Speed Champions Buying Guide 2026

The Fastest Growing LEGO Theme

Speed Champions has quietly become one of LEGO's most successful product lines. What started as a handful of licensed sports cars has expanded into a sprawling catalog that covers Formula 1, classic cars, movie vehicles, and automotive legends. In 2026 alone, there are over 50 Speed Champions and Speed Champions-adjacent sets available across multiple subthemes.

For collectors and car enthusiasts, the volume is both exciting and overwhelming. Which sets are worth the shelf space? Which ones deliver the best build experience for the price? And if you're collecting a specific category -- the F1 grid, for example -- which sets should you prioritize?

We've reviewed every Speed Champions set currently available. This guide organizes them by category, ranks them within each category, and gives you our honest recommendation on what to buy, what to skip, and what to grab before it disappears from shelves.

Category 1: The F1 Grid (Speed Champions 8-Wide)

The complete 2025 Formula 1 grid in 8-wide Speed Champions form. Ten teams, ten cars, each with a driver minifigure in team livery. These are the sets that launched the F1 craze in the LEGO community.

Top 3 F1 Speed Champions

1. Williams FW46 (77249) - Score: 9.22. The highest-scored Speed Champions car we've reviewed. The blue and white livery is clean, the proportions are excellent, and the build introduces some techniques that the other F1 cars don't use. If you're buying one F1 Speed Champions car, this is it. Full review

2. APXGP F1 Movie Car (77252) - Score: 8.92. The car from the Brad Pitt F1 film. The fictional livery gives it a unique look on the shelf -- it doesn't match any real team, which makes it stand out in a lineup of ten real-world liveries. Full review

3. Ferrari SF-24 (77242) - Score: 8.80. Red car, red brand, instant recognition. The Ferrari consistently sells more than any other individual F1 Speed Champions car, and the build quality justifies it. Full review

Complete F1 Grid Rankings

Should you collect the whole grid? If you're an F1 fan, the answer is probably yes. Displayed together, ten cars lined up in grid formation is one of the most visually striking Speed Champions displays possible. Total cost for all ten team cars: approximately $250. That's less than a single Technic F1 car.

We're giving away an Audi F1 R26 right now: Enter the giveaway

Category 2: Supercars and Sports Cars

The traditional core of Speed Champions. Licensed road cars from Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, McLaren, BMW, Mercedes, and Aston Martin. These are the sets that car enthusiasts collect regardless of racing interest.

Top 5 Supercars

1. Lamborghini Revuelto and Huracan (77238) - Score: 8.80. A two-car pack that delivers exceptional value. Both builds are satisfying, and the contrasting liveries (one light, one dark) display beautifully side by side. At the two-for-one price point, this is the best value in the supercar category.

2. Ferrari SF90 XX Stradale (77254) - Score: 8.70. The hypercar treatment. The aggressive aero elements and the red-black color scheme create a set that looks faster sitting still than most cars do at speed. A strong display piece.

3. Porsche 911 GT3 RS (77239) - Score: 8.70. The Porsche that earns its place on any car collector's shelf. The 911 silhouette is one of the most recognizable in automotive history, and LEGO captured it well at 8-wide scale.

4. Ford Mustang Dark Horse (76920) - Score: 8.66. American muscle at Speed Champions scale. The Mustang's aggressive front end and wide stance translate well to brick. A must for American car enthusiasts.

5. McLaren W1 (77257) - Score: 8.60. McLaren's hypercar rendered in the Speed Champions format. The teardrop cabin and aggressive rear aero make this one of the more distinctive silhouettes in the 2026 lineup.

Other notable supercars: Bugatti Vision GT (77253, 8.50), Bugatti Centodieci (77240, 8.50), Honda S2000 (77241, 8.50), Dodge Challenger (77237, 8.40).

Category 3: Movie and Classic Cars

Speed Champions has expanded beyond pure automotive brands into movie vehicles and historical icons. These sets attract a broader audience than the licensed supercars.

1. DeLorean Time Machine (77256) - Score: 9.10. The Back to the Future car is the best non-F1 Speed Champions set available. Gullwing doors that actually open. Doc Brown and Marty McFly minifigures. Universal nostalgia. At $24.99, this is arguably the best value in the entire Speed Champions catalog.

2. Lightning McQueen (77255) - Score: 8.40. The Cars franchise enters Speed Champions. Love it or dismiss it -- this set will sell to every family with a child who grew up on Pixar's racing films. The character car design translates surprisingly well to the 8-wide format.

3. NASCAR Camaro ZL1 (76935) - Score: 8.24. Oval racing meets Speed Champions. The NASCAR livery stickers are extensive but the finished result is distinctly American motorsport on your shelf.

Category 4: Two-Car Packs

Speed Champions regularly releases two-car packs that offer built-in display pairings and better per-car value. These are the strongest value plays in the theme.

Lamborghini Revuelto + Huracan (77238) - Score: 8.80. Two Lamborghinis for the price of one premium single car. The display pairing is natural and the color contrast works.

Mercedes-AMG G63 + SL63 (76924) - Score: 8.58. An SUV and a sports car from the same brand. Different body styles create visual variety on display.

Aston Martin Vantage + AMR23 (76925) - Score: 8.48. A road car and its F1 safety car sibling. The matching green livery ties them together thematically.

BMW M4 GT3 + M Hybrid V8 (76922) - Score: 7.94. The lowest-scored two-pack in the lineup. The BMW builds are competent but the 71-sticker count on the M Hybrid is excessive. Buy only if you're a BMW loyalist.

Category 5: Technic Scale (1:8)

For builders who want engineering depth and display-scale presence. These are weekend-long builds with working mechanisms.

1. McLaren MCL39 (42228) - Score: 9.36. The best Technic car in the current catalog. Working DRS. Papaya orange livery. 1,675 pieces of engineering satisfaction.

2. Red Bull RB20 (42206) - Score: 9.20. Functional steering with realistic camber changes. Dark blue authority.

3. Ferrari SF-24 (42207) - Score: 9.10. Pushrod suspension. Rosso Corsa heritage. Smallest of the three at 1,361 pieces but no less satisfying.

We wrote the full 3-way comparison: Technic F1 Showdown

Other Technic cars: Lamborghini Revuelto (42214, 8.70), Porsche GT3R Rexy (42224, 8.52), Ford GT40 MkII (42223, 8.60), Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport (42222, 8.40).

Category 6: Icons Scale

The premium tier. Historical cars at collector scale with display stands and plaques.

1. Ferrari F2004 Schumacher (11375) - Score: 9.40. The EARL APPROVED F1 legend. Seven championships distilled into 735 bricks.

2. Williams FW14B Mansell (10353) - Score: 9.30. Active suspension era. The F1 purist's choice.

3. Shelby Cobra (10357) - Score: 8.90. American racing heritage in blue and white. A different era, a different kind of speed.

4. Ford Model T (11376) - Score: 8.70. Where automotive history begins. A build that teaches as much as it displays.

Full comparison: Ferrari F2004 vs Williams FW14B

Buying Strategy by Budget

$25 - One Great Car

DeLorean Time Machine (77256). Best single Speed Champions purchase at any price point. Universal appeal, excellent build, iconic design.

$50 - A Pairing

Lamborghini two-pack (77238). Two cars, two display styles, one purchase. Best value in Speed Champions.

$100 - The F1 Starter

Pick your four favorite F1 teams from the grid ranking above. Four cars at ~$25 each creates a mini-grid that displays beautifully in a 2x2 formation.

$250 - The Complete Grid

All ten F1 team cars. Lined up in grid formation, this is one of the most impressive Speed Champions displays possible. Add the DeLorean for a conversation starter at the end of the row.

$500+ - The Full Collection

Complete F1 grid + one Technic F1 car (McLaren MCL39 recommended) + one Icons car (Ferrari F2004 recommended) + DeLorean. This covers every scale and era of Speed Champions in a single display that tells the full story of automotive building in LEGO.

What's Coming

May 1 brings the LEGO Editions F1 helmets: Lewis Hamilton (43022) and Charles Leclerc (43014), both at 884+ pieces. These complement the car collection with driver-focused display pieces. Full helmet guide.

For the complete set-by-set review archive, see Every Speed Champions Set Reviewed.

Track prices on any Speed Champions set at GameSetBrick.

Display Tips for Speed Champions Collectors

Speed Champions cars are small enough that display approach matters more than it does for larger sets. A single 8-wide car on a shelf looks lost. Ten of them in a grid look like a museum exhibit. The difference is entirely in how you organize the collection.

The Grid Formation: Line up your F1 cars in two rows of five, mimicking an actual F1 starting grid. Place the highest-scored car at the front (pole position) and work backward. The visual effect is immediately striking -- ten different liveries creating a rainbow of motorsport color. Use a black LEGO baseplate or a dark shelf surface to make the colors pop.

The Brand Garage: Group cars by manufacturer rather than type. All Ferraris together. All Lamborghinis together. This works particularly well if you collect across Speed Champions and Technic -- a Speed Champions Ferrari SF-24 next to a Technic Ferrari SF-24 creates a scale comparison that visitors always comment on.

The Timeline: Arrange chronologically from oldest to newest. Ford Model T on the left, through the Shelby Cobra, the classic F1 cars, the modern supercars, and ending with the 2026 Audi R26 on the right. This tells the story of automotive evolution in brick, and the design progression from car to car is genuinely interesting.

The Ikea Approach: LEGO Speed Champions cars fit perfectly in IKEA Kallax shelf units. Each compartment holds 3-4 cars comfortably. A full Kallax unit (4x4) can display 48-64 cars with room to breathe. The white shelving makes the car colors the focal point.

Risers: Acrylic display risers transform a flat shelf into a tiered display. Three levels of risers let you show more cars in less horizontal space while ensuring every car is visible from the front. This is the single most impactful display upgrade for a Speed Champions collection.

For more display strategies, see our LEGO Display Ideas guide.