Luxury car from wood – the Toyota Setsuna
Cedar – a king among woods
Something curious, cute or ostentatious? This car is all of these things rolled into one. At first glance, the car is reminiscent of a small boat. Its measurements are: length a mere 3,030 mm, width 1,480 mm and height thanks to the windshields instead of a full windscreen only 970 mm. The car is almost completely wooden. The exterior bodywork panels, of which we count a total of 86, are made from cedar, one property of which is that it ages and changes its appearance. The material also starts to bend over time. The car also has a wooden frame made of birch. The Sumitomo Forestry company collaborated on what was mostly manual production, this being a huge company which is predominantly active in forest administration, wood processing and manufacturing of various products made of wood, including houses.
Specifications and philosophy of the Toyota Setsuna
The whole of the Setsuna is encircled by a silvery aluminium band which also houses the lights. The chassis has a wheelbase of only 1,700 mm. The pair of luxury seats are reminiscent of garden chairs, partially upholstered in wine-red leather with headrests. We know of the Toyota drive unit that it is an electric motor with energy provided by six lead-acid batteries which are enough to provide a range of only 26 km. One important piece of information is that this is a functional model and not just a mock-up.
The luxury Setsuna is designed to be handed down from generation to generation. The physical changes in the car, meaning the wood, reflect the bond established by its owner, together with the experiences gained. This is the corporate philosophy of the envisaged car.
Are you interested in learning whether there is a nail or two hidden away in this luxurious-looking car? The designers did not use any nails or screws at all, only pins. The longest interconnecting ones join the individual parts of the frame to hold this luxury car together.
