On June 23, the automotive world experienced a tragedy. Hiromu Naruse, Lexus’ much beloved—and globally respected—chief test driver, died while performing the job he lived for: developing superb automobiles. As Autoblog journalist Damon Lavrinc writes in his excellent tribute, Mr. Naruse was reverently nicknamed “Meister” by his peers and protégées—and a man who helped give the world “dream cars.”
We, too, had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Naruse, who this spring granted Lexus magazine the wonderful profile and interview below, which we posted back in May. Not only did Mr. Naruse reveal much about a test driver’s fascinating, sometimes hazardous world; he also showed us his nature—warm, witty, modest, absolutely passionate about cars, and at nearly seventy years old, still pushing powerful automobiles to their limits.
Mr. Naruse, thanks for letting us get to know you—you’re an inspiration.