Review : LEGO Speed ​​Champions 77255 Lightning McQueen

Today we're taking a very quick look at the contents of the LEGO Disney Pixar Cars set. 77255 Lightning McQueen, a box of 270 pieces which will be available on the official online store as well as at some retailers at the public price of €27,99 from January 1, 2026.

This isn't the first time the Cars franchise has ventured into LEGO territory; the manufacturer already released a whole series of themed products in 2011 and 2012. We particularly remember the LEGO set 8484 Ultimate Build Lightning McQueen which, in its time, offered a rather detailed and accomplished interpretation of the four-wheeled character. However, this is the first time this universe has been featured in the Speed ​​Champions range, a logical association for a license that celebrates vehicles.

This Speed ​​Champions scale version of Lightning McQueen seems quite credible to me considering the limitations of the format, and even though I am often the first to say that it is difficult to build something curved with angular bricks, the designer does a respectable job here, helped by some specific pieces used wisely.

Lightning McQueen's bodywork is almost entirely free of visible studs, except for the two pairs on the front fenders. This is enough to confirm that it's indeed a LEGO product, and discreet enough not to be over the top.

Unusually, the vehicle's chassis omits the meta-piece typically used in this range, requiring the assembly of a specific structure that adds a few extra minutes of enjoyment. This is a welcome bonus, considering the set's 270 pieces aren't enough to keep you occupied for hours. It's also worth noting that the vehicle benefits from a decent finish under the chassis, a nice touch.

As you might expect, given the subject matter, this product uses a large number of stickers of all kinds to bring Lightning McQueen to life. It's difficult to do without designs on a vehicle like this; it's what makes the character truly come alive. Some parts of the model are pad-printed—all those you don't see on the sticker sheet I scanned for you. These are mainly the curved surfaces that would make it difficult to apply the stickers.

Assembling this product is therefore more akin to model making than anything else, with 130 construction steps for 22 stickers, or roughly one sticker every 6 steps. This statistic might seem amusing, but it's worrying at a time when many other manufacturers print all the patterned parts of their products.

It is worth noting that the background color of the stickers here is quite a match for the color of the parts on which they are to be stuck; this is rarely the case and it is worth emphasizing.

As for the rest, we know that the appearance of the vehicles in the Cars franchise relies primarily on the eyes of the various characters displayed on their windshields. The design is graphically very well done here, and Lightning McQueen is instantly recognizable. The grille, which serves as the mouth, is also very well done; this feature is essential on the various vehicles in the franchise.

Among the aesthetic flaws, one should note the subtle but noticeable difference in shade between the gray pad-printed area on the edges of the windshield and the color of the parts that make up the vehicle's glazing; the official images are a bit too optimistic on this point. There will also remain a visible axle hole on both sides of the rear of the car, which is visually quite poor.

Upon completion, this Speed ​​Champions-style interpretation of Lightning McQueen strikes me as generally quite acceptable, despite the few flaws mentioned earlier. It's well executed, and the compromise between the imposed format, the available inventory, and the desired result seems very well balanced. One could debate the merits of integrating a vehicle with such a cartoonish design into the Speed ​​Champions universe, which typically features more detailed products, but once again, the subject matter dictates the vehicle's design.

I don't see LEGO releasing Speed ​​Champions versions of all the iconic characters from the franchise anyway; this range isn't designed for that, and it's probably just an occasional digression as a wink to the audience.

The question of price remains, as this product is sold for €27,99, the same price as other products in the range, some of which come with two minifigures. It's understandable that this isn't the case for this one, but the retail price of the box could have been adjusted accordingly, for example to €24,99.

LEGO Speed ​​Champions 77255 Lightning McQueen

27.99 €

BUY

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at November 28, 2025 at 23:59 PM. Simply post a comment under the article to participate. Shipping to the winner will only begin on January 1, 2026.