Is this Esker Silver? - Video

[Mos Eisley]

Many have commented that an R2 in Esker Silver has been largely invisible in all the recent press. I was rewatching Ginny's video from last November. Do we think this is Esker Silver? The video was November of 2025 when the talk was still of all seats folding flat and the nefarious grab handles were still present.



I'm leaning pretty heavily towards Half Moon Grey but the R2 looks really nice in lighter colors. And if this is indeed Esker - I might be convinced, and be able to leave another $1,500 in my pocket.

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[iamnid]

If it's from last November, it's probably not Esker Silver.

 

[JEV]

Here's a picture of the R2 prototype in the lobby at the factory in Normal. I'm pretty sure this is Esker Silver. It's a shade darker than LA Silver. I really liked it in person.

 

[minimejdh]

Pictures of R2 in different colors

 

[Mos Eisley]

Pictures of R2 in different colors

I've seen that -

 

[Mos Eisley]

Instagram 2025

 

[tkauftheil]

These sure do look familiar. Just sayin

 

[skyguyscott]

So, it's impossible to accurately gage a color on an internet forum (remember the blue/black or white/gold dress?)

A partial list of variables: the color fidelity of the screen on which the color is viewed, the color temperature of the screen, the lighting conditions in which the color is viewed, the surrounding colors in the viewing environment, the compression artifacts of the format of the image, the limitations of the camera that took the photo, and all of the previous factors present at the time the photo was taken.

So, for instance in the picture in the YouTube thumbnail, the R2 looks to me to be somewhat of a light blueish-gray. Whereas the photo of the R2 in the lobby, the grey appears warmer or more neutral. They may, in fact be the exact same color, or they could be even more different than they appear.

The only way to see what color is what is to see the actual paint on the surface of the object with your own eyes, and even then, it will shift values under different lighting conditions.

 

[Great Gatsby]

Yeah, wish they finally showed us esker silver in its current iteration. If that is the free color, I cannot imagine it would be delayed. Don't know why they felt the need to go dark on the their grays though. I see a lot of LA Silvers here daily and have come to really like the color.

IMO - They are likely chasing the quicksilver color from Tesla. I'd imagine Esker Silver will be closer to that. A nice color, but IMO I'd prefer we just kept LA Silver. I don't think anyone disliked it.

 

[DJFrerichs]

Yes this is! they took the March 2024 debut day White R2 and repainted it to the new color. They also moved the charge port door to the final location. This car is probably the only one that has the power rear popout windows along with a bunch of other stuff we are not seeing the the final production models.

 

[JCH]

Agreed, the variables of lighting and digital viewing make reading colors challenging. If what I see on the video was available, I'd take it in a heartbeat. I particularly love the wheels...but they don't seem to be an option. Does anyone know if they could be purchased as an extra?

 

[DJFrerichs]

Yah, videos will show true color over photos. Those are the aero wheels and should be available upon configuration opening. If you are seeking a Launch Edition, Rivian Trackr does a great job capturing what will & Will not initially be available in this article: https://riviantrackr.com/news/the-rivian-r2-options-you-cant-get-at-launch/ More options of selection to come as the premium level comes online by year end.

 

[Jeremy3292]

I thought those wheels looked a little "aero-y" but they show the EPA range as the same as 21". I bet they do better.

 

[VandalSibs]

Yah, videos will show true color over photos. Those are the aero wheels and should be available upon configuration opening. If you are seeking a Launch Edition, Rivian Trackr does a great job capturing what will & Will not initially be available in this article: https://riviantrackr.com/news/the-rivian-r2-options-you-cant-get-at-launch/ More options of selection to come as the premium level comes online by year end.

Eh, video can actually be just as variable in color reproduction as photos. Especially with smartphones - they are the same sensors, and they go thru similar image enhancing algorithms on these devices.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Yah, videos will show true color over photos. Those are the aero wheels and should be available upon configuration opening. If you are seeking a Launch Edition, Rivian Trackr does a great job capturing what will & Will not initially be available in this article: https://riviantrackr.com/news/the-rivian-r2-options-you-cant-get-at-launch/ More options of selection to come as the premium level comes online by year end.

I work in advertising and have worked on videos and stills for multiple OEMs. Color reproduction is a big part of the job, in any medium. What you said is not how it works.

And I've said this ad nauseam: These are metallic paints. Metallic paints have little fine metal flakes that act like mirrors, that which receive and reflect (as well as refract) light/color from the car's surroundings. This is what gives metallic paints their dynamic character. Even without these metallic flakes, there is a natural phenomenon called "environmental influence". Put a green apple right next to a red apple, in a completely white studio, and put a light on them. You will see in each slight color influence from the other. Metallic paints make that phenomenon even more dynamic.

Beyond this natural phenomenon on earth—of how light behaves, in accordance with laws of quantum physics, and human biology (how your optic nerves see light/color and how your brain process that sensory info)—there are also other variables:

1. Hardware and software tech in how light/color is captured and processed into data
2. Human manipulation of that data—sometimes it's done to match what the human eye sees, sometimes it's done to exaggerate/enhance for sake of artistic expression
3. How data is used to reproduce visible color: Color calibration of each electronic display you are looking at and how they are calibrated... for faithful reproduction, or arbitrary preference. 100% red isn't the same shade of red across all displays.

With metallic paints you can't take any single source of reference literally. To get the most true sense of the color, you have to take all sources into account, plus what you see in-person... AND be cognizant of surroundings and light sources in each reference: i.e. "the hood and pillars have a touch of cyan because of the clear blue sky above, and the flank has a touch of green because of the lawn the car is parked on".

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