A car covered in eerily lifelike synthetic skin that burns in the sun has become one of the strangest vehicles Aussies have seen in a very long time.
The bizarre creation, commissioned by Mycar Tyre & Auto, features a custom interior wrap made of hyper-realistic material.
The synthetic ‘skin’ is engineered to mimic how human skin responds to UV exposure in real time, changing colour to demonstrate the sun’s impact on drivers not wearing sun protection.
And it looks as real as it gets.
MORE: Albo to smash Aussies with new tax
Photos of the car show skin-line texture, human hairs, moles and patches of angry red sunburn.
According to mycar, the skin reacts to different types of UV exposure, including when the car window is open or closed.
It comes after research released by mycar found 70 per cent of Australians wrongly believe they are protected from the sun while inside a car.
Standard vehicle windows are not fully capable of blocking all harmful UV rays, and window tint can only reduce exposure by so little – a fact 39 per cent of respondents were unaware of.
The findings also showed 65 per cent of people do not apply sunscreen before driving, leaving themselves open to long-term skin damage.
mycar Tyre & Auto Chief Customer Officer Adele Coswello said the campaign was created to bring that risk to life in a way drivers could not ignore.
“Many Australians don’t realise that UV exposure in the car creates damage over time,” Ms Coswello said.
MORE: 2yo ‘compressed’ to death: Cops want answers
“Damage to your skin can happen without the visible effects of burning.
“This experiment is an important reminder to drivers and their passengers to understand the risk and protect themselves.”
The incredibly eerie synthetic projection was created in partnership with ODD Studio, the Oscar and BAFTA-winning prosthetic.
Additionally, scientific input and medical guidance used to create the synthetic skin were provided by Dr Joanneke Maitz, a surgeon-scientist in burns and reconstructive surgery at Concord Hospital.
MORE: $9 a litre: Aussies slugged
Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer worldwide, and Australia has the highest incidence and mortality rates in the world.
To help Aussies fight back, mycar Tyre & Auto is also providing “sun spot stickers” for motorists at any of its 275+ locations.
These stickers serve as a daily reminder for motorists to consider UV exposure before getting behind the wheel.
The sticker can be placed on any part of a car and changes colour when UV is detected, letting drivers and passengers know when it’s time to protect their skin.
As strange and unsettling as this project is, the valuable message behind sun safety is executed incredibly well.
