Self-restoring paint in development: Lexus

Lexus -- in company with a long line of other carmakers -- is pursuing the holy grail of scratch-proof paint. The luxury Toyota offshoot says it is likely to introduce scratch resistant paint in the near future "on the soon-to-be-upgraded Lexus LS Line". Lexus says the paint is designed so it "can 'heal' itself and resist scratches caused by fingernails, carwashes and everyday use."

As well as being resistant to a harrowing session through the carwash, the paint is also able to "self restore" after being exposed to harsh light conditions. The new paint has a "denser paint structure" through the use of ingredients that encourage closer bonding of paint particles and offer greater flexibility and elasticity.

Scratch-resistant and self repairing exterior paint have both been in development for some time, with Mercedes-Benz first cab off the rank with anti-scratch technology in 2003. The Mercedes system uses nano particles claimed to give a three-times improvement over conventional paint in terms of scratch resistance. As well as resisting scratching, the paint is said to retain its gloss for significantly longer than conventional lacquers.

At Nissan, the announcement of its intention to use self-repairing technology on one of its SUV models came in 2005. The company developed a system using a special clear top coat able to restore its original condition after surface scratching inflicted by carwashes, off-road shrubbery or fingernails. The self-repairing process took anything from one day to a week depending on the severity of the scratch. Disappointingly, it remained active only for about three years. Maybe even more disappointingly, the paint was primarily applied to the chassis, bumpers and door mirrors.

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