That sexy "new car smell"? In Cadillacs, it's enhanced by a distilled industrial perfume called "Nuance." The auto maker uses it to liberally coat the insides of fresh-off-the-assembly-line cars, as sensory stimulant for prospective buyers. From the New York Times:
"You pay the extra money for leather, you don't want it to smell like lighter fluid," said James T. Embach, G.M.'s manager for advanced features. "You want it to smell like a Gucci bag." … The new-car smell need not stop at leather, however. "We believe there is growth potential in people wanting to be in this big burly S.U.V. with rich walnut and they want it to smell like wood," said Jeff Rose, senior vice president at Collins & Aikman.
Anyone want to place odds on how long before we see Nuance (or an eau de car knockoff — perhaps Chanel No. 92 Unleaded) hits retail shelves? No telling what trouble a dab behind the ear might get you into. Link (thanks, Clive)
