Hello Rob.
A buddy told me that Infiniti cars have self-healing paint. Is this for real? It sounds like something out of a 1960s edition of Mechanics Illustrated!
Mark
It's true. In fact, it might surprise you that Infiniti's Scratch Shield paint has been around since 2004. Unfortunately, this self-healing clear coat finish "is no longer offered in North America because although it is a great technology, the cost benefit to consumers was not sufficient to continue offering it in this market," according to a Nissan representative.
Nissan, Infiniti's parent company, developed the paint system in collaboration with the University of Tokyo and Advanced Softmaterials Inc., according to Ian Forsyth, Director of Corporate Planning for Nissan Canada, the finish was "a clear coat that is designed to be chemically soft."
Mark Deroche, Chief Instructor, Auto Collision Group at the British Columbia Institute of Technology, confirmed that this clear coat has properties designed to "flow" on a continual basis. Its chemical makeup is elastic, as opposed to the rigid plastic-like consistency found on most paint finishes. Deroche also stated that this technology works faster and more effectively in warmer weather. Cold weather tends to "firm up" the clear coat. This is not to say that it will not "repair" itself when the temperature dips, but the healing process will take a little longer. Click here for a demonstration of the healing process, and click here for before and after pictures.
Although Nissan is no longer using the finish on its cars, it is still being used by some cell phone manufacturers in Japan.
Mark, this doesn't mean that you can impress everyone by taking a key to the hood and watch it heal. This technology was designed to address the slight scratching you would find on your vehicle after dozens of touch-type car washes or light parking lot rubs up against a dirty panel.