that treats agility like a personal mission. In the real world, the Chiron Pur Sport is the anti–top-speed special. Shorter gear ratios, reworked aero, less mass, and a chassis tuned for corners instead of continents make it the sharpest tool in the Chiron drawer. It’s the version for drivers who’d rather hunt apexes than brag about GPS screenshots.

The LEGO Technic interpretation mirrors that intent surprisingly well. At 771 pieces, it lands in the sweet spot between “weekend project” and “engineering exercise.” The orange-and-black livery is unmistakably Pur Sport, and the proportions are spot-on without drifting into cartoon territory. This isn’t just a static shell, either. You get working steering, opening doors and hood, and a brick-built homage to Bugatti’s iconic W16 tucked in back. It measures about 11 inches long, which is just enough presence to remind you that even a scaled-down Chiron still dominates whatever shelf it occupies.

More importantly, the Technic set captures the essence of Bugatti’s appeal: complexity with purpose. Nothing here feels ornamental. Like the real car, every visible mechanism exists because it should, not because it looks cool. Builders nine and up can tackle it, but the satisfaction curve is very much adult.

If the Pur Sport set is about mechanical honesty, the Vision Gran Turismo kit is about unfiltered imagination.

The Vision GT occupies a strange and wonderful corner of Bugatti history. Conceived for the Gran Turismo video game and revealed as a physical show car in 2015, it’s a love letter to the brand’s prewar racing dominance—filtered through a sci-fi lens. Think Type 57 Tank cues, Le Mans victories from the late 1930s, and a total disregard for modern homologation rules. It was never meant for streets or dealerships; it was built to look fast standing still and even faster in pixels.

The LEGO Speed Champions version distills that drama into 284 pieces, and somehow it works. The horseshoe grille is there. The exaggerated rear wing? Check. The eight-eye headlight signature, roof fin, and wide Michelin-branded tires all make the cut. There’s even a Bugatti-clad minifigure ready to slot into the single-seat cockpit, which feels like a knowing wink at the idea that this car only truly exists when someone’s playing pretend—whether with a controller or a pile of bricks.

At just over five inches long, the Vision Gran Turismo set is small enough to be approachable and affordable, but detailed enough to satisfy fans who know exactly why that roof fin matters. It’s less about mechanical function and more about form, attitude, and the kind of design freedom Bugatti rarely allows itself in the real world.

What makes this expanded LEGO lineup interesting isn’t just the novelty. It’s the way each model tells a different chapter of the Bugatti story. The Pur Sport is modern, technical, and driver-focused. The Vision Gran Turismo is historic and futuristic at the same time. Add in the Centodieci’s retro-modern excess and the Bolide’s track-only lunacy, and you’ve got a surprisingly complete portrait of a brand that refuses to be pinned down.

Bugatti’s managing director, Wiebke Ståhl, frames the collaboration as a way to expand the brand beyond a tiny circle of owners and into the hands of millions of fans, gamers, and performance obsessives. She’s not wrong. These sets don’t dilute the Bugatti mystique; they translate it. They let enthusiasts engage with the cars the same way Bugatti engineers do: by understanding how they’re put together and why they look the way they do.

Both new kits are supported by the LEGO Builder app, which offers 3D instructions, zoomable views, and progress tracking. It’s a modern touch that feels appropriate for a brand that has always blended old-world craftsmanship with cutting-edge tech.

No, snapping together plastic bricks won’t replicate the sensation of a W16 at full song. But for a brand built on imagination as much as excess, this feels like a natural extension. Bugatti may build cars for the one percent, but with LEGO, it’s inviting everyone else to sit down, clear some space on the floor, and build the dream piece by piece.

Source: Bugatti

BMW Cuts EV Prices in China, Including a $42K Drop on the i7 M70L

Price wars used to be something Chinese automakers did to Western brands. Now, they’re something legacy automakers are doing with them.

BMW is the latest to blink in China’s increasingly cutthroat auto market, announcing sweeping price reductions across 31 models. It’s a notable move for a brand that traditionally leans on prestige and pricing discipline—and a clear sign that even the blue-and-white roundel isn’t immune to the pressures of the world’s largest car market.

The headline grabber is the BMW i7 M70L, the long-wheelbase, dual-motor flagship of the electric 7-Series lineup. Packing 659 horsepower and a neck-snapping 811 lb-ft of torque, it now costs 301,000 yuan less than before—a haircut of roughly $42,000. That’s not a gentle nudge. That’s a shove.

The deepest cut by percentage, however, belongs to the iX1 eDrive25L. BMW trimmed 24 percent off the price of the long-wheelbase compact SUV, dropping its entry point to 228,000 yuan (about $32,600). In a segment flooded with aggressively priced domestic EVs, the iX1 suddenly looks far more competitive than its badge alone would have allowed.

Officially, BMW is playing it cool. Speaking to Bloomberg, the company framed the changes as part of its “regular price management,” noting that transaction prices are ultimately negotiated between dealers and buyers. That’s corporate-speak for don’t read too much into this.

But the timing tells a different story.

China’s auto market has shown clear signs of strain, with sales declining for a second consecutive month in November, according to the China Passenger Car Association. As growth slows, automakers—foreign and domestic alike—are scrambling to protect volume, even if it means trimming margins.

At the same time, regulators are trying to keep the chaos contained. New rules prohibit automakers from selling below production cost and ban dealer incentives that push prices beneath that line, an attempt to prevent a full-blown race to the bottom.

In that context, BMW’s price cuts look less like aggressive discounting and more like a formal acknowledgment of reality. According to Yale Zhang, managing director at Automotive Foresight, the revised stickers largely reflect what customers were already paying after negotiations. In other words, BMW didn’t undercut the market—it caught up to it.

And this likely isn’t the end.

With Chinese New Year landing in February, the industry’s traditional incentive season is fast approaching. At least 14 automakers have already launched discount or incentive programs since the start of 2026, and more are expected to follow as brands try to front-load first-quarter sales.

Zhang doesn’t see the trend fading anytime soon. Promotional cycles may fluctuate, he says, but sustained pricing pressure is now a structural feature of the Chinese market—not a temporary hiccup.

Regulators remain wary. Prolonged discounting raises the specter of deflation, supply-chain instability, and downward pressure on wages—risks that extend far beyond the showroom floor.

For BMW, though, the message is clear: in China, prestige alone no longer sells cars. Even the ultimate driving machine has to sharpen its pencil.

Source: BMW

Toyota Electrifies the Hilux While Keeping Its Work-Truck Roots

The Toyota Hilux has survived just about everything short of atmospheric reentry. It’s slogged through floods, clawed its way out of mud pits, and famously endured being dropped from a Top Gear crane—though, notably, not from a helicopter. Now Toyota is testing the Hilux with a far more existential challenge: staying relevant in a future where diesel is no longer king.

At this week’s Brussels Motor Show, Toyota unveiled the Euro-spec ninth-generation Hilux in two new flavors: a mild-hybrid diesel and the first-ever fully electric Hilux BEV. Both trucks debuted earlier in Asia, but their arrival in Europe signals something bigger. This isn’t just an update—it’s Toyota hedging its bets.

One Truck, Many Futures

Toyota calls it a “multipath strategy,” which is corporate shorthand for “we’re not betting everything on one powertrain.” And for many Hilux buyers, that means business as usual. The familiar 2.8-liter four-cylinder diesel lives on, now paired with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. Output remains 201 horsepower (204 PS), and the truck retains its crucial stats: a 2,205-pound payload and a 7,720-pound tow rating.

In the UK and most of Europe, Toyota expects this mild-hybrid diesel to be the volume seller—even after the EV arrives. It’s smoother and slightly cleaner than before, but more importantly, it doesn’t ask loyal Hilux owners to rethink how they work.

Some markets will even get a non-hybrid diesel, proving that Toyota still understands where the Hilux earns its living.

The Electric Hilux: Tough, but Compromised

The real headline, of course, is the Hilux BEV. Powered by a 59.2-kWh battery and dual motors—one on each axle—it delivers permanent all-wheel drive and instant electric torque. The front motor produces 151 lb-ft of torque, while the rear contributes 198 lb-ft.

Range is quoted at 160 miles on the WLTP cycle, which sounds underwhelming until you realize this is a ladder-frame pickup, not a sleek crossover. In urban use, Toyota claims up to 236 miles, which makes the BEV Hilux plausible for city-based fleets and short-haul work.

There are trade-offs. Payload drops to 1,580 pounds, and towing capacity falls sharply to 3,530 pounds. That’s a big hit for traditional truck buyers, but Toyota is clearly aiming the electric Hilux at businesses focused on emissions, taxes, and running costs—not livestock trailers.

Crucially, the fundamentals remain intact. The BEV keeps the body-on-frame construction, 8.4 inches of ground clearance, and a genuinely impressive 27.6 inches of wading depth. There’s even a dedicated off-road drive mode tuned specifically for electric torque delivery and regenerative braking.

Not Just Electric—Hydrogen Is Coming Too

If that weren’t enough, Toyota has also confirmed that a hydrogen fuel-cell Hilux is in development—and already being tested publicly. Yes, the same truck once known for hauling bricks and sheep may soon carry a fuel-cell stack. Whether hydrogen pickups make sense at scale is still an open question, but Toyota clearly intends the Hilux to outlast whatever powertrain trends come and go.

Cyber Sumo Styling and a Modern Cabin

Both the mild-hybrid and BEV versions wear Toyota’s new “Cyber Sumo” design, reportedly developed by the brand’s Australian team. It’s more angular, flatter, and bolder than before, giving the Hilux a tougher, more modern presence—though not everyone will love the look.

The EV stands out with a blanked-off grille and a subtly redesigned silver bumper insert, but otherwise the two trucks are visually similar.

Inside the crew-cab-only cabin, the Hilux finally catches up to modern expectations. A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster sits alongside a matching touchscreen, and the steering wheel comes straight from the new Land Cruiser. There’s smart storage, dashboard-mounted cupholders, and a full suite of safety tech—balanced, refreshingly, by plenty of physical buttons for things you actually use while wearing gloves.

When Can You Buy One?

UK sales begin in June, with prices expected to land in the coming months. Toyota has already hinted they’ll be higher than the outgoing model, which should surprise exactly no one.

Still, the bigger story isn’t the price—it’s longevity. By offering diesel, mild-hybrid, battery-electric, and eventually hydrogen power, Toyota is making sure the Hilux doesn’t just survive the electric transition. It adapts.

And if history tells us anything, betting against a Hilux is rarely a smart move.

Source: Toyota

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