According to the Lexus press release, the Lexus Origami Car’s main body, interiors, and the wheels are made from 1,700 laser-cut cardboard sheets.
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The origami IS features electric power and is able to roll along thanks to an electric motor and a cleverly hidden set of conventional tires. The replica of a Lexus IS saloon is a drivable, full-sized sculpture exploring the manufacturer’s promise of “Creating Amazing” and showcasing the human craftsmanship that goes into each Lexus vehicle. In particular, Lexus was referring to the skilled workers, also called “takumi”, who stand behind the company’s production lines. In order to create something extraordinary all you need are the appropriate tools, imagination, creativity and a lot of hard work.
Professional origami designer Mark Bolitho said: “This auto is inspired, the inspiration was the engineers can make a paper cat and they can take it further using the same materials, the same underlying inspiration which is a folded paper object and come up with what you see today”.
In the early 1970s, architect Frank Gehry earned his first design awards for clever furniture made from corrugated cardboard, triggering an explosion of creative experimentation with this then-century-old material that had been mostly used for protective packaging. But with their latest project, they’ve gone back to basics. In total, the process took three months.
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The vehicle will be put on as part of an exhibit at the Grand Designs Live at the National Exhibition Center in Birmingham from Thursday, October 8.
