[igom3]

Originally Posted by Sjoerd

K-A, I don't agree with you. My F10 535 M/6 only had M-sport suspension. My current (temp) F11 530d has M-sport suspension with IAS. It makes a huge difference. The ride is significant better.

Adaptive drive I agree; if you would like to drive more comfortable pick it otherwise stick to the standard M-sport suspension (with IAS )

What is the IAS? thanks

[Boulder Bill]

Originally Posted by metrathon

You guys show me a Jet Black that looks good after a year of normal washes.

ALL my Bimmers were black, so I have a bit of experience with this color. Just the last one is Jet Black and it's a nightmare. Not just slightly worse, but a real nightmare. This is my last Jet Black, no matter what, I won't buy again.

I had a sapphire black 540 for years and the paint was bullet prooof. I heard the same thing you mention about jet black. I walked around the lot and looked as a number of used jet black cars and they were all beat up. I think it is a very soft paint in addition to being harder to keep clean. I ended up with carbon black metalic (which I'm frankly not sure qualifies as black) since sapphire wasn't available on the M-sport. Thus far, it doesn't appear to be quite as tough. Any experience with CBM? I think it is certainly a very good looking color.

[Tuffyboy]

You will love the 550i M. I added ACS springs and bought a set of M5 20" with Michelin PPS tires and its light years ahead of where it was stock.

I have ARS and DDC. Fun car

[Dhu]

I have a 11 550i. The biggest disappointment I had was the steering and handling. Coming from a m3, i thought the dhp, ias, and ars would all compensate..but I was disappointed. So what did I do? I put in we Dinan springs and added the shockware. It made a huge difference....everything is now tightened. Not my m3, but pretty darn close for such a large car with 500+ hp (I upgraded the ecu software with Dinan). Now it is a darn fun car to drive. Moral of the story is--yeah stock is not great, but it is easily enhanced to become an awesome car.

[K-A]

But Jet Black looks sooooo good.

Honestly I've gotten taking care of it down to an art. It's quite simple when you have the right products and it's ALL about your ROUTINE. But yes it does require more dedication.

The REAL nightmare and problem behind it isn't how it is under YOUR hands, it's how it is under other peoples. I get paranoid about simply sending my car to the dealer for service, or getting it valeted, or a friend getting in it, or people walking around it, or someone simply touching it. Improper "care" (which means treating it like a "normal car") around a Jet Black car can mean easy swirls and light scuffs that will drive you nuts.

For that reason alone I don't know if I can get a Jet Black again. Gotta watch over the paint too much around other peoples care. And if you ever DARE let anyone else wash it, you've just undone all your hard work and you need a full Paint Correction. You can't take the "day off" in terms of washing your own car.

However, if I'm the only person in the world, i.e guaranteed the only one who will put my hands on my Jet Black, then I'm not as worried.

[K-A]

Originally Posted by Atl550

Side-by-side (I actually had my SA park them side-by-side), the jet black is just a classy color that beats out all others (in my opinion)!

And metrathon is correct, no doubt the jet black will be harder to take care of. But if you can manage to do so, it will stand out over the other colors by leaps and bounds (once again, in my opinion).

Yup, IMO the M Sport F10 must have been designed with Jet Black in mind because it just looks so bada$$ and elegant stock. The OEM black trim and tailpipes give a sense of "all blacked out" right from the factory, with subtle chrome to give dash's of contrast, and it's one of the only black cars to have a diffuser that isn't black which would lose contrast and blend in with the bumper, i.e the diffuser is a dark charcoal so you can actually make it out being a black car, then having the black tailpipes under that gives a nice and unique effect. I also think that Jet Black is a color that allows the OEM chrome grille to look better than a black grille.

The beauty of a true-black car is that you don't even need to mod it to stand out. If it's simply clean by way of being well maintained, waxed, low on the swirls and marring, then it stands out and looks special automatically.

Here's me showing off mine a bit :








I especially love how the profile looks from a distance. So sinisterly blacked out and shadow-y:

[Boulder Bill]

Wow K-A, I admire your tenacity and commitment! But perhaps for many of us, you just answered the question. If you have the time and skill, it sounds like Jet Black is your color. But for the rest of us, . . .

Great photos by the way. I've gotten pretty used to CBM. I like the way the light plays tricks with the color. Never know what you are going to see.

[K-A]

Thanks.

Yeah, I've said it before and I'll say it again: This will be my last Black car (for the immediate future, at least). So either I keep this car "forever", or my next one will be a simpler white or silver or something.

Again, it's not even me I'm worried about at this point, as I've got keeping Jet Black "perfect" down to an art and honestly it's not so time consuming anymore, it's the car being mishandled by someone else or another force of nature/action that's a concern. For example: Say you give your car to get an oil change, and the guys handling it rub their clothes all along your paint (walking too close to the car), use their greasy hands to close your doors, use those rubber mat things to put over your fenders and let them slide around a bit, etc. All those things on a black car can cause visible surface scratches. It's just too much paranoia.

I had a valet guy give me my car back (I never use valet, just had no choice that time) and the way his fingers went over the dust on my door (car was dirty) I could literally see a fingerprint marring.

On top of that, I guess due to the clear coat being so soft, the car gets rock chips easily. I even got a few on my DOORS, I mean how the fffff does a car get rock chips on the DOORS?! It was a first/s for me. Again, with some touchup paint, it's all fixed and better, but it requires taking out a second job of dedication.

[Atl550]

Originally Posted by K-A

Thanks.

Yeah, I've said it before and I'll say it again: This will be my last Black car (for the immediate future, at least). So either I keep this car "forever", or my next one will be a simpler white or silver or something.

Again, it's not even me I'm worried about at this point, as I've got keeping Jet Black "perfect" down to an art and honestly it's not so time consuming anymore, it's the car being mishandled by someone else or another force of nature/action that's a concern. For example: Say you give your car to get an oil change, and the guys handling it rub their clothes all along your paint (walking too close to the car), use their greasy hands to close your doors, use those rubber mat things to put over your fenders and let them slide around a bit, etc. All those things on a black car can cause visible surface scratches. It's just too much paranoia.

I had a valet guy give me my car back (I never use valet, just had no choice that time) and the way his fingers went over the dust on my door (car was dirty) I could literally see a fingerprint marring.

On top of that, I guess due to the clear coat being so soft, the car gets rock chips easily. I even got a few on my DOORS, I mean how the fffff does a car get rock chips on the DOORS?! It was a first/s for me. Again, with some touchup paint, it's all fixed and better, but it requires taking out a second job of dedication.

K-A, I was wondering when you were going to chime into this thread…

Seeing the pictures of you car a while back is one of the reasons I looked at Jet Black. And I agree, kickass looking car out of the gate with very few mods needed. All you need is tint and you’re covered.

My current car that I just handed over to my son, Nissan Maxima, is 13 years old with less then 100k miles, exterior still looks fantastic, no door dings, and the interior still smells new (according to those that get in it…I can’t tell though). Prior to handling it over, no one else had driven it (exact Nissan Service) and it’s only been hand washed by me. Therefore, I think I can pull Jet Black off. No doubt taking care of it can wear you out at times but I think I’d be exactly the same way with Alpine White (as I think you would be as well). As you stated, the major concern, which we have very little control over, is road debris. Keeping the front looking good seems to be the most difficult part.

I pick up my car on 8/13 and I’m very interested in your “routine” that you have down pat at this point. Can you either share with the group or PM me?

[Tuffyboy]

Originally Posted by Davehu

I have a 11 550i. The biggest disappointment I had was the steering and handling. Coming from a m3, i thought the dhp, ias, and ars would all compensate..but I was disappointed. So what did I do? I put in we Dinan springs and added the shockware. It made a huge difference....everything is now tightened. Not my m3, but pretty darn close for such a large car with 500+ hp (I upgraded the ecu software with Dinan). Now it is a darn fun car to drive. Moral of the story is--yeah stock is not great, but it is easily enhanced to become an awesome car.

Agreed! I have Dinan too and it's super fun. Springs are a huge improvement

[Blkthght]

550i with active suspension, with ARS, with IAS, and with AC schnitzer springs (1.2" drop all around) is the best of both worlds. The car handles great, feels very planted, and can be tossed when desired. The comfort of the adaptive suspension and the ride feel is retained with the ACS springs. I don't have any experience with the 335i so I can't compare the cars.

[marcielago]

I have had my 550i MSport with IAS (Integral Active Steering) and M Suspension since Feb 2011. I love the handling and stiffness of the steering. Compared to my E39 M5, I would rate it as more stable on super-fast turns. It does not have the floatiness I feel in the M5, more of solid on the road.

On the other hand the E39 M5 has a more direct and responsive steering, very predictable. The F10 is not very far off though.

[K-A]

Originally Posted by Atl550

K-A, I was wondering when you were going to chime into this thread…

Seeing the pictures of you car a while back is one of the reasons I looked at Jet Black. And I agree, kickass looking car out of the gate with very few mods needed. All you need is tint and you’re covered.

My current car that I just handed over to my son, Nissan Maxima, is 13 years old with less then 100k miles, exterior still looks fantastic, no door dings, and the interior still smells new (according to those that get in it…I can’t tell though). Prior to handling it over, no one else had driven it (exact Nissan Service) and it’s only been hand washed by me. Therefore, I think I can pull Jet Black off. No doubt taking care of it can wear you out at times but I think I’d be exactly the same way with Alpine White (as I think you would be as well). As you stated, the major concern, which we have very little control over, is road debris. Keeping the front looking good seems to be the most difficult part.

I pick up my car on 8/13 and I’m very interested in your “routine” that you have down pat at this point. Can you either share with the group or PM me?

That's awesome! Glad to hear that!

My routine is pretty simple. First off, I had two immediate bad buffing jobs done to my car, so within the second month of me having it I had to get if buffed a THIRD time, this time I went to the right person, a true "Paint Correction". So the money I tried to save initially went to extra waste as I had to pay for the real deal anyway. A lesson learned.

Once I started with that, I bought some very soft, plush MF towels, and learned the proper technique to wash them as to keep them soft and plush, so they don't threaten to scratch (no fabric softener, scent free detergent, hot water, second cycle with some White Vinegar added to it, air dry, never wash them with anything else but your other "paint ready" MF towels, keep them sealed in a bag or something together so no crap gets on them, etc.).

Then I got some Optimum No Rinse (Rinseless Wash) Wash/Wax (used with very warm water). It's great because wax is especially essential on black, for looks and protection of course, and I feel it helps deter from noticing swirls, so this method guarantees that my car will be freshly waxed once to twice a month (i.e simultaneously when washed). Two bucket method, one bucket with a grit guard, and a soft MF wash mitt with long MF "dreads". After I wash it I'll usually leave it in the garage overnight, then ONCE I will softly go over it with a California Car Duster before I take it out of the garage to drive for the first time since the wash (lots of people tell me to never use the duster, but I feel if you use it before you even move the car after a wash it's okay, i.e once the car leaves the garage, duster is a no no.... of course if you drive it immediately after a wash, the duster is pointless, but if driving a day or two after, you can prolong the wash by wiping off un-bonded fresh surface dust).

My car sits in the garage most of the time, so I only wash it once every 3 weeks or so.

It's really simple once you have the routine. Wash very softly on the paint, never rub hard, soft motions, ALWAYS straight lines (don't rub in circles) because black paint will always have swirls (any paint will really, but black you can notice it), you just want them to be as unnoticeable as possible, and moving in one direction makes them catch much less light, therefore become unnoticeable).

Another tip: If you have the will and patience, wipe off bird crap and other things like bug splatter from your car after every drive, therefore you'll have less chance of etching into the clearcoat and don't have to pick that stuff up onto your wash mitt/towels when you wash. I keep a damp chamois on hand for little touchups like this as it's very convenient, but for any true "rubbing" on the paint, I'll move to a soft MF towel. I also keep Quick Detailer in the trunk in case it's needed (water is usually enough for me, considering the paint is always soft and waxed so stuff is usually easy to remove)

Finally, if needed, on a long term kept black car, I'd get a paint correction hopefully (if all goes as planned) no more than once a year, to bring back the "clean slate" if need be.

Sorry if that sounds incoherent, it's late! It's much more simple than it sounds I'm sure.

Oh, and invest in touchup paint. I have "Genicolor" which is kind of a paint "pen". You gotta get the hang of it, but it helps. A good thing about black is that it's so dark that I find you don't notice improper touchup technique (in case you don't do it perfectly). As long as the color and shine is close to the original color, go to town.

[Boulder Bill]

Wow. What a slacker I am. Dish soap and sponge. Soft rubber squeegee to dry. No worries with Sapphire Black. Not sure yet with CBM.

[Atl550]

Originally Posted by K-A

That's awesome! Glad to hear that!

My routine is pretty simple. First off, I had two immediate bad buffing jobs done to my car, so within the second month of me having it I had to get if buffed a THIRD time, this time I went to the right person, a true "Paint Correction". So the money I tried to save initially went to extra waste as I had to pay for the real deal anyway. A lesson learned.

Once I started with that, I bought some very soft, plush MF towels, and learned the proper technique to wash them as to keep them soft and plush, so they don't threaten to scratch (no fabric softener, scent free detergent, hot water, second cycle with some White Vinegar added to it, air dry, never wash them with anything else but your other "paint ready" MF towels, keep them sealed in a bag or something together so no crap gets on them, etc.).

Then I got some Optimum No Rinse (Rinseless Wash) Wash/Wax (used with very warm water). It's great because wax is especially essential on black, for looks and protection of course, and I feel it helps deter from noticing swirls, so this method guarantees that my car will be freshly waxed once to twice a month (i.e simultaneously when washed). Two bucket method, one bucket with a grit guard, and a soft MF wash mitt with long MF "dreads". After I wash it I'll usually leave it in the garage overnight, then ONCE I will softly go over it with a California Car Duster before I take it out of the garage to drive for the first time since the wash (lots of people tell me to never use the duster, but I feel if you use it before you even move the car after a wash it's okay, i.e once the car leaves the garage, duster is a no no.... of course if you drive it immediately after a wash, the duster is pointless, but if driving a day or two after, you can prolong the wash by wiping off un-bonded fresh surface dust).

My car sits in the garage most of the time, so I only wash it once every 3 weeks or so.

It's really simple once you have the routine. Wash very softly on the paint, never rub hard, soft motions, ALWAYS straight lines (don't rub in circles) because black paint will always have swirls (any paint will really, but black you can notice it), you just want them to be as unnoticeable as possible, and moving in one direction makes them catch much less light, therefore become unnoticeable).

Another tip: If you have the will and patience, wipe off bird crap and other things like bug splatter from your car after every drive, therefore you'll have less chance of etching into the clearcoat and don't have to pick that stuff up onto your wash mitt/towels when you wash. I keep a damp chamois on hand for little touchups like this as it's very convenient, but for any true "rubbing" on the paint, I'll move to a soft MF towel. I also keep Quick Detailer in the trunk in case it's needed (water is usually enough for me, considering the paint is always soft and waxed so stuff is usually easy to remove)

Finally, if needed, on a long term kept black car, I'd get a paint correction hopefully (if all goes as planned) no more than once a year, to bring back the "clean slate" if need be.

Sorry if that sounds incoherent, it's late! It's much more simple than it sounds I'm sure.

Oh, and invest in touchup paint. I have "Genicolor" which is kind of a paint "pen". You gotta get the hang of it, but it helps. A good thing about black is that it's so dark that I find you don't notice improper touchup technique (in case you don't do it perfectly). As long as the color and shine is close to the original color, go to town.

Thanks for taking the time to share. I'm sure others reading learned as much as I did!. There's no need to recreate the wheel so I'm heading out to get what I need for my first wash. Do you have any advice for the wheels?

[K-A]

No prob! I learned all that within the recent 7 months I've had this car, in rapid fire fashion through lots of trial and error, and scouring message boards and the like to accumulate the knowledge I needed to make for my own "routine".

Yeah, everybody's got their own plan of attack. It's all about having the right products and routine, as with a needy color like black, that's a necessity to get things done quickly enough and not let it get so far away from you that you just throw in the towel and fully stop caring.

For the wheels, especially since this car gives off such little brake dust, I don't believe in highly abrasive designated-wheel cleaners. I just use some cheaper MF towels I have lying around to clean then buff them with the same ONR Wash/Wax I use on my car (I wait till last to do the wheels of course). It cleans them perfectly and throws a coat of wax on them with every wash to boot.