Yahoo Finance Lexus creates fully functioning ice wheels
Does all this warm Canadian weather and the potential for an unexpectedly green holiday season have you wishing for ice cold weather? Odds are probably not. Perhaps these new, fully functioning set of ice wheels Lexus just rolled out will change your mind!
The ice wheels took 36 hours to complete and both the wheels and the car on top of them had to be frozen at -30 degrees Celsius for five days in order to ensure the car could safely drive. All four wheels were crafted with incredible detail and built specifically for the Lexus NX model. It took a team of specialists and sculptors three months to conduct all the research, do the testing and ultimately come out with a realistic design that could actually be bolted onto a moving car. A closer look at the video shows just how detailed the wheels themselves are, including treads and of course all-important LED lighting, just for added effect.
Those that follow Lexus closely will know that this ice wheel promotional stunt isn’t exactly the company’s first rodeo. In October, Lexus revealed a fully functional car made out of cardboard. This past summer, the Lexus hoverboard was born. Of course the latter invention wasn’t actually real, but let’s be honest, who can really tell the difference anymore?
It’s all part of an attempt by the company to highlight superiority in design and craftsmanship in the always-competitive automotive marketplace. It’s unlikely that causing consumers to dream of what it would be like to scoot around on a “Back To The Future”-esque hoverboard will sell more cars, but hey, seeing outside-the-box ideas in motion is definitely a creative spin on advertising.
As far as actually driving around on cool-looking ice wheels is concerned, it did indeed happen in London, England. There’s no word on how the ice wheel version of the NX model did in traffic when trying to brake, however. For now, it’s probably better to stick to conventional rubber tires on your vehicle until someone can prove ice wheels won’t melt during rush hour traffic.
It’s ironic that Lexus’ latest gimmick has to do with ice, because the company’s creative minds have clearly been on fire in terms of turning crazy concepts into reality over the last few months. What’s next? A fully functioning sleigh complete with leather interior for Santa Claus?
