Tires are what keep us from sliding down the road. They’re made of rubber (and other composite materials) to be sticky and grip the pavement, but Lexus has other ideas. This particular Lexus NX compact SUV is rolling on four tires that look real despite being made entirely out of ice.
The “ice-tyre Lexus NX” sports four hand-sculpted ice tires made from optically perfect, crystal-clear ice. It took a total of three months to complete the project with tires that look real right down to the treads and wheels.
The sculpting work was done by Hamilton Ice Sculptors who have been creating icy works of art for generations. They used a combination of hand-sculpting and technology like laser-scanning, three-dimensional computer-aided design, and multi-axis machining equipment to recreate the Lexus five-twin-spoke alloy wheel and its Yokohama winter tire.
The Lexus NX hybrid received one more icy treatment with a 5-day deep freeze at -30 degreees Centigrade so that the car was coated in a matching layer of ice. Lexus also notes quite proudly that the car started on its first try, ready to roll out on wheels of ice.
Watch the video.
This article originally appeared on Yahoo! Autos.
