Inspired by a Japanese technique, Sunfire Red shade requires transportation in an armored car and monitoring by artificial intelligence
Infiniti presented the new QX65 under a strategy of visual differentiation in the luxury market. The manufacturer’s central bet for the coupe SUV is the Sunfire Red shade, a paint that incorporates real gold particles to give depth and dynamism to the bodywork.
The development of the color followed principles of the inverted pyramid of design, prioritizing immediate visual impact. Inspired by the Japanese concept “Kintsugi” — the art of repairing ceramics with gold, valuing imperfections — the tone was designed to vary according to the angle of incidence of the light, delivering a sophisticated metallic shine without resorting to the loaded aspect of common customizations.
“We needed to convey an extraordinary feeling from the first look,” said Taisuke Nakamura, the brand’s head of design. According to Yasuhito Oba, color designer at Infiniti, the goal was to achieve a hue that balanced strength and warmth, escaping the conventional red of the industry.
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The production of the finish takes place in three rigorous steps: a solid base of red, a middle layer containing microscopic glass flakes coated with real gold, and finally a high-gloss transparent varnish. Although the amount of metal per vehicle is small, the value of the input required logistics to be operated by Brinks armored trucks to the Decherd plant in Tennessee (USA).
According to Infiniti, each unit consumes about 7.6 liters of paint. To ensure uniformity, quality control is monitored by artificial intelligence systems that detect variations imperceptible to the human eye. Once applied and dried, the gold film behaves like a long-lasting pigment, maintaining visual integrity under extreme weather conditions.
