Lexus crafts working IS sedan out of cardboard [w/video]
Tue, Oct 6 2015
The replica Lexus IS sedan was commissioned by the Japanese automaker's UK office and made by two British workshops: Scales & Models and LaserCut Works. It's inspired by the Japanese art of origami and made out of cardboard, except for the working parts and the frame made of steel and aluminum. It's got a fully functional interior, opening doors, working headlights, rolling wheels, and an electric motor.
The form is made up of cardboard 10 millimeters (0.4 inches) thick, provided by packaging company DS Smith. The material was laser-cut into 1,700 components, according to a 3D digital model provided by Lexus, and assembled by hand and painstakingly fixed into place by water-based wood glue that has to set for 10 minutes between each step. Little wonder that the whole project took three months to complete.
The finished product will be on display at the NEC in Birmingham later this week during the Grand Designs Live Show. But if you're not planning on heading there yourself, you can check it out in the image gallery above and making-of video below.
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05 Oct 2015
LEXUS UK UNVEILS FULL-SIZE ORIGAMI INSPIRED CAR
REPLICA IS MODEL CELEBRATES LEXUS CRAFTSMANSHIP
• Created as a celebration of the skills of Lexus's takumi craftsmen and women, capturing the spirit of Creating Amazing in design and engineering
• Life-size replica of the Lexus IS, crafted from 1,700 fully recyclable laser-cut cardboard sheets
• Created by a five-strong team of professional designers and modellers from UK specialist companies LaserCut Works and Scales and Models, supported by DS Smith (cardboard manufacturers)
• Powered by an electric motor, the Origami Car can be driven
Brussels, Belgium -
There has never been a Lexus like it: sheet metal, glass and plastics have been set aside for the creation of a one-off life-size model crafted in precision-cut cardboard. The remarkable Lexus Origami Car is a faithful replica of the new IS saloon, produced as a celebration of the human craftsmanship skills that go into every car Lexus makes.
The skilled men and women – known as takumi – who work on the Lexus production lines, hone their dexterity skills by learning how to fold paper into an origami model cat, using only their non-dominant hand. The Origami Car takes the spirit of this talent to a far higher level, while also embracing the spirit of Lexus's Creating Amazing global brand campaign.
The Origami Car has a fully fitted interior, functioning doors, headlights and rolling wheels. Thanks to an electric motor mounted on its steel and aluminium frame, it can even be driven.
In terms of size and complexity, the project was an unprecedented undertaking for LaserCut Works and Scales and Models, UK-based specialist companies with extensive experience in the design and creation of prototypes, architectural models and bespoke commissions.
Ruben Marcos, Scales and Models Company founder and director explained: "This was a very demanding job, with five people involved in the digital design, modelling, laser cutting and assembly. Just like Lexus, we were committed to producing the best possible quality."
The creative process presented the team with a series of tough challenges: "The seats took a few attempts to get just right and the wheels required a lot of refining. Once we could see the physical pieces taking shape, we could identify where we needed to make improvements – as with anything, there were some elements of trial and error, but as we had all the resources we needed in-house, this made the changes easier to produce."
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 for the laser cutting of each of the 1,700 sheets of 10mm-thick of cardboard – supplied by packaging experts DS Smith. Each layer was given its own reference number to help ensure it was assembled in the right sequence and the entire assembly was done by hand. A water-based/wood glue was used, which had to be left to set for 10 minutes after each application. Accuracy was vital, as changes couldn't be made once the glue had dried. In all, the Origami Car took three months to build.
"In effect we created our own vehicle production line," said Ruben. "There was a lot of repetition in the process and we had to work with military precision, just like the teams that make the real Lexus cars."
This unique vehicle will be revealed to the public as a star attraction at the Grand Designs Live Show at the NEC in Birmingham, from 8 October.
LEXUS UK UNVEILS FULL-SIZE ORIGAMI INSPIRED CAR
REPLICA IS MODEL CELEBRATES LEXUS CRAFTSMANSHIP
• Created as a celebration of the skills of Lexus's takumi craftsmen and women, capturing the spirit of Creating Amazing in design and engineering
• Life-size replica of the Lexus IS, crafted from 1,700 fully recyclable laser-cut cardboard sheets
• Created by a five-strong team of professional designers and modellers from UK specialist companies LaserCut Works and Scales and Models, supported by DS Smith (cardboard manufacturers)
• Powered by an electric motor, the Origami Car can be driven
Brussels, Belgium -
There has never been a Lexus like it: sheet metal, glass and plastics have been set aside for the creation of a one-off life-size model crafted in precision-cut cardboard. The remarkable Lexus Origami Car is a faithful replica of the new IS saloon, produced as a celebration of the human craftsmanship skills that go into every car Lexus makes.
The skilled men and women – known as takumi – who work on the Lexus production lines, hone their dexterity skills by learning how to fold paper into an origami model cat, using only their non-dominant hand. The Origami Car takes the spirit of this talent to a far higher level, while also embracing the spirit of Lexus's Creating Amazing global brand campaign.
The Origami Car has a fully fitted interior, functioning doors, headlights and rolling wheels. Thanks to an electric motor mounted on its steel and aluminium frame, it can even be driven.
In terms of size and complexity, the project was an unprecedented undertaking for LaserCut Works and Scales and Models, UK-based specialist companies with extensive experience in the design and creation of prototypes, architectural models and bespoke commissions.
Ruben Marcos, Scales and Models Company founder and director explained: "This was a very demanding job, with five people involved in the digital design, modelling, laser cutting and assembly. Just like Lexus, we were committed to producing the best possible quality."
The creative process presented the team with a series of tough challenges: "The seats took a few attempts to get just right and the wheels required a lot of refining. Once we could see the physical pieces taking shape, we could identify where we needed to make improvements – as with anything, there were some elements of trial and error, but as we had all the resources we needed in-house, this made the changes easier to produce."
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 for the laser cutting of each of the 1,700 sheets of 10mm-thick of cardboard – supplied by packaging experts DS Smith. Each layer was given its own reference number to help ensure it was assembled in the right sequence and the entire assembly was done by hand. A water-based/wood glue was used, which had to be left to set for 10 minutes after each application. Accuracy was vital, as changes couldn't be made once the glue had dried. In all, the Origami Car took three months to build.
"In effect we created our own vehicle production line," said Ruben. "There was a lot of repetition in the process and we had to work with military precision, just like the teams that make the real Lexus cars."
This unique vehicle will be revealed to the public as a star attraction at the Grand Designs Live Show at the NEC in Birmingham, from 8 October.
Featured Gallery Lexus IS: Cardboard Replica
- News Source: Lexus
- Auto News
- Green
- Lexus
- Electric
- Luxury
- Sedan
- lexus is
- model
- cardboard
By Noah Joseph
See also: Lexus adds RC 200t, RC 300 AWD for 2016, What does a million-mile car really tell us?, Pontiac Aztek enjoys rebirth thanks to Millennials.