BMW is getting ready to unveil the third generation of its BMW X6 SUV at the Frankfurt Motor Show that is slated for September. As per the reports, the BMW X6 will be shown off painted in a new version of Vantablack.
Vantablack, for those of you who do not know, is the darkest material in the world. The name, Vantablack, stands for Vertically Aligned Nanotube Array black. The material has been perfected by Surrey NanoSystems and is lined with billions of high-aspect-ratio carbon nanotubes for creating the darkest possible paint that is available as of today. BMW worked in collaboration with NanoSystems for covering one of its X6 SUV using a more improved version of the substance. BMW has stated that the X6 is the only vehicle in the world that features Vantablack VBx2 paint finish.
Ben Jensen, founder and Chief Technical Officer of Surrey NanoSystems said in a BMW press release, ‘We turned down numerous requests from various automobile manufacturers in the past. It took the BMW X6 and its unique, expressive design for us to entertain the idea.’ BMW says that by merging the paint with design highlights such as the famous Iconic Glow kidney grille and twin headlights; the perception of viewers of the car’s 3D shape can be altered.
Any surface that gets coated with Vantablack tends to lose its defining features when it is viewed using the human eye. Objects appear to be two-dimensional, thus making this particular paint finish unsuitable because it takes away all of the design details. However, VBx2 has been designed for scientific and architectural applications and offers a bit of reflection that is visible from all angles.
BMW is most likely using this particular paint finish to make its X6 SUV stand out in the crowd. The third-generation X6 is being manufactured at BMW’s plant located in South Carolina.
