It’s been six years since Toyota‘s FT-1 concept car debuted in Detroit, and not many fully understand its relationship to the 2020 GR Supra (co-developed with BMW) that’s available now, nor just how novel the car was in the first place. When Kevin Hunter—president of Toyota’s North American design studio, Calty Design Research—was working on the FT-1, there was no plan to return the Supra to production and …
Automotive design often exists with one end-goal in mind: functionality. It’s about whether or not that vehicle will get you from point A to point B—without endangering, obstructing or upsetting a driver and passengers. But transitioning from a sketch to a moving vehicle involves many steps and teams of mechanics and designers. “I’m always looking at art, wondering how an artist created that; what did …
Throughout the year, conversations with artists, designers, inventors and more help to fuel our editorial impulses. It is from dialogue that we gain insight and understanding. And, fortunately, we’ve had access to plenty of extraordinary minds this year. From jewelry designers to those imagining the future of automotive and ceramic, we’ve learned about the processes behind invention and innovation. Through songwriters and marijuana entrepreneurs, we’ve …
