You have to go back in time until you reach the First World War to know and understand why camouflage is used today in the prototypes of car brands, but also, the reason for the colors.
At that time it was known as ‘disruptive camouflage’ with distortion or dazzling camouflage, from the English dazzle camouflage, which was used on ships. The trick is at first very simple and is that the contrast between black and white means that the human eye and, above all, the lens of a camera cannot focus precisely on the details.
That contrast made it impossible for enemies to accurately mark their position when aiming their cannons. Now in cars this camouflage seeks to fool the automatic focus of digital cameras that works when there are good lighting conditions, but with black and white patterns it cannot calibrate or focus correctly, with which the details are out of focus.
In general, the brands have their own tracks or test circuits and it is there where the first tests are carried out. These are fenced off to prevent onlookers and spy photographers. But there comes a time when the new model must go out and that is when camouflage becomes necessary.
They also have a team of technicians who deal with the recovery. The vinyls or stickers must be very resistant because they will be there for several months depending on the inclement weather.
When a prototype goes hidden under camouflage on the street for the first time, in reality a dozen or more predecessors have already rolled “hidden” under panels or nylon plates attached to its body, which prevents the car from reaching high speeds for what it is. which is only used during the first tests to test driving assistance.
The interior is always covered, but when that’s done, it’s blended in with Velcro-fastened plush floor mats. The headlights are particularly difficult to camouflage because to be able to drive on the road legally it is necessary for the prototypes to have all their lighting functions.
This practice is common in countries where new models are manufactured. There it is common to see cars in the testing phase on streets and highways covered by some elements that hide their shapes, lines and overall design.
Statistics indicate that a brand invests an average of 250 million dollars in four years and uses about 200 prototypes before a model reaches the showcases. Keeping the secret is one of the biggest challenges. Think about this. You are going to buy a late model car, for example 2024.
That car was opened in 2020, so the engineers and designers had to go ahead of time to deliver a device that arrives when your hands do not look old or outdated, but with all the technological advances of the moment. The secrets kept are many and valuable.
The tests are of all kinds and are usually done at extreme temperatures of heat or cold, there is resistance, performance of a new engine or aerodynamic behavior, so the test units must even move on foreign roads.
Hence, these cars must be camouflaged to prevent their competition from knowing design details, dimensions or platforms, especially if the brand has worked on a model that it believes could become a ‘hit’ in the market. In addition, it is proven by the brands that most information ‘leaks’ occur during the testing phase.
Taking into account that those models will arrive in the showcases much later, another tactic is to show details that are not definitive. This tactic is known as crypsis (to hide) or mimesis (to make it look like something else). Thus, when the moment of the definitive launch arrives, it is avoided that the ‘target public’ has lost interest in the ‘new model’, with which all the work and effort would be lost.
