Automotive Engineer

Most automotive engineers will remember what first got them interested in engineering. There’s a good chance it was something mechanical, although not necessarily an automobile.

Mazda’s global head of design, Ikuo Maeda, has followed in the footsteps of his father – who, in the same post, was responsible for the RX-7. But it wasn’t that coupe or its rotary engine that got the young Maeda hooked on design.

Rather, it was a twisted piece of stainless steel – a paper knife, to be exact, made by the famed Milan company Danese. Its appeal, Maeda says, was that, like all good design, it looked great but was simple and easy to use. This affinity with Milan is one of the reasons why Mazda chose Villa Borromeo, a Renaissance palace just outside the city, to show off the Shinari concept car.

The four-door, four-seat, C/D-segment coupe gives an idea of how future Mazda vehicles will look, and some of the technologies that may appear in the interiors.

The human-machine interface (HMI) will be one of the most important features as consumers demand greater connectivity and control of infotainment systems, including mobile devices. Despite the growing choice and complexity of such devices, the HMI must be tactile, attractive and intuitive – just like Maeda’s paper knife. 

The Shinari uses a large touchscreen mounted on the side of the instrument panel. There is no centre console to speak of.

“At the moment the HMI is the biggest issue,” says Maeda. “This one is OK but it’s not far enough advanced yet. We have to see something really new, such as the iPhone was when it came out. Everybody said wow, because it was completely different.”