CNET’s Roadshow reports that the third-generation BMW X6 release at the Frankfurt Motor Show may be a little hard to see. The car is spray-coated in Vantablack, a substance that holds the world record as the darkest manmade material. It’s made of millions of tiny carbon nanotubes, each about 3,500 times smaller than the diameter of an average human hair. Vantablack reflects only 0.036% of the light that strikes it at the 700 nm wavelength (the portion of the spectrum visible to the human eye is from about 400 nm to 700 nm).
Without further ado, here it is:
The Vantablack-based auto coating isn’t as likely to help drivers looking to go fast and escape a ticket by radar or even lidar. Vantablack isn’t as absorptive in the radar portion of the spectrum so it wouldn’t hide a vehicle from these detection systems. It’s much more effective with the human eye.
According to CNET the X6 won’t be available for purchase in Vantablack at this time. Back to the bat cave, Robin!
