The Grand Prix du Design was bestowed upon Shiro Nakamura by a jury comprised of leading lights from the worlds of French media, commerce and design. Albaisa … Other cars to have been penned by the design maestro include the Isuzu Gemini, Infiniti FX45, Nissan 350Z, Infiniti Coupe Concept, Nissan Murano and the GT-R. For Nakamura, who oversees designs for the whole Nissan group, there is a clear distinction between cars designed for Nissan and for Infiniti - Nissan's luxury brand. Nakamura served as Senior Vice President of Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. From 2006, Nakamura had been Nissans Chief Creative Officer. He joined Nissan at the start of the Carlos Ghosn revolution almost 20 years ago and helped transform the company, becoming the most influential Japanese car designer. At age 66, Nakamura will leave his role as senior vice president and chief of design for the Nissan Motor Company on March 31. 1951) is a Japanese industrial designer. Nissan’s chief designer, Shiro Nakamura, who styled hugely significant cars including the GT-R, Qashqai, 350Z, Juke, Leaf and Cube, retired in March after 17 years with the manufacturer. The cars … Shiro retired from Nissan at the end of March and will now have more time playing bass in his jazz band and making violins, a hobby. The EyesOn Design lifetime achievement award is probably the most coveted prize for car designers. All registered in England and Wales. 'I looked at Germany, Italy, France and Spain, but there you get ideas that reflect German or Latin design. Shiro Nakamura, chief creative officer at Nissan, has retired as part of a sweeping set of boardroom changes at the Japanese automaker, including the departure of CEO Carlos Ghosn. The interview wasn’t about a particular car but about the way Nakamura designs. As it funnels its suit-and-ties over to Mitsubishi and rearranges its own departments like mad, Nissan is losing veteran designer, stylish dresser, and chief creative officer: Shiro Nakamura.Responsible for some of Nissan’s more radical designs, Nakamura oversaw the styling for the revamped GT-R and current 370Z, along with intentionally quirky models like the … Shiro Nakamura is a former Japanese car designer and company executive. CNET’s Tim Stevens caught up with Nakamura this past weekend at Le … When the weekend comes, Shiro Nakamura takes out his instrument. The 1930s era was another best time for car design, with flamboyant automobiles such as the Duesenberg and Bugatti. Nakamura joined Nissan in 1999 from Isuzu, where he helped bring the VehiCross into production. The new Micra is one of the finest looking superminis. Now I don't pretend to like all recent Nissans. The crossover, along with the 350Z sports car he also presided over, helped establish Nissan's design language of the 2000s. Its rotating cabin and 90-degree pivoting wheels gave unsurpassed urban manoeuvrability. They include the cartoonish but globally successful Juke. The celebrated auto designer heads the design … It can't be a coincidence that the two most successful Nissans of the past decade, the Qashqai and Juke, were both Paddington proposals. Above: 2003 Nissan 350Z Roadster. I've always admired Nakamura. Nissan’s senior vice president and chief creative officer Shiro Nakamura is retiring after 17 years with the company. At the beginning of his career, Nakamura was influenced by Ferrari and General Motors’ Corvette Sting Ray in the 1960s, which he says was one of the best times of car design in history. He went back to California to be the head of product planning and design. Known as a hands-on creative, he goes by the nickname Fingers. There’s no denying Shiro Nakamura has done a stellar job at Nissan since Patrick le Quement nominated him to the top job back in 1999. Contributor-in-chief, former editor, anti-weight campaigner, voice of experience, Bauer Media Group consists of: Bauer Consumer Media Ltd, Company number: 01176085, Bauer Radio Ltd, Company Number: 1394141 It would be part of Nissan’s goal to grow … Ghosn's headhunters came calling on Shiro Nakamura, head of design at Isuzu Motors Ltd., to oversee a new era of Nissan global design. Nakamura holds degrees from both the Musashino Art University in Tokyo and the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. Nissan ’s chief designer, Shiro Nakamura, who styled hugely significant cars including the GT-R, Qashqai, 350Z, Juke, Leaf and Cube, retired in March after 17 years with the manufacturer. Nakamura would later … retrospect we see he modernised BMW design and is probably the most influential car designer of this century, pioneering the 'surface entertainment' … What part of the car does Nakamura start on when he designs a car? The crossover, along with the 350Z sports car he also presided over, helped establish Nissan's design language of the 2000s. Company Number: LP003328 Registered Office: Academic House, 24-28 Oval Road, London, NW1 7DT. Many have defined sectors and changed the car industry. Nissan news, reviews, comparisons and video. Yokohama –May 26- (NMC) For Nissan's design chief, there are reflective moments as well as inspiring ones. CAR recently had a one-to-one with Shiro Nakamura, design director for Nissan and Infiniti. He transformed them from lumpy eyesores into stylish alternatives to European and Japanese cars. However, an Infiniti flagship would not reach the market before 2017. MORE: Nissan news, reviews, comparisons and video. We see big front-engine muscle cars (the wonderful GT-R) and stylish sportsters such as the 350Z. But that job now entails a whole new list of responsibilities, not least of which is the integration of user friendly HMI and the impending arrival of autonomous cars. He was lured across by the company's newly installed CEO, Carlos Ghosn, who had a wide remit to turn around the then struggling car maker. He was once widely regarded as the antichrist of car couture as he 'flame surfaced' previously genteel and graceful BMW saloons. He is also music lover and plays the cello. Plus we find some highly original concepts. Unlike most auto design prizes, it is not adjudicated by design commentators, journalists or critics. Interview with Shiro Nakamura on car design and the new Q50 – video. The likeable 66-year-old is in many ways an old-school car designer: modest, gracious and good mannered, invariably elegantly attired in fine suit and tie. VAT no 918 5617 01 A likely candidate would be Nissan design chief Shiro Nakamura’s Infiniti Essence concept first shown at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show. H Bauer Publishing are authorised and regulated for credit broking by the FCA (Ref No. Rather, what I admire is the astonishing variety and boldness of these Shiro-era cars. London gave me really international thinking.'. After 17 years of penning some of Nissan's most memorable cars, Shiro Nakamura, Nissan's maestro for pursuing cutting edge styling will retire. Los Angeles, CA – Southern California is known for its car design and designers. 845898), Nissan design overlord Shiro Nakamura to retire. Nakamura joined Nissan in 1999 from Isuzu, where he helped bring the VehiCross into production. Shiro Nakamura’s Current Ride. 'I wanted to elevate the role of design within Nissan and within Japanese car companies,' he told me. We dined with Patrick Le Quément, who recommended Nakamura to Ghosn as the man who could revolutionise Nissan design. Other cutting edge designs penned under his watch include the Cube, Leaf, GT-R, Juke, and Infiniti FX. Nakamura retired in 2017. Nearly 18 years later, Nakamura is now retiring, having helped make "crossover" a household word and transforming Nissan and all of Japanese design in process. Nissan design supremo Shiro Nakamura retires, former BMW head designer goes to Infiniti, Video: 2021 Nissan Navara PRO 4X walkaround, Video: Best ute 2020 comparison: Isuzu D-Max v Mazda BT-50 v Toyota HiLux v Ford Ranger v Mitsubishi Triton v Nissan Navara v VW Amarok vs LDV T60 Trailrider, Video: 2021 Porsche Cayman 718 GT4 Review, Video: 2021 Toyota Yaris gets five-star safety. We were talking about the new Infiniti Essence GT concept car … He is nicknamed "Fingers" by his colleagues as he has a reputation for being hands-on. Shiro Nakamura plays the bass and the cello, and leadinga band that performs in various jazz clubs around Tokyo. Taking over Albaisa's old seat at Infiniti will be Karim Habib, who was the chief designer for BMW between 2012 and 2017. Since joining Nissan in 1999, Nakamura’s been a key figure in lifting the company from its late-90s slump. As Senior Vice President and Chief Creative Officer of Nissan Motor Company, Shiro Nakamura manages the global design strategies across both Nissan and INFINITI, leading a team of more than 800 people worldwide. Only one Japanese designer has won the award, Nissan's Shiro Nakamura. Nakamura joined Nissan in 1999, has been senior vice president of design since 2001, and added the title of chief creative office in 2006. There's the influential Qashqai that pioneered the modern mid-sized crossover. Chief Creative Officer Shiro Nakamura, the man behind a fleet of GT-Rs, Zs, Cubes, Infinitis and Nissan Leaf vehicles, has put his thoughts and experiences into a new book called "Stories on Shapes of Japanese Cars". In 
retrospect we see he modernised BMW design and is probably the most influential car designer of this century, pioneering the 'surface entertainment' now common from Mitsubishi to Mercedes. The inclusion of Patrick Le Quément, the visionary ex-Renault design director, is obvious. Now when you look at the latest tangle-of-angle Lexus SUVs, over-ornate new Hondas and fussily styled Toyotas, it is perhaps no surprise that Japanese winners are rare (although Mazda's design chief Ikuo Maeda is doing great work). In 2010, he was ranked by Fast Company in their list of The 100 … He was immediately appointed as the company's head of design, and given the task of transforming Nissan range of predominately boxy, bland and uninspiring vehicles. During the 12th Auto Expo, I had the pleasure of meeting Shiro Nakamura san – the man behind the design of the legendary GT-R. Shirō Nakamura (b. Shiro Nakamura in a 2011 interview on his book called “Stories on Shapes of Japanese Cars”. Veteran Nissan designer Shiro Nakamura has retired. We find Tom Gale, creator of so many daring '90s Chryslers including the Dodge Viper, and Peter Schreyer, the most important German car designer of the past decade. Other past winners include Giorgetto Giugiaro and the late Sergio Pininfarina. By ... we managed to secure a few minutes in the company of Infiniti’s design guru Shiro Nakamura and picked his … Registered Office: Media House, Peterborough Business Park, Lynch Wood, Peterborough, PE2 6EA H Bauer Publishing, At the 2011 Los Angeles auto show we talked with Chief Creative Officer Shiro Nakamura for Nissan and Infiniti. He is currently the Senior Vice President and Chief Creative Officer of Design and Brand Management of Nissan and Infiniti. The Grand Prix du Design was bestowed upon Shiro Nakamura by a jury comprised of prominent figures from the worlds of French media, commerce and design. 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