Magic Lamborghini Paint Job Transforms In A Splash

Imagine that Banksy came out of the shadows to do public graffiti performances and corporate commissions, and you have the gist of what Rene Turrek does for a living. The 37-year-old German artist who started spraying illegally as a teen-ager now frequents shows such as Art Basel, and his work decorates high-end boutiques in Europe. But his experimental side shows through in the occasional automotive project, like this new one called “The First Avenger” — a Captain America-themed Lamborghini Gallardo with a magic trick.

After giving the Gallardo a base coat of Cap’n colors, Turrek coated it with a special formulation of thermochromic paint. The result: A Gallardo that looks reddish purple in daylight, until its doused with hot or cold water, revealing the comic art underneath.

Thermochromic paints tend to run $300-$400 a pint, so a paint job like this would run a few thousand dollars just for the top coat materials alone; such paint also slowly loses its effectiveness in UV light, eventually settling into one shade. It’s not clear whether The First Avenger was a commission or just a one-off project, but even by Lamborghini driving standards, having Captain America appear on your hood kind of rocks.