Then the Lego designers put wheels under their bricks – and suddenly the sky was the limit, as Lego models of cars, trucks and all sorts of machinery became possible, rivalling even British competitor Meccano for versatility.

That gave rise to Lego Technic, a range of purpose-built kits containing all the bricks and components necessary to build a specific model, usually with a number of custom parts, for doors that would open and steering that would steer, to make the model unique.

And this is the latest in the Technic series, revealed on Friday at Lego headquarters in Billund, Denmark – a one-eighth scale model of the Bugatti Chiron – 3599 parts that fit together to create a replica model more than 560mm long, 250mm wide and 140mm high.

The intricate details include aerodynamic bodywork in Bugatti’s signature two-tone blue livery, an active rear wing, spoked rims with low-profile tires, working suspension and detailed disc brakes, and a W16 engine with moving pistons.

Open the doors and you find a detailed cockpit with a Bugatti logo on the steering wheel and an working eight-speed paddle-shift gearbox. Each individual model comes with its own unique serial number on a plaque under the bonnet, which will unlock special content on thewww.lego.com/technic website.

There’s even a key that moves the active rear wing from handling to top speed position – and a replica of a stylish Bugatti overnight bag under the bootlid.
And when you’ve finished assembling the model, the instruction manual becomes a coffee-table book about the Bugatti Chiron and how this incredibly detailed replica model was created.

It’s available from 1 June at Lego stores and online at €369.99 (R5460) and at Lego stockist worldwide from 1 August.