It sounds like something a seven year old child would dream up after staring for too long at their lava lamp, but this glow in the dark Aston Martin DBS is actually real. A luminous blue, it was painted prior to this year’s Gumball Rally and, dare we say it, looks quite spectacular. The car’s owner, David Morgan, is quoted in the Mirror as saying: “Personally, I wanted a car that would stand out among the collection of supercars and what better way to do it than make it glow? It is positively mind-blowing and feels like touching glass, smoother than regular car paint, whilst aesthetically something futuristic and completely out of this world – it is spectacular, day or night.”
Although it may seem like a passing craze, there’s actually a deeper purpose to the paint. It was invented by Hamish Scott, who claims that he designed the paint to adhere to almost any surface, and that it can be seen from miles away. If true, this would come in pretty handy if your car, bike or boat happens to break down, particularly if you’re in an unoccupied area. In fact, it might even save your life.
The paint is a UV coating that charges during sunlight hours, giving it up to ten hours of luminescence at night. While it would indeed be great when you’re broken down (not to mention snazzy), it remains to be seen whether motoring authorities will clamp down on the use of these UV materials, in the same way as they have done with reflective paint. Perhaps it’s time to bask in the luminescent glow while it lasts.