Afternoon,
I'm hopefully putting my order in this week for a VZ3 (yipee!) and really like the matte grey, I'm concerned about it's longevity though, and how easy it is to keep scratches away. Has anyone heard any horror stories from the original matte Leons? Don't want to be left with extortionate bills if someone scratches/dings the sides with their coat zips or something!
Well chaps and chapesses, I've taken the plunge and bought a very nearly new ex dealer owned VZ3 in Petrol Blue; I loved it so much that I let my heart rule my head and studiously ignored the potential problems with paint defect rectification, maintenance and preservation for the moment - I'm just basking in the loveliness of the drop-dead gorgeous colour, design and everything else about it. In my past pre-retirement existence, driving test cars was part of my job and I can honestly say that of all the very many cars I drove, this is up there right at the 'top of the list'
Back to matt paint finishes though, it goes without saying that a different approach is needed; no glossy wax treatment or mirror finish ceramic type coatings should be contemplated otherwise big bills will need to be paid for restoration. I have only had the car for less than a week but have undertaken some research into our options and they are limited at the moment but as these finishes become more popular, and I expect they will, I'd expect an increasing number of paint and detail specialists will develop safe protective treatments. There are several good pieces written by the experts and products available suitable for these finishes,
https://www.autoglym.com/blog/2017/01/16/caring-for-matt-and-satin-paint-finishes/ is one such and is worth a read; this is another -
https://www.drbeasleys.com/blog/2019/02/13/taking-care-of-matte-paint.
I have bought but not yet tried Autoglym Rapid Aqua Wax and Chemical Guys Satin-Matte Autowash. There are some snow-foams available suitable for matt and satin finishes but I don't know about a more durable ceramic-type coating; my guess is that it's out there.
I'd also be interested in others' experience.