We build Lego Caterham 7 620R
Expert Lego builder – Shahzad’s daughter – builds the latest car kit from Lego and then gets a ride in the real thing
By Shahzad Sheikh
It was fantastic of Caterham & Performance PR in the UK to dispatch the latest from Lego in car kits – the new Caterham Seven 620R – just for me. Of course as soon as I got it, I knew there’d be trouble at home.
Watch the full video by clicking below now
My daughter, Leena, is a massive Lego fan. I once showed her a video of a man building a Ford GT40 model for display at LeMans and she couldn’t understand why this man had access to all these Lego bricks.
When I told her that he actually worked for Lego on making models like this, her little face lit up – ‘THAT’S a job!’ I think a career decision might have been made then and there. So it was inevitable that she’d want in on this.
A winning submission as part of the Lego Ideas program, Carl Greatrix designed the Caterham 7 model, specifically of the 620R. It is a 773-piece set. I haven’t seen it in the Lego stores here yet, so don’t know the local price in Lego stores, but internationally it’s listed at $80.
You can watch the entire build process in the video at the top of this page. Don’t worry it’s speeded up in most parts, it had to be, because between us the process took over four hours. Although I suspect that left to her own devices, Leena alone could’ve built it quicker. She even says as much on the video!
One of the great things about a kit like this, particularly one as intricately detailed as this, is that in building it, Leena got some idea of the construction of the actual car. And she was most fascinated with building the engine and transmission and the interior dashboard.
It was only fair then, that I took her down to compare it to a real Caterham. And whilst there aren’t any 620Rs here in Dubai yet, the guys at the Dubai Caterham Dealership – Eras Customs & Classics – managed to conjure up a yellow example just for us to compare with.
Naturally I had to take upon myself the task to take Leena for a spin in this box-fresh yellow beastie and she got to scream her lungs out in joy. Watch the vid.
Thanks to all involved for making this feature happen.
And no – I’m not giving back, or giving away, the Lego Caterham – it’s sitting in my model car cabinet!
