LEGO‘s 1 August releases will include the Audi RS Q e-tron that raced the World Rally-Raid Championship and Dakar Rally in 2022. The car will be part of the LEGO Technic line for advanced models with electronic and functioning components, and is capable of driving via remote control from the CONTROL+ app.
The LEGO car measures at 37 cm long by 19 cm wide and 15 cm tall. Like the real-life car, it features independent suspension on each wheel.
“Kids who love rally cars can put their skills to the test as they build this LEGO Technic Audi RS Q e-tron 42160 model,” reads the product description on the LEGO website. “As they build, they’ll gain an insight into the real-world electric car that Audi built to navigate the harsh desert conditions of the Dakar Rally. This model incorporates many realistic details, like the individual suspension on each of the car’s 4 wheels. It also features a new Technic wheel element created especially for this model to reflect the full-sized Audi’s wheel design.”
The RS Q e-tron was Audi’s first rally raid car, débuting at the 2022 Dakar Rally with Mattias Ekström, Stéphane Peterhansel, and Carlos Sainz. The trio struggled with reliability and consistency, which caused Peterhansel to be relegated to the Dakar Experience for those who failed to complete the full distance, but otherwise showed pace as they each won a stage and Sainz claimed a second. Ekström finished ninth in the T1 results with Sainz three places back.
A breakthrough took place at the next W2RC leg as Peterhansel won the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, marking the first time an electric vehicle won a rally raid overall. The car’s final race was the 2022 Rallye du Maroc, where it participated as part of an Open category for those that did not meet regulations; although not eligible for T1 like at Dakar or Abu Dhabi, Sainz set a faster total time than T1 winner Guerlain Chicherit.
Audi introduced the RS Q e-tron E2 for 2023 onwards.
Although LEGO’s Speed Champions serves as its racing brand, the Technic series also has officially licenced motorsport vehicles that include the McLaren Formula One MCL35M, Peugeot 9X8 and Ferrari 488 GTE endurance racers, and Porsche’s 99X Formula E car. The NASCAR Cup Series’ Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is the latest racing addition to the Technic collection upon its release in March.
