Who is Alfonso Albaisa?

While that headline may seem like a query straight out of a spy movie, Alfonso Albaisa’s role is slightly more prosaic. In 2013, he was named Executive Design Director at INFINITI Motor Company, Ltd. It’s a role for which the Pratt-educated American son of Cuban parents is uniquely qualified. Here’s what his tenure means to us at Kearny Mesa INFINITI, and for the San Diego drivers we serve. 

Albaisa’s work has touched on practically every facet of design at the company. Many new INFINITI cars and SUVs have his fingerprints on their design, and there are more to come. After all, there are nine new cars or redesigns in the pipeline, and only two of those have appeared in showrooms.

As the INFINITI brand evolves its design language, Albaisa will be the guiding hand. He explained a bit of his design philosophy to Car and Driver, saying, “Other brands are doing sharpness; it’s nothing new. We went a more romantic route—it’s not just the sharpness, it’s the fluidity of metal.” He went on to add that the goal is “design-free to express something that’s chaotic and romantic.”

Traces of that philosophy are already apparent in the new INFINITI QX30. They can also be seen in the 2017 INFINITI Q60, which played an unexpected role in the designer’s story. He went to Cuba for the first time in August, touring Havana — some of whose iconic buildings had been designed by his father and great-uncle — behind the wheel of an INFINITI Q60 Coupe. He feels that heritage informs his work to this day.

To see the present — and hints of the future — of new INFINITI cars, visit our San Diego INFINITI dealership at 4670 Convoy Street in San Diego, CA or call Kearny Mesa INFINITI today. We hope to see you soon!