The end of the year marks a premiere in the automotive world, as Lexus partnered up with a bunch of ice sculpture specialists and created the world’s first set of working wheels made entirely from ice.
The wheels were created by Hamilton Ice Sculptors in London, who, after three months of research, designing and testing, managed to fit the icy wheels on the Lexus NX, which had also been deep-frozen and stored for five days at -30 degrees Celsius. The engine had no problems starting after this experience, company officials stated.
The sculptors, who have more than 30 years of experience in ice sculpting, hand-crafted each wheel to the millimeter-perfect finish in 36 hours with the help of Japanese steel chisels and shaping tools.
According to Richard Balshaw, Lexus Director, “creating amazing is what Lexus is about.” This is not its first unique project, as Toyota’s luxury brand is also responsible for the hoverboard or the origami-inspired cardboard car. Balshaw has also stated that all these projects are meant to demonstrate how his company uses advanced technologies together with the best craftsmanship to achieve outstanding results.
Although the wheels made of ice are a cool feature, when spring comes, the NX will get back to the “boring” alloy wheels that all cars have.
According to Trusted Reviews, a special episode about this frosty project will be aired in a TV program called ”A Frozen Christmas,” on Channel 4 on December 28.
Many carmakers kicked off the winter holiday mood in their own way. Jaguar presented its F-Sleigh ice sculpture, Ford also built a sleigh but from two Fiesta bodies, and Volkswagen made a Christmas card featuring Santa Claus and the Passat Alltrack, unveiled earlier this year at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show.
The NX marks Lexus’ entry into the mid-size premium crossover market. The range includes both the full hybrid NX300h and the NX200t, powered by the new 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine.
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