BMW to offer Matte finish paint?

[dutchmasterflex]

I want a matte black Z4M Coupe ASAP!

http://carsguide.news.com.au/story/0...-21822,00.html

BMW thinks you'll take a shine to this

09 June 2006 Paul Gover The car you never have to polish is on the way. It promises to be a boon for anyone who has to battle the bucket for weekend car-wash duties in drought conditions. BMW is working hard on a matt finish paint that will end the drudgery and could rewrite the rules on car styling and presentation. It made the first move with its M Coupe concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year and, after a lot of interest from potential customers, is fast-tracking development of the new paint. BMW says it wants to be first but has to overcome many problems, from applying the paint in factories to preserving it against everything from sap and tar to fingerprints. "Surfaces on the vehicle turn to sculpture with this paint," Z4 Coupe project manager Timo Gobel says. He gave the update at the preview of the Z4 Coupe in Portugal. BMW displayed a bodyshell with the same matt finish as the Frankfurt car. "It is a big technical challenge," Gobel says. "There are many changes necessary, from the factory paintshop to caring for the finish. "We have no idea yet on how we will be able to repair it." He says research is moving into testing on everything from durability to protecting the paint without detracting from the matt finish. "It will be some time before this paint is available," Gobel says. The Z4 Coupe comes in another big year for BMW, which already has the Z4 M Roadster on sale in Australia and will have the latest 3-Series Coupe in showrooms before the end of the year. It ran a full-scale media driving program for the red-hot M Coupe model, including laps at the Estoril circuit once used for Formula One. It also showed the "civilian" 3.0si model, though there was no car for road-testing and the display model was customised to highlight the choices available from BMW's Individual division. Both cars will be available in Australia about September, with the si model less than $100,000 and the Z4 M Coupe about $125,000. Herald Sun