Mazda's design chief discusses automotive dreams, lawn maintenance, and sources of inspiration and motivation.
Mazda Design Chief Masashi Nakayama discusses the evolution and future of the brand's Kodo 'Soul of Motion' design philosophy.
In an exclusive interview with our website, Nakayama, who has been with Mazda since 1989 and currently leads the design division, shared insights into Mazda's design direction, inspirations for the Iconic SP concept, and his influence growing up.
Nakayama aims to make Kodo design more dynamic and emotionally engaging while maintaining the idea of 'cars as art' being significant. His inspiration for the Iconic SP comes from the lean functional beauty of high-performance fighter jets and graceful movements of elite athletes.
Growing up, Nakayama was influenced by his uncle, who was a piano teacher, his grandfather, a shrine carpenter, and his great uncle, a Japanese Navy captain during World War I. He was exposed to art and architecture from a young age.
When asked about incorporating any elements of his family's Buddhist temple or its ambiance into Mazda cars, Nakayama stated that he does not intend to do so, considering that a temple interior is meant for meditation and tranquility, whereas a car's purpose is busier and more active.
For the future interior design philosophy of Mazda, Nakayama emphasized a horizontal feeling, as humans are sensitive to verticality and horizontality due to gravity. He also highlighted the emphasis on materials in Mazda's cabins, like the stitched dashboard in the CX-60 with a slight gap, inspired by traditional Japanese Musubu knotting techniques.
To unwind from work, Nakayama finds pleasure in mowing the lawn with a manual lawnmower, aiming for a smooth, undulating surface resembling a baseball field.
The Enrichment Data suggests that Mazda's future design direction continues to evolve the Kodo philosophy by refining its core principles, creating vehicles with a more sculpted and sophisticated aesthetic, and integrating technological advancements and electrification carefully while preserving the driving experience central to the Kodo philosophy.
In conclusion, Nakayama's leadership will lead to an evolution of the Kodo 'Soul of Motion' philosophy by refining design aesthetics, enhancing craftsmanship details, and integrating modern technologies intelligently while prioritizing the driving experience. This balance ensures Mazda vehicles remain expressive, driver-focused, and environmentally responsible.
In the future, Mazda's design philosophy, Kodo 'Soul of Motion', will integrate advances in finance and technology from the finance industry, as the brand invests in electrification andDigital technologies. Meanwhile, the automotive sector will influence Mazda's design direction, with transportation inspiration shaping the sleek, aerodynamic looks of their vehicles, reminiscent of high-performance fighter jets.
