There is a man who works for Toyota named Hiromu Naruse. He is 65 years old. As an engineer, he played an integral part in the formative years of Toyota’s foray into motorsports, and as a test driver, he is a craftsman of legends who has been involved in the development of many renowned Toyota vehicles, including the Toyota 2000GT, Celica, Hachi-Roku (meaning “eight-six” in Japanese - the AE86; Corolla Levin/Sprinter Trueno), MR2, and Altezza. It is no exaggeration to say that without Naruse, Toyota would never have developed these iconic sports cars. It is because of this background that Naruse is known as a “meister of automobile manufacturing” not only within Toyota, but also among many motorsports journalists in Japan. “Meister” is originally a German word as in Japan it has been used in the meaning of master craftsman, master artist, or expert in the field, mainly in fields of art, cuisine, craftsmanship and artifact. Naruse has long said that “just as in cuisine, the ‘flavor’ of a car is quite important.” The performance of the engine and chassis expressed by the specifications, equipment such as a navigation system and power steering, and other “specs” determine the basic performance of a motor vehicle and establish its attributes. This alone, however, does not make a car. In terms of cuisine, these are simply the ingredients, and preparing the ingredients according to the recipe alone does not complete the dish. It is the final seasoning that determines the quality of the food and whether it will impress the people who eat it. What exactly is the “automotive seasoning” that Naruse talks about? We asked him about this and about the “perfect automotive seasoning” that he strives to achieve.

People may think that “seasoning” a car generally entails replacing parts such as the suspension or the wheels to make the handling firmer and adding aerodynamic parts to enhance the aerodynamic performance. This, however, is “remodeling,” and is not “seasoning.” Seasoning (fine-tuning) and remodeling are completely different. We want the customer to feel that the product is “delicious” and be happy with their choice, and to think, “Wow, I want to eat (i.e. drive) this again!” Toyota currently sells a wide variety of vehicles, but are all customers truly satisfied? I feel a sense of self-admonishment and believe that our products still have a long way to go. There may even be some customers who have never tasted the true “deliciousness” of a car. I want these customers to experience the taste of the real thing and to experience complete satisfaction. This is how we feel. I am confident that with our seasoning, Toyota’s cars become all the more “delicious.”