A new Honda Civic hatchback features the world’s most silver paintwork, helping the company mark a special silver anniversary.
The ‘silveriest’ paint includes elements of the actual precious metal, ensuring this is a truly bespoke Civic e:HEV hybrid.
For Honda, the occasion is the 25th anniversary of the radical Insight hybrid, which made its European debut in the autumn of 1999.
Today, Honda has fully embraced hybrid technology, with all cars in its UK range now offered with electrified power.
A silver anniversary gift
The Civic’s special finish is the work of British artist Stuart Semple. The inventor of a bespoke range of paints, Semple’s creations include Pinkest Pink, Goldest Gold and Blackest Black.
Sourced from his Culture Hustle gallery, Semple made the shimmering Silveriest Silver hue with 64 percent real silver flakes, combined with pigments blended in an acrylic suspension.
The result is paintwork that replicates the effect of solid silver, but without the eye-watering expense.
The Syrup Room in Bournemouth undertook the task of painting the Civic e:HEV, requiring three days to complete the job. Multiple layers of specialist protective and removable paint were required, before the final coats of Silveriest Silver were applied with high precision spraying equipment.
A quarter-century of hybrids
Launched in 1999, the Honda Insight combined futuristic styling with a 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine delivering 68hp. Honda’s first-generation Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system contributed a further 13hp.
The Insight’s sleek styling and impressive aerodynamics helped it achieve an average fuel economy figure of 83.1mpg.
Nik Pearson of Honda Motor Europe, said: “Honda’s hybrid know-how is unmatched in the industry. In 1999 we set about building the world’s most fuel-efficient car, the revolutionary Insight, which was the first petrol-electric hybrid car in Europe.
“Today we offer a fully electrified model range, the majority of which feature our innovative e:HEV powertrain. It’s for these reasons we’ve marked 25 years of hybrid technology with the ultimate silver anniversary gift: the Silveriest Civic. And doesn’t it look fantastic?”
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