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Italy - Toyota has unveiled its latest concept – the new Setsuna. The open-top two-seater is made predominantly from wood and will be the focus of Toyota’s first appearance at the Milan Design Week (April 12 – 17).
Why use wood? Toyota says it's to "express the notion that love grows as time passes, and changes in colour and feel in direct response to the love and care shown to it. 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."
The car's name – Setsuna, meaning "moment" in Japanese – was chosen to reflect that people experience moments together with their cars and Toyota believes that, over time, these collective moments make their cars irreplaceable to owners.
A wooden car you can drive
The Setsuna however isn't a piece of furniture – it is a fully functioning car, although not road-legal. For this reason, different types of wood were chosen for specific parts of the vehicle – including Japanese cedar for the exterior panels, Japanese birch for the frame, zelkova for the seats and castor aralia for the seats. The panels feature different grain patterns in the cedar.
The concept of an “accumulation of moments” is expressed through the vehicle’s radial, circular emblem. While giving the impression of a blooming flower, the design also evokes the appearance of a clock that shows each individual moment.
86 handmade panels
While it’s also worth noting that there were no screws or nails used to assemble the Setsuna, its body comprises 86 handmade panels. Considerable thought was given to the design and creation of the panels, each of which offers unique changes as the car ages.
If repairs become necessary, individual panels can be replaced rather than large sections of body. It should then be possible for owners to identify areas of the car where remedial work has been done by hand, claims Toyota, adding to the memories being passed down.
To create contrasting elements within the overall design, aluminium has been adopted in parts such as the wheel caps, steering wheel and seat frames. Like wood and leather, metal is also known to change appearance over time, making it a material that will also develop its own unique look and character.
Kenji Tsuji, the Toyota engineer overseeing development of the Setsuna, says: “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 metre that will keep time over generations, and seats that combine functional beauty with the gentle hue of the wood."
