As the all-new INFINITI QX80 arrives at retailers in the Middle East, INFINITI design and engineering team members share how the Japanese string instrument, the ‘Koto,’ has influenced the look and feel of the interior trim. They also divulge how laser technology has played a key role in bringing their vision to life.
Shinji Hirosawa and Yuumi Aoyama from INFINITI’s advanced design department oversaw the color, material and finish within INFINITI’s all-new flagship.
In line with INFINITI’s latest design philosophy, Artistry in Motion, the team curated fine materials and exceptional details to create an open-pore woodgrain accent that enhances the extraordinary cabin ambiance of the full-size luxury SUV.
A millennium-old string instrument inspires wood grain design
The Koto, a Japanese string instrument, inspired Hirosawa and Aoyama when designing the woodgrain accent on the upper grades. Resembling a long wooden board with strings, the Koto typically measures around 180 centimeters (71 in) in length and is generally plucked using three fingerpicks.
Hirosawa aimed to replicate the sense of width and meticulous finish of the Koto, in the QX80’s woodgrain accent.
The team chose open pore ash wood and applied a subtle blackened finish to create a delicate contrast against the ‘Graphite’ or ‘Sepia brown’ semi-aniline leather in the SENSORY grade.
They reserved the ultimate expression of INFINITI’s artistry for the upper AUTOGRAPH grade, incorporating aluminum inlays that mimic the strings of a Koto, providing a striking geometric accent against the ‘Burgundy’ or ‘Graphite’ semi-aniline leather appointments.
Aoyama spent considerable time finetuning the spacing between the lines saying, “In order to express the sense of tension that the Koto has and its wide spreading sound, we intentionally designed the metal inlays in the wood grain to widen and narrow as if they were created rhythm and sound itself.”
Elevated attention to detail
Just as no two trees are identical, each woodgrain accent is unique. A testament to the fastidious approach of INFINITI’s design team, they explored various wood types before settling on Ash and examined various cutting techniques to achieve the optimal pattern and feel.
Balancing all elements within the interior is important for a cohesive design. Hirosawa explains, “When you examine the woodgrain in isolation, it’s like a beautiful Koto playing a solo. The surrounding elements—soft leather, stitching, lighting, and screens—are like other instruments in a grand orchestra. Assembled together, they create a harmonious visual experience.”
Prior to finalizing the design and handing the project over to engineering, the designers evaluated more than one hundred different patterns and configurations, carefully selecting the final design based on appearance, tactile feel, and ensuring it met INFINITI’s durability standards.
Assembled with laser precision
Hidenori Miyazaki, team leader of the interior design engineering group, was tasked with bringing the design team’s vision to reality.
Over the course of a year, he tested various samples and processes to meet their exacting requirements.
Miyazaki’s team opted for precision-tuned, solid-state laser technology to create perfectly straight cuts in the open pore ash wood, revealing the aluminum beneath. This advanced laser technology is similar to that used by surgeons for intricate medical and cosmetic procedures.
This painstaking process ensures that the aluminum is exposed without burning or leaving marks on the wood grain. To achieve this level of precision, each accent piece is processed individually, with the laser carefully calibrated to account for the thickness and subtle curvature of the different pieces.
The five wood trim pieces installed within each AUTOGRAPH grade QX80 spend a combined one hour receiving the laser treatment.
Additionally, applying just the right amount of clear topcoat is key to ensuring that the wood’s natural grain is visible, and a true ‘open pore’ finish is achieved. Miyazaki said, “Maintaining the natural feel of the open pore wood was a challenge because we needed to apply just a thin layer of topcoat while maintaining the same level of durability as wood treated with a more traditional coating, which is typically thicker and glossier.”
The all-new 2025 INFINITI QX80 is available for purchase in the GCC from this month, and in Saudi Arabia from next month.
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