If you laid 5,805,846 Lego bricks end-to-end, they’d stretch from London’s Tower Bridge to Paris, a distance of almost 200 miles. Or, if you wanted to make a big statement, you could use those bricks to set a Guinness World Record for the world’s largest Lego structure. That’s what Land Rover did this week with the live reveal of the new Land Rover Discovery SUV in Warwickshire, England, according to a company press release.
We’ve already covered the details of the Discovery’s fifth and most significant ever makeover, but the spectacle of its unveiling was newsworthy itself. Complete with a rappelling adventurer, jumping horses, and a sailing team driving through almost three feet of water, the Land Rover launch team stressed the Discovery’s air of adventure, versatility, and excitement. It was all on, over, through, and around the 42.6-foot-high Lego version of the London Tower Bridge, representing the Land Rover theme of going “Above and Beyond.”
Land Rover featured long-term Discovery owners Bear Grylls, Ben Ainslie, and Zara Phillips in the spectacle. Grylls rappelled from the top of the bridge tower, through the open drawbridge onto a stage with the new Discovery. Equestrian Phillips jumped a horse through a picnic scene in front of the bridge. Ainslie drove his sailing team through 35-inch-deep water under the bridge, demonstrating the Discovery’s seven-person capacity, its water fording, and towing capability. It towed a 186,500-Lego-brick model of the Land Rover BAR boat the team will race in next year’s America’s Cup.
The Lego tower project took a team of Lego Master Builders five months to build. The team was led by the United Kingdom’s only Lego-certified professional, Duncan Titmarsh. The team also built the replica of the Land Rover BAR boat.
Lego U.K. and Ireland spokesperson Emma Owen said, “We are thrilled that Jaguar Land Rover has used Lego bricks to add some Guinness World Record-breaking creativity to the launch of the latest Discovery. This is an epic, outstanding build that absolutely captures the imagination in a way we haven’t seen before. With LEGO bricks and some imagination you really can build anything!”
The London Tower Bridge’s 5,805,846 Lego bricks topped the previous Guinness World Record holder by 470,646 bricks.
