Wooden Toyota Setsuna concept to debut at Milan Design Week
07 Mar 2016|1,245 views
Next month, Toyota will make a fittingly stylish first appearance at Milan Design Week by debuting the Setsuna, an attractive new concept car made primarily of wood.
The decision to use wood reflects Toyota's efforts to give form to the developing relationships between people and their cars. The Setsuna symbolises how cars undergo a gradual transformation over the years, as if absorbing the aspirations, memories, and emotions of multiple generations of a family.
Wood provides a unique medium to carry this idea - it changes in colouration and texture in response to its environment (particularly temperature and humidity) and conditions of use, taking on a unique character and depth. It can also last for many generations if properly taken care of.
Kenji Tsuji, the Toyota engineer overseeing development of the Setsuna, said of his process, "We evaluated various ways to express the concept and selected different lumber materials for specific applications, such as Japanese cedar for the exterior panels and Japanese birch for the frame. We also paid particular attention to the sizes and arrangements of individual parts. For the assembly structure, we adopted a traditional Japanese joinery technique called okuriari which does not use any nails or screws. The completed body line of the Setsuna expresses a beautiful curve reminiscent of a boat. We would also like the viewer to imagine how the Setsuna will gradually develop a complex and unique character over the years. The car includes a 100-year meter that will keep time over generations, and seats that combine functional beauty with the gentle hue of the wood."
Next month, Toyota will make a fittingly stylish first appearance at Milan Design Week by debuting the Setsuna, an attractive new concept car made primarily of wood.
The decision to use wood reflects Toyota's efforts to give form to the developing relationships between people and their cars. The Setsuna symbolises how cars undergo a gradual transformation over the years, as if absorbing the aspirations, memories, and emotions of multiple generations of a family.
Wood provides a unique medium to carry this idea - it changes in colouration and texture in response to its environment (particularly temperature and humidity) and conditions of use, taking on a unique character and depth. It can also last for many generations if properly taken care of.
Kenji Tsuji, the Toyota engineer overseeing development of the Setsuna, said of his process, "We evaluated various ways to express the concept and selected different lumber materials for specific applications, such as Japanese cedar for the exterior panels and Japanese birch for the frame. We also paid particular attention to the sizes and arrangements of individual parts. For the assembly structure, we adopted a traditional Japanese joinery technique called okuriari which does not use any nails or screws. The completed body line of the Setsuna expresses a beautiful curve reminiscent of a boat. We would also like the viewer to imagine how the Setsuna will gradually develop a complex and unique character over the years. The car includes a 100-year meter that will keep time over generations, and seats that combine functional beauty with the gentle hue of the wood."
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