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Future Wave
Nissan/Infiniti design chief Shiro Nakamura discusses the company's highly anticipated new convertible and upcoming plans for alternative-fuel vehicles.
It's a testament to car designer Shiro Nakamura's prestige when hard-bitten auto journalists roll out of bed and into the cold morning fog of Monterey, Calif., to see the unveiling of a mere photograph of one of his cars.
Admittedly, the picture shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in late August happened to be the world's first glimpse of a highly anticipated vehicle. It was Infiniti's new G Convertible, set to debut in full form at the Los Angeles auto show in November.
Once it goes on sale next spring, the G Convertible will be Infiniti's first convertible in 17 years.
Nakamura, 58, senior vice president and design director for Nissan/Infiniti, is the man responsible for overseeing the design of the stylish drop-top. As is increasingly the case with new convertibles, it incorporates a folding metal roof instead of a traditional fabric one.
Although details are tightly under wraps, Nakamura did say that except for the folding roof and redesigned rear-end to accommodate it, the new convertible will be similar to the G Coupe. That implies it will share the coupe's 330-horsepower V6 engine, which can be paired with either a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed automatic.
Nakamura joined Nissan in 1999 after 25 years with Isuzu, where he designed the controversial VehiCross, one of the first amalgamations of car and truck design, called crossover utility vehicles, that are now so popular.
He spent time at the General Motors Advanced Design Studio in Michigan in the mid '90s before returning to Isuzu. Nakamura is a graduate of the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif., and Musashino Art University in Tokyo.
In Pictures: Designing The Future
Nakamura has a hard time singling out one vehicle that he's most proud of designing. "At Infiniti, the G Coupe, FX; and for Nissan the new GT-R, 350Z, Maxima and Altima. It's hard to pick a favorite," he says. "They're all my babies."
In the following interview, Nakamura discusses the new G Convertible's design, upcoming alternative-fuel plans Nissan/Infiniti is working on, and some concepts about the art and craft of car design.
ForbesAutos: Would you have been able to build the G Convertible 10 years ago?
Nakamura: No. No. This one has a three-piece metal top. It could not have been done 10 years ago. The three-piece moving top is very complex; everything goes together. I think this was created only a couple of years ago. It's a new technology.
Did you benchmark other vehicles before designing and engineering the G Convertible?
I think we always benchmark for practicality — the roominess of the rear seats and the size of the trunk. But styling-wise — aesthetics — we don't need any benchmark. We just make it so it looks good from our point of view.
Can you discuss the vehicle's mechanical specifications?
I think physically the car is the same as the G Coupe — nothing different from the engine, powertrain. They're all the same. The only difference is the rear.
Looking at the G Coupe's pricing, can we assume the convertible will start around $40,000?
I don't know. I think it will definitely be more expensive than the coupe.
How have changing energy needs impacted car design?
We are making new powertrains like a new hybrid, fuel cell and electric motor, and new diesel cars. Electric vehicles have the biggest potential to create new volume for the automotive industry. Other than that, I think future powertrains are very similar to the current internal combustion engine. But electric vehicles have a lot of opportunity to create a new package because the size of the motor is much, much smaller than the internal-combustion engine.
Are you focusing on electric-only vehicles?
Pure battery, yes. Fuel cells take space and hybrids also take space. Today the pure battery takes space, but as you know, advancement of battery technology is so quick. In five year's time the size of batteries will not be an issue.
Do you design differently for the Japanese market than for the rest of the world?
We have less local-market designs than before. For example, Infiniti is sold everywhere, and there are fewer Japanese-focused models from Nissan now. The Cube from Nissan is a boxier car, and is coming to the U.S. next year. It's a very, very Japanese type of design, but now it is very much desired by a segment of people here in the U.S.
A local design that has a very strong expression may very well have strong appeal outside of the home market. The important thing is that the design or product has a strong appeal whether it's for Japan or for the U.S.
What do you look to for inspiration when designing automobiles?
I think of a car as an animal. It's made of metal, it's not a living animal, but I think its inspiration comes from animals or the human body, or even a nice wave of the ocean. I think it's more inspired by nature.
While nature gives us the most inspiration, other creations like art or music are there. I think inspiration for me comes from anything that moves you by looking at it. Inspiration does not come from looking at one thing, but an accumulation of your experience in appreciating beauty. That gives me a lot of inspiration.
How do you translate inspiration into a car you can sell?
I think first, from a business point of view, we target a product concept and to whom we want to sell it. What kind of people we are targeting is the most important thing. We are not designing cars for ourselves; we are designing for maybe you. We have to bear in mind that we are creating a design piece not for our satisfaction but to satisfy the people who really use it. If we don't have a clear target at the very beginning, we'll miss it. For example, the Infiniti FX is targeting maybe a 40-50-year-old male. I don't think that a 20-year-old female will buy it. It's the size, price, practicality and also the emotional appeal that determine who'll want it.
The coupe is less practical; the QX — the big SUV — has much more utility. Beauty doesn't have to be as practical. It can be more emotional. If you don't have a clear direction at the beginning, design is going to be very, very difficult.
Akio Morita, the head of Sony once said, "You cannot research innovation." Do you agree with that?
Yes. I think we do a lot of research, which is not finding the solution. Research cannot bring the solution to you. You can only research what people know. You have to anticipate people's wants by talking with them. Don't ask, "What do you want?" It's impossible.
You want what you know, and if we've got something truly innovative…
No, no they cannot imagine.
Will we see something very, very innovative from Infiniti in the near future?
Yeah, and also from Nissan. Maybe Nissan could be more innovative than Infiniti because Infiniti is a premium brand. We have to maintain some authenticity. It cannot be totally different from the let's say 'car aesthetics.'
Nissan is much more democratic. A lot of show cars we have done for the electrical people are very, very different. I don't think it's unrealistic to do that kind of car in 5 or 10 years.
Will we see a flagship model from Infiniti to replace the Q45?
At the moment, the market is pushing for smaller cars. We would like to have a new large car, but not without support from the market.
In Pictures: Designing the Future
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