Brick By Brick: Does This Repair Get Billed by the Hour or by the Brick?

Toronto, Ontario -- I walked into the Canadian International AutoShow expecting to see cutting-edge technology, wild concepts, and the future of collision repair challenges. I just didn’t think the biggest question would be: How do you write an estimate for a fender bender on a life-size LEGO McLaren P1?

Now, I’m used to looking at cars and thinking, How much of a nightmare would this be to repair? But this? This was a whole new level.

First of all, it’s made of 342,817 LEGO Technic pieces. Which means, if it ever gets into a collision, do we need to follow OEM repair procedures? Do we need a LEGO-certified structural technician to piece it back together? Will the repair estimate be in dollars or in minifigure currency?

And what happens if a few bricks go missing? I’ve seen insurance write off entire vehicles for a misaligned ADAS sensor—what happens when we can’t find a crucial 2x4 Technic connector that rolled under the workbench? Are we scanning LEGO Marketplace for a salvaged part, or does the shop have to custom order a whole new McLaren-approved brick assembly?

Speaking of insurance… good luck getting this one covered. Can you imagine submitting a claim?

Adjuster: “What was the point of impact?”
Me: “Somewhere between the rear diffuser and the childhood nostalgia.”
Adjuster: “And what’s the repair plan?”
Me: “About six weeks of swearing and a YouTube tutorial.”

And let’s talk about repair time. If a shop follows OEM procedures to the letter, will the technicians have to sort every piece by size and color first, like a kid dumping out a LEGO box before starting a build? And what’s the labour rate for brick reassembly? Because if it’s anything like a real McLaren, I’m guessing it’s a five-digit number per hour.

But the biggest question of all—if we don’t follow McLaren’s official repair guidelines and just slap it back together with super glue… will that void the warranty?

One thing’s for sure: if this thing ever ends up in a DRP shop, I’m betting the insurer will total it faster than you can say “we don’t pay for plastic welding.”