For those who have owned black...

[Sick Speed]

Having a 3rd BMW now that was either silver or darker shade of silver I have decided to move to black when the new M3 finally arrives.

I wanted to get your personal likes/dislikes on owning a black car and what the pains were. I have heard that keeping it clean is a pain in the ass and every piece of dirt shows up and more importantly I have heard even the slighest dents are magnified to appear much larger than they actually are.

My silver whips have all hidden this nicely over the years but I am just tired of the silver shade.

Any feedback is appreciated.

SS

[GregW / Oregon]

Originally Posted by Sick Speed

Having a 3rd BMW now that was either silver or darker shade of silver I have decided to move to black when the new M3 finally arrives.

I wanted to get your personal likes/dislikes on owning a black car and what the pains were. I have heard that keeping it clean is a pain in the ass and every piece of dirt shows up and more importantly I have heard even the slighest dents are magnified to appear much larger than they actually are.

My silver whips have all hidden this nicely over the years but I am just tired of the silver shade.

Any feedback is appreciated.

SS

Well, I'll never own black again in Oregon. You may get away with it in Florida, if you're meticulous. Black looks great when perfect, but not so great 80% of the time, unless you're a detail fanatic. Silver can be pretty boring, but there are many other not-so-dark colors that might be a good alternative. I prefer a semi-boring exterior color with a spicy interior (like Fox Red)--that's where you spend most of your time.

[m_bazeepaymon]

Black is a really nice color, just the only con on black is that it may hide some details of your car showing its muscle... (at night) lol
i loved my black but I don't want to repeat black again.

[esquire]

another problem with black is that it shows swirl marks very easily. micro fiber towels are an asbolute must when washing/detailing black cars.

[Not Ur Avg 3]

def gettn black for the new m3... really show the flared fenders in a unique way.

[Romo]

I did own 3 black cars, and now a TiAG M3. Never, never black again, for me that is.
Silverstone2 is the next one................................

[x5love]

I have a black X5...

If you're going to choose black, get ready to either deal with your car always being dirty, or going to the car wash at least 2 or 3 times a month.

We also have a space grey 335cic... never seen a car that handled dirt so nicely.

[rvacha]

I've owned 3 black cars. After the first I vowed to never own one again... and I vowed again the second time around... and just last month I vowed not to get a fourth. Why do I get them then? 1)Black simply looks better on some cars 2)not all blacks are blacks. My current black car is carbon black (E39 M5) and it has a very unique appearance in direct sunlight - I love the dark blue sheen on the creases. A very different look from plain black 3)If you are hooked on BMWs like I am the choice of colors generally becomes shades of black, shades of silver, and a token offering of something with color in it. If you want something radical (i.e. anything with color in it) then you get steered to "Individual" (if you are lucky)

So for the E92 M3 I just can't get excited about the shades of silver (and I already own two of them). Melbourne looks putrid in overcast situations (somehow more of these days than rainy days in Cleveland) and is a radar magnet in what is one of the toughest speed trap states in the country. So... back to a shade of black I guess. If I could get Individual I'm not sure what I'd pick, but Ruby black would be on the short list

If you use microfiber clothes and buff every once in a while swirl marks are not that big of a problem on a black BMW - they tend to have reasonably robust clear coats these days. Tops on my list of black annoyances are paint chips. I love to use synthetic "waxes" but these clog up in the chips and turn white. White specs on a black car really sucks. The second issue - which I would think BMW could address - is an insistence on using a light gray/off white primer on a car destined to be delivered black. Paint chips stand out more on a black car when the light primer shows through. My wife thinks silver cars age better (i.e. look better). From a chip standpoint they don't but they hide the primer/white wax issues and do indeed "look better".

[Sick Speed]

Thanks for all of the feed back guys.

[bulletproof]

Who knows... maybe the Jerez black, being bluish tinted and metallic might hide the swirls and mask the dirt alittle more than a normal black.

That's an interesting color that I need to see in person.

[911 Now]

My last car (Porsche 930 turbo) was black.- Never again. It looked great right after wash/detail but later that same day you could see a layer of dust all over the car. My present car (02 996 for sale) is Seal Gray. I can go a month between wash/detail and it still looks fantastic. Since Space Gray looks exactly like Porsche Seal Gray that is my color for sure.

[SS32]

I've got silver gray and honestly it's a great median between tiag and black. I had a tiag car and really didn't like the color. Have you thought about a darker shade of gray? You get the shine of a darker hue w/out all the work afterwards. My car can be filthy and I don't even know how dirty it is until I wash it and see the difference.

Having said that, I'm still getting Jerez Black; you can't beat a black car all shined up.

[apw2607]

I've currently got the Carbon Black on my E46 M3. I wont get a black car again now. Its just too much hassle. Swirls are just too noticable.

[DonM3]

I had my heart set of individual Ruby black, but after learning about the cleaning/chipping issues I may reconsider......

[ILC32]

My E46 M3 is carbon black. I love the color, and will probably go with Jerez. I have no swirl marks. You just need to use the proper towels when you wash the car and it will be fine. I do not let the dealer wash the car, and I do not use car washes. My wife's 5er is saphire black, and it has no swirl marks either. I wash her car during the summer, but she does use "touchless" car washes during the winter. As long as you take care of it, black looks great.

I would consider silver if there was a nice bright pure silver like brilliant silver in the MB palette. My C32 was brilliant silver and it looked great. Unfortunately it also looked identical to a C230 sport, but that is another rant altogether.

[uabimmer]

Originally Posted by x5love

I have a black X5...

If you're going to choose black, get ready to either deal with your car always being dirty, or going to the car wash at least 2 or 3 times a month.

We also have a space grey 335cic... never seen a car that handled dirt so nicely.

+1

I have a jetblack e90 and i wash it every week.... but still isnt enough
if i had the time i would be washing at least twice a week no kidding..

but the car is sexy when clean!!!!

[Technic]

The bottom line is that if you are not the kind of person that takes personal care of your own car, black is not for you.

Simple.

All those complains about swirl marks, dirt showing and high maintenance are about chosing the wrong color for the right reasons: because that black car did look good at the dealership floor, or when it was seen on a magazine photo, doesn't mean that that color and its shine will take care of itself by itself.

There is no magic here... proper knowledge, equipment and effort will take care of any color, not only black.

Is not the color of the car, is the owner...

[Keto]

Don't do what I did and buy black when the car is parked with no garage/carport.

Shudder... the horror. Silver Grey, Melbourne Red or Interlagos Blue for me this time.

[TTBear]

Originally Posted by Technic

The bottom line is that if you are not the kind of person that takes personal care of your own car, black is not for you.

Simple.

All those complains about swirl marks, dirt showing and high maintenance are about chosing the wrong color for the right reasons: because that black car did look good at the dealership floor, or when it was seen on a magazine photo, doesn't mean that that color and its shine will take care of itself by itself.

There is no magic here... proper knowledge, equipment and effort will take care of any color, not only black.

Is not the color of the car, is the owner...

Absolutely. I couldn't agree more. To me, black is the ONLY colour. It's a definite commitment, however. I wash my carbon black 3 series "whenever it's dirty". For some, this means when it no longer appears to be the same colour that it left the factory, because of all the dirt. For others, "a little dusty" equates to being dirty. I fall in the latter group, and wash the car accordingly. If we haven't had rain, and the car isn't dusty, I might go a week without washing it. If I wash it one day, and there is enough dust to make a significant difference in appearance, I'll wash it again the next day - this means sometimes washing it three times a week.

I am very, very careful with washing the car. High quality sheep skin mitt, washing one panel at a time, with rinsing+++ in between panels, leaf blower /Microfibre drying cloths (washed after ONE usage, to avoid particulate build up), and an in-line water de-ionizer to prevent water spots.

I do an annual total overhaul of the paint, with clay bar, swirl mark removal using a random orbital polisher, and three monthly touch ups with clay/swirl remover. I use Zaino exclusively, and apply polish (Z5 and Z2, layered) at least every month.

It's anal, absolutely. But after long days of doing a completely mental, as opposed to physical job, I welcome being able to park my brain and detail the car ad nauseum. It's a stress reliever.

The paint looks better now than when it left the dealer ( I had a few dealer installed swirls).

And, my e92 M3 will be none other than Jerez Black. Definitely. Sorry for the long post.

[Dammmittt]

Black is a great color. Its not as bad as alot people say it is. You can't really tell its dirty until you get a few feet from it. From further away it still looks shiny unless you're covered in dirt.

[nechronics]

Originally Posted by TTBear

Absolutely. I couldn't agree more. To me, black is the ONLY colour. It's a definite commitment, however. I wash my carbon black 3 series "whenever it's dirty". For some, this means when it no longer appears to be the same colour that it left the factory, because of all the dirt. For others, "a little dusty" equates to being dirty. I fall in the latter group, and wash the car accordingly. If we haven't had rain, and the car isn't dusty, I might go a week without washing it. If I wash it one day, and there is enough dust to make a significant difference in appearance, I'll wash it again the next day - this means sometimes washing it three times a week.

I am very, very careful with washing the car. High quality sheep skin mitt, washing one panel at a time, with rinsing+++ in between panels, leaf blower /Microfibre drying cloths (washed after ONE usage, to avoid particulate build up), and an in-line water de-ionizer to prevent water spots.

I do an annual total overhaul of the paint, with clay bar, swirl mark removal using a random orbital polisher, and three monthly touch ups with clay/swirl remover. I use Zaino exclusively, and apply polish (Z5 and Z2, layered) at least every month.

It's anal, absolutely. But after long days of doing a completely mental, as opposed to physical job, I welcome being able to park my brain and detail the car ad nauseum. It's a stress reliever.

The paint looks better now than when it left the dealer ( I had a few dealer installed swirls).

And, my e92 M3 will be none other than Jerez Black. Definitely. Sorry for the long post.

that seems more than anal. I wouldn't be able to live a normal life being that way....glad I'm not tho.

[Dammmittt]

+1. That's nuts. I love my car, especially in the situation i'm in now...I'm not about to take that much time to wash the thing...even if i do love her.