Is it just an optical illusion?

[DeHaldaswerth]

Please forgive me for what may be a silly question. I have a blue 2000 NSXt, which I bought new, the day it came off the delivery truck. After staring at it for what seems like a thousand hours, I'm afraid I have lost all contact with reality/objectivity.

I have noticed what appears to be a very slight color difference between body panels, specifically the door and the rear quarter panel. (The paint is otherwise absolutely flawless and very evenly applied, something you seldom see in a factory metallic paint job). The phenomenon appears on both sides of the car, but no such color difference appears at the transition between the front of the door and the front quarter panel. The phenomenon is similar to the slight difference in color between the plastic nose and the hood, which appears on every NSX I have seen.

The color difference is most
imperceptible, and I am wondering: have any of you noticed this on your cars?

My theory is that what I am seeing is actually an optical illusion, created by the fact that that the door, especially the rear portion, is framed by the window glass above and the shadow of the door concave below. I can even detect the difference in some of the photos in the Acura literature.

Any thoughts?

 

[HapaHaole]

Originally posted by DeHaldaswerth:


My theory is that what I am seeing is actually an optical illusion, created by the fact that that the door, especially the rear portion, is framed by the window glass above and the shadow of the door concave below. I can even detect the difference in some of the photos in the Acura literature.

Any thoughts?

well I HAD a '00 Electron Blue PearlHonda Civic Si that I used as a temp car till I found the car I wanted.. and yes I think darker Metallic colors had a different look depending on what angle you look at it..

My front nose looked more purple than blue
and my doors looked like more blue than purple.. Hmm I guess our eyes play games on us

 

[akira3d]

I can't say I've noticed any weird color differences in the panels. Considering that all are parts are painted using the same paint, I figure that what you're seeing must be an illusion.

Of course, the color differences could be caused by what is reflected in the panels.

------------------
--akira3D ('00 NSX-T red/black #113)
"Reality is better than the dream..."

akira3d.com/nsx

 

[nsxtasy]

Considering that all are parts are painted using the same paint, I figure that what you're seeing must be an illusion.

Yes and no. There is no difference in paint between the doors and the quarter panels. However, the paint used on the plastic panels (the bumpers) IS different; it contains elasticizers to allow it to flex more than a metal panel does. So that slight difference in color between the bumpers and the adjacent metal panels is not an optical illusion.

 

[PUREVIL]

My friends have Electron Blue Pearl Civics and I notice that the color is slightly different on plastic parts, versus the metal parts. For example, the license plate holder was slightly different than the truck and same with the hood and grill surround. SO maybe the difference is the rear quarter panel with the plastic bumper. Just my thoughts.

 

[DeHaldaswerth]

What's really scary is that my wife and friends can't see the color difference at all -- sometimes I feel like Richard Dreyfus in the movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." Funny the what buying a $88,000 car will do the the psyche.