While just yesterday we heard about the record-winning largest solid 3D printed part, a new entry into the “world’s largest” category has arisen in Europe, and it’s also anything but tacky – it’s amazing, in my opinion. It had to happen sooner or later; since the invention of the 3Doodler, artists have been using it to create increasingly larger, more intricate sculptures. It’s no secret that the freehand 3D printing pen is capable of amazing things, but the world’s largest 3D printing pen-created sculpture, just unveiled in the United Kingdom, is like nothing I’ve ever seen before.
If you’ve ever wondered if the 3Doodler is capable of drawing a full-sized 3D car, the answer is yes. Nissan recently introduced a special limited-release Black Edition of their popular Qashqai crossover, and to celebrate and publicize the release, they took an unusual approach: using a 3Doodler to create a life-sized replica of the car. The company commissioned Grace Du Prez, a talented artist and prolific user of the 3Doodler, to lead a team that would work intensely for three weeks to create a 4.4-meter-long, 1.6-meter-high sculpture – the exact same dimensions of the Qashqai Black.
The actual Qashqai Black
“I’ve been drawing with 3Doodler’s pens for a few years now, but this is by far and away my most ambitious commission to date,” said Du Prez. “It demonstrates how far 3D printing technology has come and how it can be used by anyone.”
The 3Doodled car required a whopping 13.8 kilometers of PLA and 800 man hours to complete, but the material and effort paid off. The final sculpture is a meticulously detailed, striking replica of the Qashqai Black, which is defined by its metallic, pearly black paint, 19-inch “Ibiscus” black alloy wheels, special Black Edition door sills, and silver styling plates at the front and rear. Only 3,360 units will be sold in Europe, so it’s an exclusive edition indeed.
“At Nissan we always encourage initiatives where design can be expressed through new and innovative technologies,” said Koji Nagano, Vice President of Nissan Design Europe. “This artistic team have certainly pushed the boundaries of 3D pen technology in creating an impressive sculpture of our premium Qashqai Black Edition.”
The Qashqai Black Edition is on sale now, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it sold out rather quickly. The distinction of being the first car to be replicated in full size via 3Doodler certainly doesn’t hurt in terms of publicity. I may not typically seek out the world’s largest things on my road trips, but this is one I’d definitely love to see up close. You can get a look at the 3Doodling of the car in the video below, and discuss further in the 3Doodled Car forum over at 3DPB.com.
