HOT or NOT: Is This The New Trend?

If you have been following the tuning crowd over the past several years it seems that something has been stewing.  Although it has not made a mark with the OEMs, until recently.

Matte paint has been making some serious headway and in an interesting way, vinyl wraps.  This allows a consumer the chance to not only give their car a unique look and impression, but also protect its paint and have the flexibility to remove it to show the original color when the car is sold to a new buyer. 

Now, it is time for the big leagues.  It appears that OEMs are beginning to take interest in matte paint and have shown concepts in the metal as well as begun offering matte paint straight from the factory.  Mercedes-Benz's latest E63 wagon is one of the first cars with a matte option in Europe and Rolls-Royce's latest project, the Ghost, can be optioned with a matte silver bonnet. 

Don't think you would like matte paint, you say? Take a look at this BMW Z4 with a matte paint job and TRY to tell me it does not show off this gorgeous car's lines.

Is this the next big thing? Let us know!


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I95SPEEDINGTICKETS - 11/16/2009 8:28:15 PM

+1 Boost

S5 Matt Black in UK is Stunning.
TT S Matt Black also

Those are 2 audis i have seen in London.

r15mohd - 11/17/2009 8:56:59 AM

+2 Boost

5Axis GS and IS-F...

the LF-A in matte black was stunning, the pix on this site did it no justice!

masoodr - 11/16/2009 6:28:21 PM

+4 Boost

I see this trend a fair amount in Dubai. Have seen it on Cayennes, GTRs, various muscle cars and rice rockets etc. Usually in black or grey. The most "evil" looking variant was a matte black Lambo Gallardo. My personal favorite, has to be the matte black MB G55 - truly stunning. Another related trend is the mirror/chrome wrap. This also looks cool on certain cars - but is it street legal in the US?

009load - 11/16/2009 6:41:10 PM

-2 Boost

Rice Rocket is a derogatory term. It would be the same as me saying camel sled or pasta machine. Let me tell you that MATTE is out, and that chroming looks cheap and desperate, something you'd see in Dubai. All you need is a driver with aviators on, and Armani cologne stanking up the joint.

I95SPEEDINGTICKETS - 11/16/2009 8:30:31 PM

+1 Boost

009load

Fuck Off

M53R - 11/17/2009 3:33:59 AM

+1 Boost

I95SPEEDINGTICKETS

Thanks for saving me some time :)

enthusiastx11 - 11/16/2009 7:07:14 PM

+1 Boost

this is a fad, not a trend.
for the most part, it's incredibly tacky looking.

lexusrox123 - 11/16/2009 9:59:20 PM

+3 Boost

Hot.

Bmw8ter - 11/16/2009 10:01:11 PM

+1 Boost

Someone in the hotel next door has a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited in matte black with lipstick red 18" wheels. Boy is that a sweet looking vehicle. It's what Lego dreams are made of.

lexusrox123 - 11/17/2009 6:52:11 PM

+2 Boost

I never liked "matte" paint. Gloss all the way!

MSP6 - 11/17/2009 9:37:09 AM

+3 Boost

She applied the vinyl wraps over the rust spots

Whelan - 11/17/2009 8:24:04 AM

+4 Boost

Not a fan of the matte. I see too many Civics with wannabe matte finishes. Nothing like a nice, shiny, wet look on a car.

Steve - 11/17/2009 8:56:03 AM

+2 Boost

Primer. Some people like it. I don't. At least, not as a "final" coat :-(

pennfootball - 11/17/2009 10:03:28 AM

+2 Boost

Lotus figured out how to make Matt paint 2-3x times more durable

2ndbimmer - 11/17/2009 10:41:14 AM

-2 Boost

I love matte look! On certain cars, it looks sinister. My only question is, how big of a pain in the ass in maintenance?
I love the matte black M5 and the matte white SL63 they had at the auto show in chicago.
If the vehicle has an aggressive bodykit, then it will look good. Something like a nissan alitma that is a bubble, will not look good.

pepito66 - 11/17/2009 11:19:08 AM

+1 Boost

Color are differents and also taste, is another great option if you like matte paint just go and take it. That's great.

pepito66 - 11/17/2009 11:23:31 AM

+2 Boost

I love a great shiny black paint for my car but matte paint is another option for people who love it. Is fine.

LexSucks - 11/17/2009 12:00:35 PM

+3 Boost

Can't beleive that some folks here are confusing primer for an actual paint finish. LOL!

They are 2 different things people.

Whelan - 11/17/2009 12:39:44 PM

+2 Boost

Scion offered Matte for the tC and xB for a little while, and I think the car cost less because it wasn't clearcoated, etc. But I would suspect these people would raise the price for a matte finish because it is a "special color"

bfghemicuda - 11/17/2009 4:57:33 PM

+2 Boost

If this is a trend my 13 year old truck is in.

DogLb - 11/17/2009 7:16:54 PM

0 Boost

I think some of you are confusing matte finish (which is really just a dulled down gloss) with paint primer.

I think it looks awesome - I hope it becomes more of a choice at least with neutral colors like gray/silver and black/white

thstone - 11/18/2009 6:47:24 PM

+1 Boost

Not. Looks like primer waiting for a paint job.

jpighetti - 11/19/2009 9:50:32 AM

+2 Boost

I read (I believe in an article about the Aston One-77) that if a car with matte-finish paint is in an accident or scratched, you can't just repaint one panel. Apparently the whole car needs to be repainted because it's impossible to make the paint match visually. Anyone know if that's true?

IMO that BMW looks terrible in that color. I think matte finishes are a passing fad, but I have seen several cars that look extremely impressive with that type of finish.

XYZZ - 11/22/2009 5:36:06 AM

+1 Boost

even if matte is REAL paint that just LOOKS like primer, it is definitely NOT hot.

primer once HAD a suggestion of hot. as in street rods fresh from being modded, and hadn't been to the paint shop yet.

but that ALSO told the world it was a HALF-ASSED, UNfinished car.

XYZZ - 11/22/2009 5:46:37 AM

+1 Boost

and how do these matte finishes look when WAXED and polished? or does doing that ruin the 'look?'

i like both beauty AND speed, and don't believe either needs to be compromised in most cases. when they actually complement each other, that is bliss to artistic engineers.

matte will NEVER look as beautiful as a good glossy, pearlescent finish with a coat of wax.

AND, wax adds to SPEED as well as beauty. back in WW2, some planes were given a coat of wax. and that ADDED ~15 mph to the top speed.