The silveriest Civic e:HEV celebrates 25 years of Honda hybrids, starting with the Insight in 1999

We’ve all heard Vantablack, the darkest paint ever createda color so black that it makes other black people feel a little insecure. But what about the “silverest” money? Does such a thing actually exist? Turns out that’s the case, and Honda pulled out all the stops by unveiling a one-off Civic e:HEV covered in paint so intensely silver that it practically glows out of existence. This is no ordinary metallic finish, as it is infused with real silver flakes.

The mastermind behind this special painting is Stuart Semple, a British artist, activist and self-proclaimed “champion of color.” Semple’s CV has no shortage of superlatives; he’s the guy who gave the world the rosiest pink, the goldiest gold, and, yes, the blackest black (although the latter might come with a few legal caveats if you ask Anish Kapoor, the creator of Vantablack).

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For the Civic’s silver makeover, Semple didn’t hold back since 64% of this paint’s composition is pure silver flakes and pigments, all suspended in a specialized acrylic mix. After the mixing process, UK-based manufacturing specialist The Syrup Room took on the challenge of spraying it onto the bodywork.

The process did not stop there. The final Silveriest Silver coats were painstakingly applied over several coats of protective and removable paint, ensuring the finish was not only glossy but also durable. As you can imagine, Honda claims this is the first time such paint has been applied to a vehicle.

The unique silver example celebrates 25 years of hybrids by Honda, starting with the Insight in 1999. The current 11th generation of the Honda Civic e:HEV has been around since 2022, with the Japanese-spec model receiving light updates earlier this year. The self-charging hybrid setup includes a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated gasoline engine, electric motors and a lithium-ion battery.

In addition to the Civic, Honda’s hybrid range in Europe includes the Jazz, HR-V, ZR-V and CR-V. The models will be joined by the new Honda Prelude coupe, which is expected to arrive in the coming years with a hybrid powertrain.