At Milan Design Week, Toyota will debut an attractive new concept car made primarily of wood called Setsuna. Setsuna means ‘moment' in Japanese, it was selected to reflect the valuable moments that people experience when they are together in their cars. It is these moments that make every car special and irreplaceable to its owners, and Toyota wants to celebrate this with Setsuna.
The material choice - Wood ― also reflects Toyota's endeavours to give form to the developing relationships between people and their cars. The Setsuna symbolizes how cars change over the years, as if absorbing the aspirations, memories, and emotions of multiple generations of a family.
Toyota chose a variety of wood for different parts of the car, including the exterior panels2, frame, floor, and seats. Wood provides uniquely appealing characteristics that are not offered in conventional cars: it can last for many generations if properly taken care of and it also changes in coloration and texture in response to its environment (particularly temperature and humidity) and conditions of use, taking on a unique character and depth.
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