TOKYO - Nissan's new car paint repairs its own scratches and scrapes.
Minor scruffs disappear like magic in about a week on cars that have Scratch Guard Coat, a clear paint that the Japanese automaker developed with Nippon Paint Co., company spokesman Kiyoshi Ariga said Monday.
The coating, which Tokyo-based Nissan Motor Co. says is the first of its kind in the world, contains elastic resin, similar to a rubbery surface, and can repair itself of slight scratches caused by car-washing, off-road driving and fingernails.
Car-washing machines account for most car surface scratches, according to Nissan, which showed before and after photos of a car with scratches on the hood and one with no scratches a week later. The coat lasts about three years, Nissan said.
The scratch-proof paint job will be offered only in some Japan models of the X-Trail sport-utility vehicle, planned for sale soon, and overseas plans are still undecided, Ariga said. It may be offered in other models, but no decision has been made, he said.
In terms of costs, Nissan would only say Scratch Guard Coat costs a hundred dollars extra.