Sekisai 3D-prints translucent light-diffusing panels for Lexus LS Coupe concept

Japanese additive manufacturing firm Sekisai has produced a set of translucent 3D-printed light-diffusing panels for the Lexus LS Coupe concept, developed in collaboration with Toyota's Calty Design Research studio in North America. The panels are installed in the roof console, cup holder area, and headrests, using Sekisai's proprietary multi-material printing technology that blends three transparent materials simultaneously. Color and opacity gradients are formed inside the part during printing, not applied as a post-process coating or film. The approach allows rapid iteration of form, tint, and lighting effect without the tooling lead time required for conventional stamped or injection-molded trim.

This application sits at the intersection of automotive interior personalization and additive manufacturing's ability to produce differentiated, low-volume decorative components. For the automotive vertical, the project demonstrates that AM can serve premium interior trim — a segment traditionally dominated by injection molding, painted finishes, and wood or metal inlays — with a production method that inherently supports customization and small-batch runs. Sekisai's technology, which embeds color and translucency within the part volume rather than applying it as a surface treatment, addresses a persistent gap in polymer AM: achieving aesthetic depth and light-diffusion quality comparable to molded or cast parts. While the Lexus application remains a concept-stage demonstration, it signals that automotive OEMs are actively exploring AM for cabin differentiation beyond structural brackets and tooling. The project also highlights the growing role of Japanese AM suppliers in serving domestic automotive design studios, a segment where material and finish quality expectations are exceptionally high.

From a practical standpoint, the path to production for such panels depends on Sekisai's ability to scale its multi-material printing process to automotive-grade repeatability and surface-finish standards. For Lexus or any premium OEM considering serial adoption, the key question is whether the per-part cost and cycle time can compete with low-volume injection molding or thermoforming once annual volumes exceed a few thousand units. For now, this is a design exploration — but one that accurately reflects where premium automotive interiors are heading: toward light, texture, and material depth as differentiators beyond leather and screen size.