RC Toyota Hilux Pickup Truck Drives Under the Ice Crust of a Frozen Lake

We’ve seen all that, but we’ve definitely never seen one drive under the ice formed on top of a lake. That’s a really crazy thing to do, regardless of how versatile your remote car is, because should anything go wrong, you’re either going to experience the life of a polar bear by trying to pick the car out of the water, or you’re going to be left without your toy until spring, when the water will hopefully get warmer.

But it seems like Toyotas are capable cars in the RC world as well, as the pickup truck fares without any problems on the lake’s bed. Seeing the white truck drive under the thin sheet of ice is one of the weirdest things ever, even though if you think about it, it’s not that big of a deal.

Since most RCs run on electric motors, they don’t need air to run, so that’s taken care of. Then, all you need to do is waterproof everything so you don’t end up short-circuiting the whole rig. Check, double check, add some more insulation if needed and then you’re good to go.

The underwater trip isn’t the only highlight of the clip, as the truck also makes a pretty daunting exit from the frozen lake by climbing the steep, rocky bank with relative ease. Two later attempts to repeat the feat end in misery, as the car topples over and has to be picked up by hand.

But as surprising as it is to see a radio-controlled model car going underneath the ice, it isn’t nearly as fun as driving on top of it. The off-road tires prove to be slippery enough for a few drifts - in reverse - and the plus side is that you don’t have to worry about the car falling into the water.