What is the difference between soul red and Soul red Crystal?

From the 1960 R360 Coupe, a micro car Mazda sold in Japan as well as Mazda’s first passenger car, to the Mazda’s current lineup, Mazda has had a long history with the color red. Red has deep roots in the Japanese culture, as it denotes strength, passion and is even used to depict the sun in the Japanese national flag. Believing paint color is one of the key elements of form, Mazda was determined to create the world’s most beautiful red when developing the new Soul Red Crystal.

From the 1960 R360 Coupe, a micro car Mazda sold in Japan as well as Mazda’s first passenger car, to the Mazda's current lineup, Mazda has had a long history with the color red. Red has deep roots in the Japanese culture, as it denotes strength, passion and is even used to depict the sun in the Japa

Let’s Do This a Different Way

Creating Soul Red Crystal was a challenging process, and it required Mazda to reinvent the way cars are painted. Like any beautiful object, the way light dances across its surface is part of the beauty. The interplay of light and form inspired Mazda to create a paint with exceptional depth and reflective quality.

To ensure such visual perfection, the color designer and master painter worked together during the development process to make sure the designer’s color choices were translated perfectly onto the cars. To achieve such a deep, lustrous finish, the cars needed to be painted by hand. While this was possible for Mazda’s concept cars, a new technique was developed in order to achieve the same quality Soul Red Crystal in production models. In a process called, Takuminuri, which translates to English as “artisan coloring,” painting robots were effectively taught to duplicate the techniques of Mazda’s best craftsmen.

Master Craftsmen

Takuminuri is a Mazda-exclusive approach to advanced paint technology, starting with the original Soul Red Metallic paint color in 2012, perfected with Machine Gray in 2016 and further refined into a color that uses the learnings from both to stand among the most drool-worthy colors out there.

Mazda’s Kodo–Soul of Motion design philosophy gives every Mazda a proper canvas, with a sensual, dynamic shape that captures the very instant energy becomes motion. Everywhere you look, this poise is enhanced by premium details. Subtle, flowing body lines that show off the nuances of curves and a powerful stance are further highlighted as light reflects off of the Soul Red Crystal paint.

Mazda views cars as art, and our desire is to have customers be emotionally moved by their car before even starting the engine.

One of the most powerful ways a designer can create emotion is through color, and there is no bolder color in the palette than red. Deep inside our subconscious, red symbolizes passion, aggressiveness and importance – fitting for any of the vehicles in Mazda’s lineup.

But not just any red will bring to life the beauty and sophistication of the Mazda lineup. Soul Red Crystal expresses vibrancy and energy with an increased depth and gloss, while exemplifying the beauty and sophistication of Kodo—Soul of Motion design.

“Color design and form have to work together,” said Teresa Spafford, design manager for colors, materials and finishes, and advanced design planning at Mazda North American Operations. “There needs to be harmony between them. Color design and paint formulation can actually hide designers’ subtle work. Mazda is at its best in controlling that motion and color and seeing the design come out.”

With 20-percent greater color saturation and 50-percent more depth than its predecessor, Soul Red Crystal adds another level of vividness and allure to an already stunning paint choice. But to achieve this new paint, a new process was necessary.

The paint is applied in a three-step process that combines high-quality techniques and enhanced attention to detail. Soul Red Crystal features extremely thin aluminum flakes, all made to a uniform size. The consistency of the paint was enhanced and contributes to a uniform coat. Mazda also looked to reduce the time it takes for the paint to dry; a technique was implemented to shrink the volume of the paint, which contributes to a decrease in carbon emissions and a quicker paint job.

Mazda’s innovation doesn’t end with the paint, they have also developed one of the most environmentally friendly automotive painting systems in the world, thanks to Aqua-tech and its innovative Takuminuri painting techniques

The Aqua-tech Paint System uses a water-based paint and application technique that in turn reduces the length of the painting process. In doing so, it reduces high volatile organic compounds by 78 percent and carbon emissions by 17 percent.

“As an automaker, we have an obligation to not only make high-quality vehicles, but also reduce our impact on the environment,” said Kiyotaka Shobuda, senior managing executive officer at Mazda Corporation. “Our painting technologies, which have helped Kodo design gain recognition worldwide, represent Mazda’s efforts to meet that obligation.”

This attention to continuous improvement is also reflected in paint application. Takuminuri painting techniques are used to apply clear, translucent and reflective coats in a simple three-layer structure. The result is a rich, high-quality paint that looks like it has been hand-sprayed by a master craftsman.

“Moving forward,” Shobuda said, “we’ll continue to develop innovative technologies, provide customers around the world with high-quality cars, contribute both to preserving the environment and enriching society.”

Mazda’s Kodo—Soul of Motion design language aims to invoke strong emotions, and Mazda designer’s mastery of complex body colors that defy convention will continue to bring to life the beauty and sophistication of its cars.

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