Lexus IS Origami, the World’s Most Elaborate Refrigerator Box
This sedan maintains the most lightweight, eco-friendly body shell in its class…so long as it’s parked far from water and heat sources.
Ever in that “pursuit of perfection,” Lexus has said to hell with carbon fiber, the exotic material it pioneered on the LFA supercar, and hello to corrugated cardboard. The idea: Hire a pair of U.K. architectural model shops to reimagine the ho-hum entry-level IS sedan in brown, papery precision. The result is a 1:1 scale car hewn from the finest quality 0.4-inches thick cardboard. It’s what Solid Snake would drive.
Over three months, the two shops chopped the factory CAD files into 1,700 unique pieces, cut them with lasers, and glued them together by hand. Underneath is essentially a metal bed frame attaching a few chassis components, including an electric motor, which allows a slow, windowless cruise around the block. The finished product, with functional doors and lights, is incredibly layered and textured, right down to the headrests. The 10-spoke wheels make the Shelby GT350R’s carbon fiber rims look like anvils.
Lexus is calling this the “world’s first origami car,” and says the idea was to capture “the human craftsmanship skills that go into every car.” We’re not sure cardboard was the best material for conveying luxury, but kudos to Lexus for recycling.
