Supra Stryker – The Samurai of Versailles

A joint collaboration between 506 Wraps and Corsa Auto Design, this project is the result of what happens when installer and designer come together to push the limits of one another. The design is a unique fusion of European baroque architectural styling (e.g. Palace of Versailles) with Japanese samurai yoroi/oni mask design. While the design is symmetrical, both sides have their own unique color scheme. Being a one-off, the artwork took over 2 months’ worth of working time to create. The wrap both highlights certain features of the car’s shape, such as the sharp FT-1 esque nose, while attempting to visually reduce some flaws of the Supra’s bodyshape, like the stubby/stalky side profile due to its short wheelbase. The one-off aero kit was also designed in conjunction with the wrap, allowing both elements to compliment each other.

All sorts of special effects were used in the design, both digitally and in reality. Some sections of the design use light/shadow techniques with a blue tint to give the effect of viewing the artwork through a blue-tinted glass lens. Along with special effect techniques to add a three-dimensional illusion to the artwork, there is an actual three-dimensional element to the wrap, as the design is embossed all over the car both inside and out (e.g. sides, roof, air tank, etc). There is even reverse embossing – the letters in “Try Flash For Pics” on the sides are actually cutouts exposing the forged carbon of the door garnish, while the thin outline around the words is raised with embossing. The hood features embossing on the brushed center section, and within the embossing are gloss overlays to further enhance the three-dimensionality.

Nearly every inch of this car is draped in Avery vinyl. The exterior, interior, engine bay, jambs, door cards, wheels, trunk floor and aero kit are amongst the main portions of the car wrapped. The design transitions from exterior to interior in a unique manner as well. For example, the hood features a center section swoop with a separated design from the sides of the hood. However, when opening the hood, the engine bay reveals the part of the design “hidden” by this center section. Same for the trunk, opening it reveals the “hidden” portion on the trunk floor inside. Custom templates were made for multiple components, from the center console iDrive buttons to the tail light lenses, allowing for the creation of artwork perfectly configured to these pieces.

The wrap features a plethora of Avery films – SW900 Silver Metallic, Gloss Black, Brushed Titanium, and V8000 Visiflex reflective. Most of these materials were printed on and laminated with either Avery DOL 1460Z or DOL 1380Z; the combination of laminations allow for unique effect of contrasting finishes to further accentuate both design and car. The bronze along the windows and miscellaneous accents is a bespoke color created using the silver metallic. Being nearly 7 times thicker than SW900 films as it’s a prismatic reflective, VisiFlex is a challenging material to work with and only recommended for simple curves. However for this project, we pushed the material’s capabilities as the entire hip of the car is wrapped in VisiFlex along with several other complex portions of the car’s body (e.g. brake calipers). All Visiflex corners are tucked as well, not just relief cut on the edge. The install has lasted over a year with no lifts or issues, showcasing how impressive this material can be despite its level of difficulty. Nearly all sections of the design are butt-seamed, use of overlays was kept to a minimum.

The specifics behind this project can be elaborated even more, but the words above give an overview to the level of thought and effort that went into this creation. To top it all off, the entire wrap was done in one shot. No panels were reprinted or redone after the first attempt. More pictures/videos can be found at @TheBlackGT on Instagram.