Non-shiny matte finishes aren’t a common choice because they tend to only come in shades of silver, grey or black. What’s matte car paint? The Cupra Formentor can be specified in Magnetic Tech matte paint On the flip side, pearlescent paints are even more susceptible to marks, they’re even more difficult to repair than metallics, and special care needs to be taken when washing a pearlescent car, as they’re relatively susceptible to damage from tiny bits of grit that may be on your car-washing sponge. And under bright light, lighter shades become iridescent, appearing to be different colours from different angles, sometimes to spectacular effect. That gives the colour a depth that even metallics simply can’t match. The pearlescent lustre is created by ceramic crystals in the paint that both reflect and refract light. Mainstream manufacturers tend to offer a limited range of pearlescent colours, but high-end brands often offer dozens. Pearlescent paints shine even more brightly and deeply than metallics, but they tend to be more expensive, and also need more car taken of them. Like the Audi A6 Avant in Daytona Grey Pearl Effect? Find out more What’s pearlescent car paint The Fiat Electric 500 can be had in Ocean Green Pearlescent paint Even manufacturer-approved body shops don’t make any guarantees. Metallic paint is more difficult to repair, as achieving an exact match is tricky. But any marks can usually be carefully buffed out. Over-zealous polishing causes swirl marks and car wash brushes can leave marks, too. Use a proper car shampoo – washing up liquid contains abrasive salts – and make sure there’s no grit on the sponge. Be careful, though, as the paint marks more easily. The same paint is a no-cost option on the BMW M3, though, while the latest Range Rover is offered with seven metallic paints as no-cost options (though there are also a number of ‘Premium’ metallic finishes for £865), so prices really do depend on what car you’re buying.īut while metallic paint may add cost the list price of a car, because around 90% of new cars are bought using finance, and PCP deals are a) by far and away the most popular finance package and b) based on a car’s depreciation, you may find that optioning a metallic finish doesn’t add much to your monthly repayments, as a metallic car may be more desirable on the used market, thus its depreciation may be a little less steep than a car with a no-cost solid paint.ĭirt shows more obviously on metallic finishes than solids, so you may end up cleaning your car more often. Black Sapphire Metallic paint is £695 on a BMW 3 Series, for example, but £795 on a BMW X5 (prices correct as of August 2022). Metallic finishes are often a cost option on new cars, adding anything from £500 upwards to the price of the vehicle, though metallic paint tends to cost more on larger and more expensive cars. Metallics look their best under direct, natural light, but even on a dull day they still shine. The metal particles reflect light, hence the shine. What’s metallic car paint?įind BMW 3 Series in Portimao Blue metallic in stockĪ metallic paint has tiny pieces of aluminium powder mixed into the paint. They may not be the most interesting, but solid paint finishes are certainly the cheapest and easiest to look after. More significant repairs are comparatively easy, too, as the paint dries out quickly with the aid of a simple heat lamp. Solid colours with small areas of damage can often be repaired with a touch-up pen in the appropriate shade, and car spares shop (Halfords, etc) can supply the right pen for not much money. It’s easy to repair damage to cars with a solid finish compared to those with metallic or pearlescent paint. Many manufacturers now use a paint known as ‘two-pack’, which is simply the paint and lacquer mixed together. There are usually only three layers: primer, paint and lacquer, with no metallic flakes added, for example. Solid finishes are free because they’re simple to produce. If you one of the standard paint options, there’s no reason at all not to go for it – but solid paint doesn’t draw the eye in the same way that a metallic finish does, and buyers on the used market may often favour a car with metallic paint. Solid paint is cheaper to produce and apply to a car when it is being built, and most manufacturers offer a limited selection of no-cost solid paint choices on a new model options vary, but you may find a car has three solid paint options as standard (although some cars have only one free paint option), with red, white, blue and grey being common colours. The vast majority of cars come with a ‘solid’ paint finish as standard, with metallic and pearlescent finishes costing extra (see below). Configure a Skoda Fabia in Corrida red solid paint What’s solid car paint?
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