Luxury vehicle makers have a way of upping the ante, with features that seem more and more unique, opulent and, perhaps, unnecessary.
When INFINITI recently unveiled its newest QX65 SUV, it led with the vehicle’s unorthodox paint color: dubbed Sunfire Red, this coating is described by the company as “something people will remember.”
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That’s because the rich paint hue, inspired by a "fiery morning sunrise” is said to be “infused with real gold-coated glass flecks.”
INFINITI’s design team described the requirements of working with this very special paint, noting that INFINITI’s supplier must use armored trucks when transporting the gold that’s used in the making of Sunfire Red.
They also said that using real gold in the manufacturing process also means heightened security at the plant and “diligent inventory monitoring.”
When applying the paint, the company uses a tri-coat process. The ground-coat is red, which is followed by the gold-flecked mid-coat and then finished with a clear coat.
The 2027 INFINITI QX65 is assembled at a plant in Smyrna, Tennessee that features a “hyper-sterile” environment to prevent contamination in the process.
It also employs AI to help detect imperfections of the slightest degree.
Yasuhito Oba, color designer in the Advanced Design Department, said the design team “treats this paint almost like jewelry,” adding, "The level of detail that goes into the finish is the same mindset we bring to the entire exterior design."
This first-ever nameplate QX65 will be available this summer if you want to get an up-close look at this unique and valuable new paint color.
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