[look](https://www.automobilesreview.com/gallery/2021-mercedes-amg-project-one/2021-mercedes-amg-project-one20200907_03.jpg)
Edit: this pic i posted isn’t actually “testing phase paint”, [this one is](https://akm-img-a-in.tosshub.com/indiatoday/images/story/201706/honda-accord_story_647_061417022650.jpg). Still badass, tho
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I hope someone sees this answer because I actually work in automotive advertising. Your photo is a perfect example of the major misunderstanding that people have about that paint scheme.
True, OEMs do “camo” their cars to hide the bumps, curves and whatnot on their test vehicles. That said, your photo is not that. Do you notice how it’s a great photo? It looks like it was taken by a professional who is on the track; in fact, the motion blur you see was probably added in post. Why would an OEM go out of their way to photograph a vehicle that they are trying to hide? More likely, this is promotional photo, published by the MB.
The Accord in your other photo was wrapped by the vehicle’s owner, not the OEM. The amount of effort put into the wrap is beyond what is required to disguise a vehicle. Did they really need to wrap the side mirrors, and Honda logo????
Sometimes you see cars with this paint scheme (it’s actually a vinyl wrap) on the road. Those cars almost always belong to someone who had the car wrapped. If you look, it’s almost always a past model year. OEMs don’t need to disguise past model years. Real test vehicles, which are called bucks, are rarely driven on public roads. When they are taken on public roads, OEMs don’t like to attract attention with catchy paint.
How to spot a real test vehicle. Most of the testing will be done in a closed track, so you’ve probably never seem a real one, especially if you don’t live near Detroit or LA. Real bucks are either painted to not stand out, or they are covered in padded fabric panels. This is the only way to truly hide the bumps and curves on a test vehicle. You should also look inside of the vehicle. If you don’t see computers and other sensors everywhere, it’s probably not a buck. Remember, a test vehicle is pre-production. That mean the inside will be a hodgepodge of existing parts, just enough to let someone drive it and maybe let them have AC.
TLDR: 99% of the vehicles you see with that pattern are not test vehicles, they belong to regular people who want to wrap their car to look cool. Real test vehicles look like pre-production test cars, they are wrapped in padded fabric, mismatched parts that may not fit together well, and an unfinished interior. Real test vehicles mostly stay on private tracks.
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