UNIQUE NEW PRODUCTION METHODS
- Q60 built at the INFINITI facility in Tochigi, Japan
- Significantinvestment in Tochigi specifically for new Q60 production
- INFINITI creates new production processes to meet unique design needs of Q60
- Highly-skilled 'Takumi' employed on production line ensure premium quality
The new INFINITI Q60 will be built at the company's production facility in Tochigi, Japan. The Tochigi plant has been upgraded to meet the unique production needs of the new premium sports coupe, in particular to create the bold lines and sharp angles of the Q60's design.
Production machinery and tooling on the Tochigi production line has been upgraded to incorporate a number of the Q60's new manufacturing processes and advanced design features (such as the sharply curved body panels and deep inset mounts for lamps).
Manufacturing, design and engineering teams at the Tochigi plant worked very closely together to ensure that a new trunk lid feature for Q60 could be realized with the highest quality. In a world's first application, the trunk lid is a hybrid combination of a resin skin on a steel frame - giving INFINITI designers more freedom to develop shapes that can then be built in a single part.
Thanks to these production enhancements, the road-going version of the Q60 remains strikingly faithful to the original concept design.
Additional enhancements to the Tochigi production line include a new dedicated paint booth, installed solely for the production of the Q60's "Dynamic Sunstone Red". The new development to the Paint Shop facility enables INFINITI's paint specialists to more finely control the thickness and quality levels needed to achieve the deep, glossy red shade. After testing several hundred variations of paint formulations and various production processes, INFINITI has developed a new process specifically for the new color, using a combination of coating machinery and manual processes.
On the Q60 production line, 216 highly-skilled 'Takumi' – artisans – have been carefully selected from the 4,500-strong workforce. INFINITI's Takumi not only require a particularly high level of technical knowledge, they are specially trained in premium vehicle manufacturing and have a deep understanding of the INFINITI brand and its core values. Takumi work across body press, welding, painting, assembly and quality assurance, and – true to the Japanese philosophy of 'Kaizen', that of continuous improvement – undergo regular training in new techniques and skills.
From the Takumi, a further six 'Meister Takumi' were selected – those with the highest understanding of premium car production and the expectations of INFINITI's customers – to ensure the manufacturing process at the plant itself is fully attuned with the unique blend of attributes that differentiate INFINITI's products from its rivals.
The new INFINITI Q60 sports coupe will go on sale in selected markets during quarter three 2016.