Matte finishes are the new trend at the 2010 Paris Motor Show
By Andrew, 01 Oct, 2010. 0 Comments
2011 Mercedes-Benz CL 63 AMG
Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel thinks that matte cars are “cool” and apparently it’s a growing trend in the luxury auto industry. Last year, US actress Lindsay Lohan stepped out of a matte-finished black Rolls-Royce Phantom from Bayerische Motoren Werke AG's ultra-luxury brand. Vettel, who has won seven Formula One races and is only 23 years old, said that matte cars “come across as a bit aggressive.” In fact, the dull-paint trend is evident at the Paris Motor Show.
Six matte cars will be showcased by Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz brand, including the 187,425 euro ($255,000) gull- wing SLS in cashmere white. Meanwhile, BMW will have a 69,400 euro M3 sedan in frozen gray in its booth. Historically, cars for racing were given a matte finish to reduce glare for the driver who shouldn’t have to be bothered by the glow of animated billboards and flashing neon.
One example is BMW's aluminum-clad 328 sports car that won the Mille Miglia race in 1940. To make the cars matte, vinyl foils were applied over the finish. However, dull paints are a new occurrence on modern cars. The dull paints are technically more complex than standard high-gloss paints and it can be difficult to repair cars that have them. Opting for a matte finish won’t come cheap. Volkswagen AG's Lamborghini charges up to 20,000 euros for a matte finish. [via autonews - sub. required]
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