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Any paint job that doesn't reflect multiple agonizingly-bright pinpoints of sunlight into my eyeballs is fine by me. Down with the flake, in with the putty. Ma

by branon 4y ago

Any paint job that doesn't reflect multiple agonizingly-bright pinpoints of sunlight into my eyeballs is fine by me. Down with the flake, in with the putty. Matte finishes are the best thing to happen to cars since the assembly line.

misterprime 4y ago
I disagree with your last sentence. Here's my ordering of best things since the assembly line: A/C Aux jack Bluetooth audio Backup camera Adaptive cruise control Matte finishes
- loonster 4y ago
  The backup camera would not be such a big deal if cars had smaller pillars.
yamtaddle 4y ago
Exactly this. I don't have many opinions or preferences on car finishes, but the now-standard retina-searingly-reflective finishes ought to be illegal for safety reasons. If TFA is complaining about a move away from that, then I hate TFA. [EDIT] I'm not 100% sure what TFA is complaining about because I'm pretty sure I haven't seen this in the wild yet. Must be a regional trend. Coasts usually get stuff way sooner than us so maybe I'll know what it's about in a couple years.
- pwinnski 4y ago
  In the Dallas area, not quite a coast, this trend has been bugging me for roughly a year, and the 2023 models of many cars seem to feature non-metallic colors even more than 2022 did.
binarymax 4y ago
Double edged sword - less annoying during the day but now they’re harder to see at night.
- z3c0 4y ago
  Hopefully the lights mounted on every side of the car will combat that.
- echlebek 4y ago
  Every visible angle of a car has multiple lights on it so I don't think that's actually a double edged sword???
  - yamtaddle 4y ago
    Plus tons of reflectors that manage to work well at night without also blinding people during the day.
  - rob74 4y ago
    Multiple lights that can all be turned off - except for the so called "daytime driving light", but that's also a double edged sword: many drivers seem to think that if they have these they can get away with leaving the "real" headlights off for longer, but forget that there is no daytime light at the rear of the car. So yeah, a murky-matte-gray car in murky gray weather at twilight is the worst situation for visibility I can think of too...
    - HPsquared 4y ago
      Cars are also festooned with retro-reflectors in case the lights are off, including the license plate.
      - randcraw 4y ago
        Reflectors glow only when somebody else lights them up. Background-colored cars makes it a lot easier for two unlit fools to connect. Head on. Black suffers from this somewhat, but less since backgrounds on the road are rarely black until the hour when headlights become essential. Muted grays are a handicap all day long in any form of suboptimal weather.
      - wiredfool 4y ago
jgalentine007 4y ago
Well I think the author makes a good point - the flat finish looks a lot better with more interesting colors (and more gloss). The abundance of de-saturated blues and green will age like milk.
dsfyu404ed 4y ago
The reflections are overwhelmingly a result of glass. The paint is basically anecdotal by comparison.
twobitshifter 4y ago
The only true matte finish on a normal car that I know of is the Hyundai ionic 5. The wet in wet putty is the glossy coating. On matte paint, there is no gloss. It’s also a pain to maintain https://manuals.plus/hyundai/ioniq-5-matte-finish-paint-manual#axzz7midlZKgL https://manuals.plus/hyundai/ioniq-5-matte-finish-paint-manu...
- bonestamp2 4y ago
  Most of the luxury brands offer true matte paint finishes. For example, if you want matte paint ("Frozen" as they call it) on a BMW, you can order through this program: https://www.bmwusa.com/innovations/bmw-individual.html https://www.bmwusa.com/innovations/bmw-individual.html Like you said, these true matte paints don't have a clear coat, so they are a pain to own. On the other hand, these "Putty" finishes that the blog is talking about are likely an attempt by the paint companies to offer a matte-like look that is still easy to maintain, and that's why they do employ a clear coat. The PPG paints use a special matte clear coat, and axalta paints use a matte additive to the base color and a matte clear coat product. Those are the two main automotive paint suppliers, but I expect the other suppliers have a similar approach.
- evan_ 4y ago
  > always test products in a hidden area maybe they should provide you with a 1'x1' square of painted metal to test on, I'm not sure where on a car is hidden and still painted.
  - frosted-flakes 4y ago
    Open any door and you'll find plenty of spots. Including in under the hood or behind the fuel door.
taoufix 4y ago
I wish they could tune down those bight LED back lights (and brakes and turn signals) I hate driving at night because of this. Audi is particularly blameable for this. I think they should be regulated the same way as low/high front beams.

by branon 4y ago

misterprime 4y ago

I disagree with your last sentence. Here's my ordering of best things since the assembly line: A/C Aux jack Bluetooth audio Backup camera Adaptive cruise control Matte finishes

loonster 4y ago
The backup camera would not be such a big deal if cars had smaller pillars.

yamtaddle 4y ago

Exactly this. I don't have many opinions or preferences on car finishes, but the now-standard retina-searingly-reflective finishes ought to be illegal for safety reasons. If TFA is complaining about a move away from that, then I hate TFA. [EDIT] I'm not 100% sure what TFA is complaining about because I'm pretty sure I haven't seen this in the wild yet. Must be a regional trend. Coasts usually get stuff way sooner than us so maybe I'll know what it's about in a couple years.

pwinnski 4y ago
In the Dallas area, not quite a coast, this trend has been bugging me for roughly a year, and the 2023 models of many cars seem to feature non-metallic colors even more than 2022 did.

binarymax 4y ago

Double edged sword - less annoying during the day but now they’re harder to see at night.

z3c0 4y ago
Hopefully the lights mounted on every side of the car will combat that.
echlebek 4y ago
Every visible angle of a car has multiple lights on it so I don't think that's actually a double edged sword???
- yamtaddle 4y ago
  Plus tons of reflectors that manage to work well at night without also blinding people during the day.
- rob74 4y ago
  Multiple lights that can all be turned off - except for the so called "daytime driving light", but that's also a double edged sword: many drivers seem to think that if they have these they can get away with leaving the "real" headlights off for longer, but forget that there is no daytime light at the rear of the car. So yeah, a murky-matte-gray car in murky gray weather at twilight is the worst situation for visibility I can think of too...
  - HPsquared 4y ago
    Cars are also festooned with retro-reflectors in case the lights are off, including the license plate.
    - randcraw 4y ago
      Reflectors glow only when somebody else lights them up. Background-colored cars makes it a lot easier for two unlit fools to connect. Head on. Black suffers from this somewhat, but less since backgrounds on the road are rarely black until the hour when headlights become essential. Muted grays are a handicap all day long in any form of suboptimal weather.
    - wiredfool 4y ago

jgalentine007 4y ago

Well I think the author makes a good point - the flat finish looks a lot better with more interesting colors (and more gloss). The abundance of de-saturated blues and green will age like milk.

dsfyu404ed 4y ago

The reflections are overwhelmingly a result of glass. The paint is basically anecdotal by comparison.

twobitshifter 4y ago

The only true matte finish on a normal car that I know of is the Hyundai ionic 5. The wet in wet putty is the glossy coating. On matte paint, there is no gloss. It’s also a pain to maintain https://manuals.plus/hyundai/ioniq-5-matte-finish-paint-manual#axzz7midlZKgL https://manuals.plus/hyundai/ioniq-5-matte-finish-paint-manu...

bonestamp2 4y ago
Most of the luxury brands offer true matte paint finishes. For example, if you want matte paint ("Frozen" as they call it) on a BMW, you can order through this program: https://www.bmwusa.com/innovations/bmw-individual.html https://www.bmwusa.com/innovations/bmw-individual.html Like you said, these true matte paints don't have a clear coat, so they are a pain to own. On the other hand, these "Putty" finishes that the blog is talking about are likely an attempt by the paint companies to offer a matte-like look that is still easy to maintain, and that's why they do employ a clear coat. The PPG paints use a special matte clear coat, and axalta paints use a matte additive to the base color and a matte clear coat product. Those are the two main automotive paint suppliers, but I expect the other suppliers have a similar approach.
evan_ 4y ago
> always test products in a hidden area maybe they should provide you with a 1'x1' square of painted metal to test on, I'm not sure where on a car is hidden and still painted.
- frosted-flakes 4y ago
  Open any door and you'll find plenty of spots. Including in under the hood or behind the fuel door.

taoufix 4y ago

I wish they could tune down those bight LED back lights (and brakes and turn signals) I hate driving at night because of this. Audi is particularly blameable for this. I think they should be regulated the same way as low/high front beams.