The 30 owners of BMW's matte-finish Frozen Gray M3 coupe are reportedly being required to sign an agreement acknowledging that they won't hold the company responsible if they screw up their car's paint. No agreement, no car. Lawyers, ho!
According to a post on the Bimmerfest forums, this is how you care for BMW's matte paint:
- Never polish or wax the frozen gray paint as it could lead to a glossy surface.
- If washing your frozen gray M3 in a automatic car wash, choose a car wash that does not apply vehicle wax. Rinse the M3 with high pressure water to remove dirt before sending it through the automatic car wash to avoid scratches from sand, dust and other micro-particles.(Really? An automatic car wash? A mechanized scratch-buff-swirl paint abuse machine for your delicate, fragile $9000 paint job? If you do this, you are officially a goon. —Ed.)
- Remove bugs, bird poo, tree sap, tar, fuel spills or oil immediately using a soft sponge.
Avoid strong rubbing (Mom always said we'd go blind! —Ed.) while cleaning the frozen paint. BMW sells suitable products for maintaining the frozen paint at your local dealer.- Repairs to the paint (scratches, dents, etching) must be completed by a BMW-trained body shop. Most auto body shops will not be capable of repairing the frozen gray paint.
The agreement also explicitly states that the warranty does not cover your paint if it is damaged as a result of negligence, lack of maintenance or proper care, environmental damage, or improper repairs.
Ahh, the joys of the don't-breathe-on-it-funny/don't-drive-it garage queen. This paint will probably make several people very, very happy. Excuse us while we go back to getting our cars, you know, dirty.
[Bimmerforums via Bimmerfile]