Lexus has created a full-size vehicle made out of recyclable laser-cut cardboard sheets. The Lexus Origami Car looks much like the Lexus IS Sedan, but instead, most of the metal, glass, and plastics from the standard production of the car have been replaced by 1,700 cardboard sheets.
To create the Lexus Origami Car, Lexus teamed up with London-based LaserCut Works and Scales and Models. Lexus says the Origami Car is a “celebration of the human craftsmanship skills that go into every car Lexus makes.”
The car has a full interior, functioning doors, headlights, and rolling wheels. The car can even be driven, thanks to an electric motor mounted on its steel and aluminium frame.
Lexus provided the team with a digital 3D model of the IS, which was then divided into a series of principal parts, such as the main body, dashboard, seats, and wheels. These were then digitally rendered in 10mm “slices” to provide the two-dimensional profiles needed to laser cut each of the 1,700 sheets of cardboard. Keeping everything together is a water-based wood glue.
It took 3 months to build the Origami car. “This was a very demanding job, with five people involved in the digital design, modeling, laser cutting, and assembly. Just like Lexus, we were committed to producing the best possible quality,” stated Ruben Marcos, Scales and Models Company founder and director.
The cardboard Origami Car will be on show as part of the Grand Designs Live event at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham, UK, from 8th to 11th of October.
