Surely everyone knows Origami is the Japanese art of paper folding. Recently, Lexus has taken the art of Origami to a new level when introducing the IS luxury car made of cardboard and can run completely like a normal car.

Called the Origami Car, the cardboard Lexus IS is a marvel to behold. According to Lexus, the idea behind the unique Origami Car is to “celebrate the human craftsmanship that goes into making Lexus cars.”

In Lexus factories in Japan, craftsmen are collectively known as “takumi.” Craftsmen in the Lexus factory demonstrate their skills by learning to fold paper into prototype cars. This is where the Origami Car comes from. At the same time, Lexus wants to emphasize the spirit of its global brand campaign Creating Amazing through the Origami Car.

Of course, the Origami Car is not the work of Lexus alone. Instead, companies with experience in designing and building prototypes, architectural models, and custom-made vehicles such as LaserCut Works and Scales and Models have assisted Lexus in creating the Origami Car.

First, the companies create a virtual 3D model of the Lexus IS luxury sedan. They then cut the model into basic pieces such as the body, dashboard, seats and steering wheel on a computer. These parts are then laser-cut onto 1,700 10-millimeter-thick, two-dimensional cardboard sheets.

The cardboard sheets were laminated together with water-based glue that took 10 minutes to dry. The process of assembling the cardboard sheets took 283.3 hours, or 12 days. It is no wonder that the Origami Car project lasted for 3 months.

Although made of paper, the Origami Car has all the basic components, including a full interior, doors that open like normal, and wheels that turn. In addition, it has a steel and aluminum frame, and hidden wheels powered by an electric motor.

If you want to see the Origami Car in person, you can visit the Grand Design Live Show at the NEC in Birmingham, UK on October 8, 2015.

Some other detailed images of the unique Origami Car: