Jin Kim
chief designer
CALTY Design Research, Inc.

Jin Won Kim is a Chief Designer at CALTY Design Research Inc, where he oversees advanced concept and design for Lexus and Toyota. CALTY is a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation.  

Jin received his BS in Transportation Design from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA in 2001. Joining CALTY in September 2001, Jin was responsible for the exterior design of several production and concept vehicles, including the 2004 Lexus LF-C, 2005 Scion T2B, 2007 Toyota FT-HS, 2008 Scion XB, 2011 Toyota Fun-Vii, 2014 Toyota Corolla, 2018 Lexus ES, 2023 Toyota EPU concept, 2023 FT-3e concept, 2023 Baby Lunar Cruiser concept and the 2025 Lexus LS Micro Concept. However, his most notable achievements include the iconic FJ Cruiser, and the all-new Land Cruiser 250.
 

Jin’s first project at CALTY was the FJ Cruiser Concept vehicle which was introduced at the 2003 Detroit Auto Show. With its overwhelmingly positive public reactions, the concept became a production reality as the 2006 FJ Cruiser. Jin spent the first 3 months of the production development phase working at the Hino Studio near Tokyo.  

Embracing the concept of “Back to the Root,” the team’s objective was to create a new Land Cruiser Icon that pays homage to the rich heritage of the Land Cruiser lineage. CALTY’s advanced stage, full-size model was well received by Akio Toyoda and was built as a production vehicle. Production development was done at the headquarters studio in Japan.