- BMW and Surrey Nano Systems have partnered to create the first car painted with Vantablack, a coating that absorbs more than 99% of visible light.
- This makes the new BMW X6, which was revealed at the Frankfurt Auto Show, the world’s blackest car.
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BMW has created the world’s blackest car in partnership with Surrey Nano Systems and Levitation 29.
The car, which is the first to be finished with the Vantablack VBx2 paint coating, was showcased at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September and coincides with the reveal of the car, the third-generation of the BMW X6 Sports Utility Coupé.
The Vantablack coating was created by Surrey Nano Systems. It absorbs more than 99% of visible light, removing almost all reflections, according to Levitation 29, the creative agency that collaborated with Surrey Nano Systems and BMW.
Levitation 29 also claims that looking at the car can be “interpreted by the brain as staring into a hole or even a void.” The blackness of the surface coating causes the human eye to see less defining features of the car and instead makes it appear two-dimensional. While this may cause the X6 to “lose” visible parts of the body design, other features, such as the Iconic Glow kidney grille, are accentuated.
The project, starting from its conception, took 10 months to complete.
"The first Vantablack car is certainly a big tick in the box when it comes to dream projects and opens the way for even more large-scale concepts - like a stadium!" said Levitation 29 Director Benjamin Males.
"To create the effect of infinite darkness on that scale would truly be spectacular."
Take a look at the world's blackest car:
BMW is celebrating the launch of the next generation of the X6 SUV by painting the car with the Vantablack VBx2 coating. The 2020 X6, without the coating, has an MSRP of $64,300.
This coating makes the new X6 the world’s blackest car.
The Vantablack paint absorb more than 99% of visible light, removing all reflections.
The coating causes a lack of definition of features to the human eye and makes objects appear two-dimensional, like staring into a void, according to Vantablack.
While the coating may hide certain features of the car’s body, it also accentuates the Iconic Glow kidney grille, twin headlights, and taillights, according to Levitation 29.
“The first Vantablack car is certainly a big tick in the box when it comes to dream projects and opens the way for even more large-scale concepts- like a stadium!” said Director of Levitation 29 Benjamin Males. “To create the effect of infinite darkness on that scale would truly be spectacular.”
The car was on display at the Frankfurt Motor Show which took place September 14 to 24.
