At Tokyo Auto Salon 2010, Honda Net Nara exhibited a Honda Odyssey with 70,000 carats of Kyoto Opal adding a sparkle to its entire surface.
Kyoto Opal is a new material, created using gemstone synthesis technology developed by Kyocera, based on the same quartz grains as natural opal. By coloring Kyoto Opal artificially, a diverse range of hues can be produced. In addition, a variety of cuts can be achieved, overcoming the cracking and chipping that occur in natural opal.
Kyocera’s Kyoto Opal has been combined with Jewel Paint, a new coating technology from Honda Net Nara, a specialist in sheet metal coating and car customization. The result is the world’s first gemstone-coated car.
The Jewel Paint on the Odyssey exhibited here cost about 8,000,000 yen. But the companies aim to bring the cost down further.
Related Links :
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http://global.kyocera.com/news/2009/0202_hgus.html
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http://www.e-autosalon.net/tokyo/english/index.php (TOKYO AUTO SALON 2010)
