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Oct 15

Mood cars: Paint reacts to temperature changes

Even hands can trigger the color change.

(Credit: Auto Kandy)

There is a Nissan R33 Skyline cruising around in England that looks a bit different than most cars. It has an all-over custom heat-reactive paint job that changes from black to orange depending on the temperature across the surface. West Yorkshire body shop Auto Kandy undertook the task of applying the special paint.

Heat-sensitive paint has been applied to automobiles before, but generally as a special effect to create looks like color-changing flames. What’s unusual about this application is that the whole car was done up. It appears black when cool and turns orange as it heats up. On a cold day, taking it for a drive will turn the hood orange from the heat of the engine.