How to display a 1:8 Technic supercar

A finished 1:8 Technic car is about two feet long. That is the first thing to plan for. This guide takes the dimensions LEGO publishes for the four large Technic cars we carry, the McLaren P1 42172, the Ferrari Daytona SP3 42143, the Bugatti Chiron 42083 and the Koenigsegg Sadair's Spear Megacar 42232, and turns them into shelf sizes. The rest is practical advice on light and dust that applies to any display model.

About the scale

LEGO describes the McLaren P1, the Ferrari Daytona SP3 and the Bugatti Chiron as 1:8 scale models. Its page for the Koenigsegg Sadair's Spear does not state a scale, but at over 23 inches long it takes the same shelf space as the other three. LEGO gives every one of these measurements as "over", so treat them as minimums and leave a margin.

Side-on or nose-out: the depth you need

The way you turn the car decides how deep the shelf has to be. Side-on, with the long side facing the room, the shelf only needs to be as deep as the car is wide: over 9.5 inches for the McLaren and the Ferrari, 11 inches for the Koenigsegg and 12.5 inches for the Bugatti. Side-on also shows the profile and the doors. Nose-out, the shelf needs the full length of the car, 22 to 23 inches deep. Angling the car looks good, but it needs almost as much depth as nose-out: at 45 degrees, a footprint of 23 by 9.5 inches takes about 23 inches of depth. Measure the shelf before you build, not after.

Shelf checklist

• Depth, side-on: the car's width plus a margin. That is over 9.5 inches for the McLaren and the Ferrari, 11 for the Koenigsegg and 12.5 for the Bugatti.
• Length, side-on: 22 to 23 inches per car. Four cars in one row need about 91 inches, plus the gaps between them.
• Nose-out in a row: the widths add up to about 42.5 inches across for all four, but every car needs 23 inches of depth.
• Height: the cars are 5 to 6 inches high with everything closed. If you want to show the doors open, build first, open them, and measure again before you choose the shelf.
• Support: use a sturdy shelf fixed to the wall. A car that falls loses more than a few pieces.

Show the details

Each car has a feature worth leaving in view. The Ferrari comes with a decorated display plate, and like the McLaren and the Bugatti it carries a unique serial number. The McLaren has butterfly doors and an adjustable rear wing. On the Bugatti, the top speed key switches the active rear wing from handling to top speed position, and the rear lid shows the W16 engine with moving pistons. On the Koenigsegg, lifting the rear clam engages ghost mode, and the doors and front hood sweep open in one movement while the mirrors fold. A car displayed with one of these open tells more of the build than one closed up.

Light

Keep the cars out of direct sunlight. Months of strong sun can fade colors and stickers, and a hot window ledge is no place for a plastic model. Damage from sunlight or heat after delivery is also outside our 90-day warranty, so placement is worth a minute of thought. If you want to light a shelf, LED strips run cool and hide easily under the shelf above. Aim the light from the front or from above, not from behind, so the bodywork lines read clearly.

Dust

Dust settles into every gap on a Technic model. A soft, clean makeup brush or a soft paintbrush lifts it without moving parts out of place. A short burst of canned air, held at a distance, clears the engine bay and the wheel arches. Keep water and cleaning sprays away from the stickers. If you would rather not dust at all, a clear acrylic case does the job. Size it from the table above, with room to spare on every side, and taller if you plan to show the doors open. Keep the booklet with the car; the Bugatti's is a color collector's booklet.