This Lexus NX project could redefine skidpad testing, at least for part of the circle.
In the latest automotive marketing ploy, Lexus has shown the world’s first set of working wheels and tires made from frozen water. The project by Hamilton Ice Sculptors, a London-based business with experience in producing publicity grabbing work. On the Lexus NX its actual production wheels and tires were laser scanned and replicated using computer design. The addition of in-wheel LED lighting added another dimension to the NX stunt.
Four sculptors worked for 36 hours to produce each wheel. The production looking finish was achieved by using Japanese steel chisels and shaping tools. Even the tread patterns on the tires were reproduced.
The ice was made from softened water taken from a moving flow to ensure it was perfectly clear when taken from the freezer. Acrylic inserts were added to ensure the wheels could take the load of the NX.
It Actually Moved
The small SUV was deep-frozen, stored for five days at -30°C (it started the first time) before being driven off down a London road.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
