Automotive company Lexus has constructed a drivable car constructed mostly out of cardboard. The company teamed up with designers and modelers from the companies of LaserCut Works, Scales and Models and packing material company DS Smith to build the automobile.
The car is commonly being referred to as the “Origami Car”. It is a full-size replica of the IS Sport Sedan from Lexus. The car is almost as completely functional as its counterpart.
The bulk of the car consists of 1,700 laser-cut sheets of corrugated cardboard. However, the car does utilize a steel and aluminum frame to give it a foundation. The cardboard that is used is fully recyclable and friendly to the environment.
The interior of the automobile is totally complete. The headlights work, the doors open and close and the wheels roll. The car even has an electric motor, making it totally green. It can be driven just like any other electric vehicle.
However, it is unknown how it would hold up in the rain.
The team constructed the car by using 3D models of the IS Sports Sedan. The project was divided into sections to make the work easier. Each individual section of the car was digitally rendered, and its data was entered into a smart laser cutter. Every piece of cardboard received its own reference number, and in the end, there were 1,700 pieces of cardboard in total. The team then proceeded to assemble the vehicle.
The process took three months to complete.
The builders confess that not everything went perfectly. Getting the seats and the wheels positioned correctly required a large amount of readjusting. The team quickly grew accustomed to the practice of trial and error.
But after their hard work was over, they produced a successful paper car.
The design will be revealed on Oct. 8 at the Grand Designs Live presentation in the United Kingdom. Lexus has no plans to produce the concept cardboard vehicle.
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