Your vote could bring to life one of the coolest Lego cars ever made

Just look at the blue, the gold wheels and the rear spoiler for any rally enthusiast to recognize the car. Now, Colin McRae’s Subaru Impreza WRC can get an official version in building pieces: a project submitted to the Lego Ideas platform by user TOMOELL recreates the machine in 1,925 pieces and disputes the 10 votes necessary for the Danish manufacturer to evaluate turning it into an off-the-shelf product.

The model reproduces the Impreza WRC98, a two-door coupe that the Scotsman used in his last season for the official Subaru team. The design captures the blue of the 555 Subaru World Rally Team, the gold wheels, the air intake on the hood and the auxiliary headlights on the bumper. The number 3 on the door refers to the 1998 Monte Carlo Rally, a race in which McRae and navigator Nicky Grist finished third, behind Carlos Sainz and Juha Kankkunen. It was also the driver’s position in the championship that year, with three wins.

Three scenes in one set

The proposal differs in that it is not just a static model. Accompanied by a McRae minifigure, the replica works as a modular diorama and allows you to assemble three different situations: a drift, with angled wheels and clouds of dust made of beige parts; a jump, with the car raised on the base; and a service park, with hydraulic jack, trestles and tool cart — in this case, with the wheels removed, as in the real assistance.

What is missing to become a product

The road to the store is long and full of deadlines. According to Lego Ideas rules, a project needs to add 100 supporters in 60 days, a thousand in a year, 5 thousand in six months and then reach 10 thousand in another six months. Whoever misses any stage goes back to square one. Once the mark is reached, the proposal enters an analysis that usually takes months and involves production feasibility, cost and licensing – in this case, with Subaru and the owners of the image rights of McRae, who died in 2007 in a helicopter accident.

The reward, if the project is approved, is defined in the contract: the creator receives 1% of the net sales of the set, ten units of the product and credit on the packaging. Not every member of the “10,000 club” gets there — Lego has already closed entire evaluation cycles without approving any project. On the favorable side, the brand has been betting on automotive icons and has a ready audience in the Subaru and 1990s rally fan base.