Honda has revealed a one-of-a-kind Civic e:HEV sprayed in the world’s most silver paint to celebrate 25 years since the brand launched Europe’s first ever hybrid model – the Insight – in September 1999.
To celebrate its hybrid silver jubilee, Honda painted the Civic in a specially made batch of unique silver paint created by renowned artist and colour champion, Stuart Semple. Inventor of the world’s Silveriest Silver, alongside the Pinkest Pink, Goldest Gold and Blackest Black, he supplied the paint for the one-off anniversary edition through his studio, Culture Hustle.
With a passion for working with only the best materials, Stuart creates his paint using 64% real silver flakes and pigments blended in an acrylic suspension. The paint can be smoothly applied to all surfaces and gives the appearance of solid gold or silver metals, enabling artists to create work that is a real representation of these colours.
Once the paint had been mixed, it was handed to the custom fabrication specialists at The Syrup Room in Bournemouth UK, to apply to the Civic. Over three days, its team of expert sprayers cleaned and prepared the car’s bodywork in carefully climate-controlled conditions before administering multiple layers of specialist protective and removable paint. Finally, high precision spraying equipment was used to apply the final coats of Silveriest Silver to create the unique celebratory Civic.
Nik Pearson, Honda Motor Europe, said: “Honda’s hybrid know-how is unmatched in the industry. In 1999 we set about building the world’s most fuel-efficient car, the revolutionary Insight, which was the first petrol-electric hybrid car in Europe. Today we offer a fully electrified model range, the majority of which feature our innovative e:HEV powertrain. It’s for these reasons we’ve marked 25 years of hybrid technology with the ultimate silver anniversary gift, the Silveriest Civic. And doesn’t it look fantastic.”
Honda is now in its fourth calendar decade of producing hybrid vehicles, with the brand’s engineers having spent the past quarter of a century perfecting this type of powertrain, the fruits of which can be seen in the current fully electrified mainstream model range.
About the Civic e:HEV and Honda’s pioneering hybrid technology
Launched in 2022, the heart of the latest Civic’s hybrid system is the e:HEV powertrain, which includes a 2.0-litre direct-injection Atkinson-cycle petrol engine, two compact yet powerful electric motors, a power-dense lithium-ion battery, a Power Control Unit, and an Intelligent Power Unit.
Alongside the hybrid Jazz, HR-V, ZR-V, and CR-V, the 11th generation Civic is part of Honda’s fully electrified mainstream model range, perfectly allying impressive performance and responsiveness alongside smooth power delivery and outstanding efficiency – all without compromising on the ‘joy of driving’.
Honda’s hybrid story continues to have a bright future, with the iconic Prelude nameplate set to return in the coming years with a petrol-electric powertrain. It promises to deliver the perfect balance of exhilarating driving pleasure and outstanding efficiency, alongside trademark style and sophistication – another example of Honda bringing the ‘joy of driving’ to customers across Europe.
The ultimate realisation of Honda’s hybrid technologies has also been seen on the track, following the brand’s return to Formula 1 as an engine supplier in 2015, at the start of the turbo hybrid era. It has since steadily refined its power unit, overcoming many challenges to clinch the world drivers’ championship in 2021 with Max Verstappen and Oracle Red Bull Racing. Honda continued to supply power units to the team in 2022 and 2023 – years in which they consecutively clinched both the drivers’ and constructors’ world championships.
SOURCE: Honda
