Leftlane had the opportunity to catch up with Infiniti Design Director Shiro Nakamura recently at the 59th Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Pebble Beach, California, where he helped unveil the 2011 Infiniti M sedan before serving as an honorary judge at the world’s most prestigious collector car event.

Following a career with Isuzu where he was responsible for the design development of the VehiCROSS and Gemini, in 1985, he joined General Motors’ Advanced Design Studios in Warren, Michigan. He joined Infiniti’s parent company Nissan, in 1999 where he is now Design Director, deeply involved with Infiniti’s brand management.

The fifty-nine-year-old Nakamura has been schooled in the United States as well as Japan, receiving a BA in industrial design at Musashino Art University in Tokyo, and a BS degree from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.

We caught up with Nakamura over a bit of breakfast Saturday during Concours weekend to discuss the state of Infiniti design.

Shiro, what’s Infiniti’s presence in Monterey this weekend all about?

Shiro Nakamura: This is a celebration of 20 years of Infiniti, both as a brand and being in America. This is also about me pursuing my passion. I love the car. I always wanted to be a car designer.

Growing up in Osaka, were you a car guy from early on? I mean, did you start with little Matchbox cars?

SN: No, actually I started building model cars. American model cars from companies like AMT and MPC. Muscle cars and typical American models.

What were you trying to do? What were your influences?

SN: I’ve had many influences through the years, but one thing has always come up: Designing is not just about me. It is communicating with people. I started with designing the way I liked it, but the longer I’ve been in the industry, it has become more about executing and sharing my passion and excitement with the people.

I have been influenced by many designs, from the 1960s onward. I always liked American muscle cars, but also was influenced by the ’60s Cadillacs, Lincoln Continentals, and Ferraris.

We witnessed the new M during its virtual reveal last night, and it is quite beautiful and very different from the first one. The original, but equally important M car from around 2003 was a muscular V8-powered hot rod-like design that eventually went a little more upscale. Is that the plan for the current model that you just introduced?

SN: Starting with the 2004 FX, we really started fleshing out the look of Infiniti. We wanted it to be seductive and sensual, reflecting the power of nature, but not too artificially. Before that FX, Infiniti’s design was not so clear. The division didn’t have a clear expression of what Infiniti should be.

Where do you see it going now?

SN: Design has always been critical. Now it’s even more so. Even though the market is going more economical, that doesn’t mean that design is not important. For example, if a buyer moves from a mid-size to a smaller car, they expect the same quality they found in their previous car.

The interior can be smaller, but the interior has to be at least as high quality as the last car they were in. That means comfort must be there too.

At the same time you are trying to make the interior as comfortable as possible, you somehow have to keep the cost low. That’s our biggest challenge: keeping quality high and costs low.

What can we look forward to from Infiniti for the next few years?

SN: The Leaf is coming next year for Nissan, but Infiniti cannot be the exception to Nissan’s Zero Emission leadership. In the future, you’ll see Infiniti hybrids, double clutch systems and other types of technology.

We’ve had a chance to look at the Essence. We realize it’s just a concept, with the wrap around cockpit and over 500 horsepower engine. And we especially like the custom Louis Vuitton luggage in the trunk, but, Shiro, what’s up with that?

SN: It’s a celebration of Infiniti’s design direction, the essence of our brand’s design. The current M is not strong enough in expressing its presence. Drawing from Essence as inspiration, you can pick up the cues on the new car. The design is totally dynamic—you’ll see that on the new M. More will come on future models.

What about hybrids?

SN: First of all, Infiniti is a car that is a pleasure to drive. To this point, most hybrids haven’t been. I feel hybrids don’t need to be boring as they have been in the past. It’s a balancing act. You have to balance performance, design and efficiency. To that end, proactive safety, and accident avoidance are very important.

We want people to enjoy driving. We want them to be free from anxiety so they can purely enjoy driving.

What is the after-hours Shiro like? What do you for enjoyment?

SN: I play double-bass (upright bass) and classical cello. Every few months, when I am able, I play in a jazz band in Tokyo.

In college, I played as much jazz as I did studying design. In the end, though, I think I made the right decision.

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