Review: 77255 Lightning McQueen from LEGO® Speed Champions

“Speed. I am speed.” That’s the mantra of Lightning McQueen – and now, he truly lives up to it as the star of the new LEGO® Speed Champions set 77255 Lightning McQueen.

It’s not the first time cars from blockbuster movies have been recreated in the LEGO Speed Champions line, but it seems The LEGO Group and Disney wanted to "give the folks a little sizzle" for the 20th anniversary of the first Cars movie with a bold and fun departure from the usual LEGO Speed Champions lineup.

Products in this article were gifted by The LEGO Group; the author's opinions are their own.
This article contains affiliate links to LEGO.com; we may get a small commission if you purchase.

77255 Lightning McQueen

• Release date: 1 January 2026, ore-orders available in most countries now from the links below
• Pieces: 270

Price and link to pre-order where available: 

• US$ 27.99 on LEGO.com US
• CA$ 34.99 on LEGO.com Canada
• GB£ 22.99 – pre-order now on LEGO.com UK
• AU$ 39.99 – pre-order now on LEGO.com Australia
• NZ$ 44.99 – pre-order now on LEGO.com New Zealand
• DE€ 27,99 – pre-order now on LEGO.com Deutschland
• NL€ 27,99 – pre-order now on LEGO.com Nederland
• FR€ 27,99 – pre-order now on LEGO.com France
• PLN 119.99 – pre-order now on LEGO.com Polska
• NOK 399,90 – pre-order now on LEGO.com Norge
• DKK 249.95 – pre-order now on LEGO.com Danmark

Other countries click here

 

 

Exclusive elements

It's not much of a surprise that all the exclusive elements – bar one – in 77255 Lightning McQueen are red.

Recolours

• 1x Slope Curved 1 x 4 with Stud Notch Right & Left in Red (6527716 & 6527713 | 5414 & 5415)
• 2x Tile 4 x 4 in Red (6588367 | 1751)
• 2x Plate Special 1 x 2 Rounded with 2 Open Studs in Bright Pink (6588795 | 35480)

If you're wondering why a pink recolouring was required for a car with no visible pink, read on.

Recoloured and printed parts

The following parts appear in red for the first time and are also printed:

• 1x Slope Curved 1 x 4 with Stud Notch Right with print in Red (6585335)
• 1x Slope Curved 1 x 4 with Stud Notch Left with print in Red (6585337)
• 1x Windscreen 3 x 6 x 2 in Red (6585349)

That large red windscreen should be where McQueen's eyes are. While some may be disappointed that this area is to be stickered, I’d wager the graphic designers couldn’t achieve a satisfyingly brilliant white on the vibrant red background, so they opted for stickers to represent this important feature. Given The LEGO Group's track record of printing light colours on dark backgrounds, I think this was probably the best route to take.

The added benefit of this element requiring a sticker is that it frees the piece up for use elsewhere – a large red surface may be a useful element to have in a builder's toolbox. Just take your time when placing that sticker, though—those eyes give the whole car its charm.

New prints

These parts already exist in these colours but have been given new prints:

• 2x Plate 1 x 1 with print in Red (6585350)
• 4x Wheel Rim 24 x 13.4 with Black Slick Tyre with print in Red (6585457)
• 1x Brick Curved 2 x 4 Double, No Studs with print in Red (6585396)
• 1x Brick Curved 2 x 4 Double, No Studs with print in Red (6585395)
• 1x Wheel Arch, Mudguard 4 x 2 x 2 1/2 with print in Red (6585343)
• 1x Wheel Arch, Mudguard 4 x 2 x 2 1/2 with print in Red (6585342)

Sticker sheet

The inclusion of a sizable sticker sheet is no surprise, especially for this famously flashy car. In fact, this is one instance where stickered headlights are entirely acceptable: McQueen is ridiculed for this very reason in the movie!

While I still think stickers were the smartest way to handle the eyes – and the graphic design really does capture Lightning McQueen nicely – the print quality isn’t quite up to speed. Some areas, like the large Rust-eze logo for the bonnet and – critically – the eyes, are a little fuzzy, which spoil the effect.

Rare elements

We usually classify rare parts as those appearing in 3 sets or fewer. Lightning McQueen contains a single element that meets that criteria. 

• 1 x 7452 Bracket 1 x 2 - 2 x 4 Inverted in Light Bluish Gray (6546601 | 7452)

This new bracket was introduced in 72046 Game Boy earlier this year. Since it doesn't yet exist in any other colours, these 2 sets are currently the one way to procure this new element.

Building techniques

The build immediately pulls away from the grid with something a bit different for a LEGO Speed Champions set. 

Because Lightning McQueen is an anthropomorphized toy vehicle with no driver, the usual specialized chassis element is replaced with a brick-built one. This interesting construction prepares a variety of connection points for later steps. Be sure to pay attention here; some of these connection points won’t be used until the very final stages of the build and you'll have to completely disassemble the car to make any changes. Like I had to!

Much of the car comes together through a series of small subassemblies, with only a handful of steps requiring parts to be added directly to the main body. The instruction manual even points out that the build can be enjoyed by one or two people. This subassembly-driven approach works well, as multiple builders can each take on a small section before combining them. It’s especially fitting for a set like this, which is likely to appeal both to a young Cars fan and to a more experienced builder, such as a parent.

There a fun (if slightly unsettling) little Easter egg tucked behind the windshield. In lieu of a driver… is that a brain? 

The model feels light on techniques compared to other LEGO Speed Champions vehicles; McQueen's bodywork looks quite simple next to the LEGO sports cars we are more accustomed to seeing. Nevertheless, there are still a few satisfying moments to enjoy such as seeing the mouth come together and installing the rear window/spoiler subassemblies.

The final steps return us to the brick-built chassis and its many hidden connection points. In a first for LEGO Speed Champions, the underside of the car features a satisfying degree of detail, complete with exhaust pipes and a driveshaft.

Completed model

LEGO Speed Champions sets usually involve a few compromises when translating a vehicle into LEGO form, but Lightning McQueen crosses the finish line looking impressively close to his on-screen self. Ka-Chow!

The cross axles in the rear windows had me puzzled at first; they looked a little jarring compared to the smooth surfaces found everywhere else on the car. It turns out that these aren't merely an attempt to bring a bit of LEGO DNA to what is otherwise an almost completely stud-free build; they are accurate to the original design, representing a cooling duct for the braking system. Even so, my eyes want to see a flat surface here instead.

In some LEGO Speed Champions sets, stickers are merely an embellishment and in others, a necessity. The McQueen set is definitely of the latter variety as – although the building techniques do a great job of recreating his bodywork– those eyes are essential for the final look of the car.

Closing thoughts

While the build is not as technique-dense as some of the other vehicles on offer, I enjoyed the playful twist that 77255 Lightning McQueen brings to the LEGO Speed Champions line-up. 

270 elements is a pretty meager parts count for a LEGO Speed Champions set, and compared to currently available sets like the 77237 Dodge Challenger SRT Hell Cat Sports Car – which contains 390 pieces for the same price of US$27.99/ £22.99/ €27.99/ AU$39.99 – some buyers might feel a little shortchanged. 

Nevertheless, I thought this was a fun model to see come together, and the finished model – provided those stickers are nicely aligned – might be one of my favourites from the line this year. I'd love to see some more unusual vehicles get the LEGO Speed Champions treatment in the future.

Pre-order on LEGO.com now (excludes North America)
to avoid disappointment in the new year!

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