New car colors at the start

New car colors at the start

Based on a special feature from quantum mechanics, this year's BASF car color collection is called “Superposition”. To put it simply, it involves expanding opposite poles such as black and white to include countless variations in between. This opens up an unlimited design vocabulary that can be simultaneously playful and serious, comfortable and stirring, or straightforward and chaotic. The colors developed in BASF laboratories for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region bring changes into play with new effects, subtle color gradients and glitter effects. Gray tones change their appearance depending on the viewing angle, while light and reflective blue tones give the surface structure. "These colors open your eyes and make you think. They represent a superposition of complex nuances that change our perception," says Mark Gutjahr, Head of Automotive Color Design EMEA.

Colors and research

The designers in the Coatings division observe future trends every year and use them as a basis for developing new surfaces, structures and colors. They draw their inspiration from various sources, from industry and fashion to consumer products and nature. These research results are shared with BASF customers, the designers of the automobile manufacturers, in order to help shape the future of series production. BASF's Coatings division has global expertise in the development, production and marketing of innovative vehicle and car refinish coatings, architectural coatings and applied surface technology for metal, plastic and glass substrates for numerous industries. The portfolio is rounded off by the “Innovation Beyond Paint” program, which aims to develop new markets and business models. In 2020, the BASF Coatings division achieved global sales of around 3.1 billion euros.