Land Rover has revealed its new Discovery seven-seat SUV by breaking a Guinness World Record for the largest Lego structure ever built.

Long-term Land Rover Discovery owners Bear Grylls, Sir Ben Ainslie and Zara Phillips took part in the dynamic live reveal in the UK of Land Rover’s most versatile model around a 13-m high Lego version of London’s Tower Bridge.

The new SUV embodies Land Rover’s drive to go Above and Beyond, combining British desirability with an unstoppable spirit of adventure. It is highly desirable with unrivalled capability and technology like no other.

Gerry McGovern, Land Rover’s Chief Design Officer, said: “New Discovery redefines the large SUV. Land Rover’s design and engineering teams have revolutionised the Discovery DNA to create a highly desirable, extremely versatile and hugely capable premium SUV.”

Everyday ingenuity has been at the heart of the Discovery for the last 27 years, with more than 1.2 million customers to date. The new Discovery is for the digital age.  Ingenious technology keeps your family safe, connected and confident on all surfaces, all terrains and in all weathers to ensure your destination is reached.

The fifth-generation model benefits from Land Rover’s strong, safe and light full-size SUV architecture, delivering comfort and adaptability like no other.

The reveal set was made from 5,805,846 individual Lego bricks, breaking the previous Guinness World Record by 470,646 pieces. Laid end to end, the bricks would stretch for almost 200 miles, or from Tower Bridge in London to Paris.

It took five months to construct the structure, on the grounds of Packington Hall in Warwickshire, close to Land Rover’s Solihull plant, where New Discovery will be produced.

As part of the dramatic reveal sequence, British adventurer Grylls appeared in typically exciting fashion by abseiling from the top of the huge Tower Bridge installation, through the open drawbridge and onto the stage beside the New Discovery.

The finale was Land Rover BAR Team Principal Sir Ben Ainslie driving his sailing team through 900-mm-deep water under the bridge – demonstrating the unrivalled capability and versatility of Land Rover’s new SUV. Sir Ben towed a Lego replica of the Land Rover BAR boat, a 186,500-brick meticulous model of the boat that will challenge for next year’s America’s Cup.

The model of Tower Bridge was flanked by two Lego ‘Discovery Zones’ celebrating 27 years of Land Rover Discovery heritage. An Equestrian Zone, hosted by accomplished rider Zara Phillips, featured a typically British picnic scene made entirely from Lego bricks. The Bear Grylls Adventure Zone included a Lego fire and boulders to represent a scene from a typical mountain exploration.

Grylls said: “I have developed a powerful bond with Land Rover vehicles over the years and to me they embody that spirit of adventure coupled with a rugged reliability that also serves the needs of a young family. The Land Rover Discovery is invaluable on expeditions, whether filming in deserts, jungles or mountains, yet it’s still the perfect vehicle for the family's everyday use. It's a proud moment to be here with Land Rover revealing the New Discovery to the world.” 

Emma Owen, Lego UK and Ireland spokeswoman, said: “We are thrilled that Jaguar Land Rover has used Lego bricks to add some Guinness World Record-breaking creativity to the launch of the latest Discovery. This is an epic, outstanding build that absolutely captures the imagination in a way we haven't seen before.  With Lego bricks and some imagination you really can build anything!”