We know what you're thinking. You've seen the headline and you don't believe for a second that BMW has created a car that can change colour. Well, strap yourselves in, because this incredible vehicle is like something straight out of a James Bond movie.
Using E Ink displays, BMW has created a car that will shift colour at the press of a button. The vehicle (aptly named the IX Flow) smoothly transitions from white to black and can even sport a geometric pattern. The E Ink technology is so advanced, that the car can even change the colour of its wheels, or only change the colour of specific car parts like the bonnet or the boot. Feeling inspired by all this colour talk? Why not check out our guide on colour theory?
According to BMW, "The surface coating of the iX Flow featuring E Ink contains many millions of microcapsules. Each contains negatively charged white pigments and positively charged black pigments". So when you choose the colour you want your car to be, apparently electricity will push the desired white or black pigments to the top of the microcapsule and that's when the vehicle will magically change colour.
This might be one of the coolest cars we have ever seen as it looks like the whole thing comes to life. We hope to see in the future if the E Ink display will support other colours as well. We love the idea of travelling in a car that you can change the colour of to reflect your mood – imagine getting road rage and being able to transform the colour of your car to bright red.
This car feels like it belongs in 2050 (Image credit: BMW)
As cool as we think the chameleon car is, we have to admit that at first we did think it was a trivial feature – we've survived without colour changing cars this far after all. But the BMW blog has pointed out that you could "press a button and have it its entire body constantly flash from black to white, to catch your eye" if you lost your car in a parking lot. BMW also explains that the e-ink technology could display the likes of how much charge your car has by "making the car appear white when empty but fill up with black as it charges", meaning that the colour-changing is not only aesthetically pleasing but also functional.
We reckon it might take a little while until we see the colour changing cars on our roads, but for now, we can fantasise about owning our very own James Bond-style vehicle one day. If you wanted to have a go at designing your own futuristic car, make sure you check out our roundup of the best 3D modelling software.
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Amelia is Creative Bloq’s Staff Writer. After completing a degree in Popular Music and a Master’s in Song Writing, Amelia began designing posters, logos, album covers and websites for musicians. She now enjoys covering a range of topics on Creative Bloq, including posters, optical illusions, logos (she's a particular fan of logo Easter eggs), gaming and illustration. In her free time, she relishes in the likes of art (especially the Pre-Raphaelites), photography and literature. Amelia prides herself on her unorthodox creative methods, her Animal Crossing island and her extensive music library.
