Motor Trend - Inside the Mind of the Man That Designed the Nissan GT-R

Motor Trend

I then pressed Nakamura to name specific cars that he admired. And he didn't hesitate. "I like the De Tomaso Mangusta, the 289 Cobra, and maybe most of all the Lancia Stratos." When I responded that the Stratos is one of my favorite cars, Nakamura turned squarely toward me. "Yes. It is so good."

I ask him about his most conspicuous design, the new GT-R supercar. What is the design theme, and how does it fit into the Infiniti/Nissan range? "Infiniti is female," Nakamura says. "There is much negative shape in the designs, shapes pulled in, tapered to show the curves. The GT-R, though, is male. Muscle upon muscle upon muscle. The whole shape grows outward. I designed it specifically to look brutal, like a modern 289 Cobra. It is not sophisticated like a modern Ferrari."