Here’s one straight out of fiction: the Toyota Setsuna, a car crafted entirely from wood ! The two-seater concept vehicle was officially unveiled at the Milan design week. The company describes this artistic piece as an "heirloom crafted in wood”.
Speaking about the Toyota Setsuna, the official statement reads, “When we created Setsuna, we envisaged a family pouring its love into it over generations, so that the car gains an irreplaceable value. As time passes, wood changes in colour -- the physical changes in its wooden bodywork reflect the bond it has built with its owners and their shared experiences.”
Wood remains the primary material for the car’s body that consists of 86 handmade wooden panels. These wooden panels have been joined together using ‘okuriari and kusabi’, traditional Japanese interlocking techniques. The dashboard is adorned with a clock that numbers to 100 years. This helps the owner track how many years they may have owned it.
The car is expected to reach a maximum speed of 45kmph. The vehicle body is not interlocked by nails, thereby making it easier to be removed and replaced during routine maintenance activity. More than commuting, owning this car is more of having a masterpiece in your garage that you can drive out occasionally and command attention wherever you go.
Lest you forget, this is still a concept. And one you can’t buy…not just yet.
