Driving on ice, taken to an extreme: Luxury carmaker Lexus recently produced a set of wheels made of solid ice for its Lexus NX crossover. The company commissioned the design and creation of a set of icy wheels from London-based Hamilton Ice Sculptors, a business specializing in large-scale snow and ice creations.
Three months of planning and design work went into the conception of the wheels, while the actual sculpting took a team of four craftsmen 36 hours to complete. The wheels and tires were designed based on a laser scan of the actual Lexus NX components, and were reinforced during construction with acrylic inserts to allow the wheels to withstand the weight of the car. Special care was taken to ensure the water used was fully clear and translucent, and a special touch of bling was supplied by LED lights fitted into each tire.
As to why Lexus would undertake such a project, Lexus Director Richard Balshaw was succinct in his explanation: “Creating amazing is what Lexus is all about.” The Lexus-on-ice project follows in the steps of other out-of-the-box endeavors by the carmaker, such as an origami-inspired cardboard car and a Lexus hoverboard.