Legoland’s Wild Ride

The cars on Legoland California’s new Technic Coaster appear to be built of giant Lego bricks--a design gimmick that makes the roller-coaster look like an oversized toy.

That’s not unusual, given that most of the rides in the Carlsbad theme park rely heavily on the blocky, bumpy Lego aesthetic.

But, this time, actual Lego pieces were used to design the dune-buggy-style cars.

Lego modelers built small-scale plastic prototypes out of Technic bricks, which were then used to create detailed molds for the full-size cars--right down to the copyright symbol on the overinflated tires.

“We built the car out of Lego first and then gave it to [the coaster manufacturer] to build,” said Justin East, a designer for Lego Global Family Attractions. “It was developed by the same people who build the retail models.”

The coaster, which opened last week, takes riders on a spin through an imaginary test track--the conceit being that the test goes awry and sends the cars careening around a series of hairpin turns before zipping back to the station.

It’s a wild, short spin--1,340 feet in two minutes--and the highest, fastest ride in the park, which caters to kids under 12.

Designers wanted the black and blue coaster to look faster and more intimidating than it actually is. The biggest drop is 42 feet. Top speed: 26 mph.

“It’s one of those rites of passage and achievement,” said Scott Mallwitz, director of design for Lego Global Family Attractions. “Kids aspire to get on this.”

And Legoland aspires to keep older kids interested in the park longer. The coaster, the first ride keyed off Lego’s more complex Technic toys, is part of a long-term expansion of the park.

Next Up: A Diner and

a Teacups-Style Ride

Later this year, the park will open a Technic-themed diner that overlooks the coaster. And next year, East said, a plaza next to the coaster will be used for a teacups-style ride.

The coaster was built by the German company Mack Gmbh, which also constructed the Mulholland Madness ride at Disney’s California Adventure. The two rides are similar Wild Mouse-style coasters that whisk riders through a series of tight switchbacks.

Because the four-person cars sit high on the narrow tracks, riders feel like they are being pitched off the track at every turn.

Legoland’s ride differs from most Wild Mouse coasters because it includes a relatively long first drop before sending riders through the switchbacks. It’s also much smoother than most and the turns are not quite as jarring.

Legoland refused to disclose the cost of the coaster, but Mallwitz said it was the single most expensive ride added since the park opened two years ago. East said each car cost as much to build as a new Porsche Boxster. (The base retail price for a Boxster is $42,100 to $50,200 for the souped-up Boxster S.)

Much of the expense stemmed from the unique molds used to render Lego in fiberglass and steel. Frieder Rehm, head of design for Mack, said it was the first time his company has created such a complex and detailed coaster car.

“When you look at Lego Technic toys, it’s really difficult,” Rehm said. “When Lego normally does this for toys, they do it in a very high number. For them it’s possible to build a very good model for tooling. For us, it’s difficult for just 20 vehicles.

“But the result speaks for itself,” Rehm said.

* Legoland California, One Lego Drive, Carlsbad. Open daily, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Adults $38, children 3-16 $32, under 3 free. Parking $7. (760) 918-5346.