見た目完全に「まっくろくろすけ」。BMW史上最も黒くて強烈なインパクトを与える「X6」が世界初公開、9月のフランクフルトモーターショーに登場?

2020-05-27

~世界で一番黒いカラーを持つ「X6」が突如として登場~

BMWといえば、先日よりとある事件絡みで「X5」の話題が絶えませんが、今回それらを全て黒で塗りつぶしてしまうかの如くとんでもなく”黒い”新型「X6」が世界初公開されました。

今回公開された新型「X6」は、来月9月より開催されるフランクフルトモーターショー2019にて出展の重要な一台となるのですが、何とボディには究極に真っ黒なベンタブラックと呼ばれるVBx2コーティングによって隅々まで黒に塗装されています。

このベンタブラックは、ナノチューブから構成される可視光の最大99.965%を吸収する既知の「最も黒い物質」と言われていて、光りが当たると、何と反射させるのではなくそれらを捉えることで、何度も屈折させ最終的に熱に仕上げるという効果があります。


~見れば見る程、その異常な黒さがはっきりとわかるレベル~

今回、BMWはベンタブラックを販売するメーカのSurrey Nano Systems及びクリエイティブ・エージェンシーのLevitation 29と連携して、「世界で最も黒いX6」を作成しました。
正直、世界で最も黒い”X6”ではなく、「世界で最も黒いクルマ」と表現した方が正しいのではないかと思いますが、見るからに完全に真っ黒で、これまで目撃されてきた開発車両のカモフラージュも、このカラーを使用することで十分カモフラージュできるんじゃないか?と思ってしまうぐらい。

何か…見た感じではありますが、ジブリ映画に登場した”まっくろくろすけ”並みの黒さを誇っていて、かなり不気味な雰囲気もありますね。

~ボディのプレスラインやつなぎ目も一切見えない程にとにかく黒い~

サイドビューはこんな感じ。
一応ボディラインを確認することはできますが、サイドのプレスラインや、ドアとドアの隙間は全く確認できませんし、足元のブラックペイント処理されたホイールやタイヤよりも更に黒いことがわかります。

リヤエンドには「VB X6」というバッジが。
世界で最も黒いモデルであることを証明する一方で、このモデルこそフランス語で”黒いクルマ”を意味する「ラ・ヴォワチュール・ノワール(Bugatti La Voiture Noire)」という名にふさわしい名称ではないかと思いますね。

ちなみにこのモデル、BMWによれば夜間での走行は本当に辞めた方が良いとのことで、外灯のないところで走行していると、後続からのハイビームを受けてもほとんど見えないようです。
そうなると追突事故を起こしてしまい、「X6」に乗っている運転手が追突したドライバを殴打?しにくるかもしれませんよ?(←あおり殴打の件しつこい)

~プレスリリース~

新型「X6」のプレスリリース内容は以下の通り。

Press Release 28th August 2019

BMW have created the World’s first Vantablack Car

THE FRANKFURT MOTOR SHOW will be the backdrop for the unveiling of the first and only vehicle in the world to feature a Vantablack® VBx2 coating in a collaboration between BMW, Surrey Nano Systems and Levitation 29. The showcasing of the car, known as the BMW VBX6, will coincide with the world premiere of the a third-generation BMW X6 Sports Utility Coupé.

Vantablack coatings are the blackest in the world, absorbing more than 99% of visible light and almost completely removing all reflections. In a playful and cutting-edge take on the tradition of concealing key design features by keeping cars under cloth or covering them with decals, BMW celebrate the launch of the iconic X6 by showcasing a Vantablack version. A surface coated with a Vantablack VBx2 coating loses its defining features to the human eye, with objects appearing two- dimensional. This can be interpreted by the brain as staring into a hole or even a void. Therefore, coating the BMW X6 has the effect of hiding some of the trademark curves and accentuating other design features such as the optional Iconic Glow kidney grille, distinctive twin headlights and striking taillights.

The new BMW X6 is the first and only vehicle in the world to feature a Vantablack VBx2 paint finish. The design of the BMW X6 provides fascinating contrasts to offset the Vantablack VBx2, which visually alters the viewers perception of the car’s three-dimensional nature. Ben Jensen, Vantablack inventor and founder of Surrey Nano Systems, said “VBx2 with its one-per-cent reflectance provides just enough of a hint of shape”. The spectacular one-off vehicle highlights the expressive and precise design language and confident, dominant and muscular appearance of the new BMW X6 to perfection. Asked whether he was pleased with the final car, Ben Jensen commented; “I think it went beyond all our expectations because of the size of the car, its distinctive shape and how imposing it is”.

The BMW VBX6 marks the latest in a string of high profile collaborations between Surrey NanoSystems, the inventors of Vantablack coatings, and Levitation 29 the technical and creative agency behind the project. Since they started working together in 2018 Surrey NanoSystems and Levitation 29 have produced a number of high-profile world firsts from a blackout house for Activision’s Call of Duty to a 40ft high Vantablack monolith at Coachella music festival for the

Techno DJ and Producer Gesaffelstein. The VBX6 collaboration with BMW however will hold a special place with fans of Vantablack. Benjamin Males from Levitation 29 says; “we get contacted by a lot of people wanting to use Vantablack in their projects – the idea of total blackness is something that really captures the imagination. We have lost count of the number of times people have asked us to coat a car in Vantablack, so It’s great to finally be making it a reality with BMW”.

The concept of the first Vantablack BMW was devised by Christophe Koenig, Spokesperson for the BMW X models. He first proposed the idea back in 2018 and it took over 10 months to come to fruition. “My thoughts of having a Vantablack BMW gets back to the preparation of the BMW X2 launch. Back to the days we wanted to have a kind of stealth painting, but we couldn’t make it happen. Therefore, I’m very excited we were able to do on a bigger car, which makes the effect even more stunning”. During the development process the Levitation 29 team met with Hussein Al Attar, the designer of the X6 who helped to describe the DNA at the core of design of the car. Hussein said; Internally, we often refer to the BMW X6 as “The Beast.” I think that says it all. The Vantablack VBx2 finish emphasises this aspect and makes the BMW X6 look particularly menacing. Moreover, the BMW X6 has always been the most provocative and in-your-face model in our portfolio. So why not emphasise this even further, with a finish that simply captivates the viewer’s attention? After all, that’s what the BMW X6 has always been about. Vantablack VBx2 opens up new possibilities for us as designers. We often prefer to talk about silhouettes and proportions rather than surfaces and lines. The Vantablack VBx2 coating foregrounds these fundamental aspects of automotive design, without any distraction from light and reflections”.

Benjamin Males from Levitation 29 said; “we really can’t wait to see where this collaboration with BMW and Surrey NanoSystems will take us next. The first Vantablack car is certainly a big tick in the box when it comes to dream projects and opens the way for even more large-scale concepts- like a stadium! To create the effect of infinite darkness on that scale would truly be spectacular.”

For more information contact enquiries@levitation29.com

☆★☆BMW「X6」関連記事5選はコチラ!☆★☆

Reference:motor1.com