Sorry, did not mean to post a blank message.

The Mini Clubman I was supposed to pick up today is suddenly not available and the closest thing they have to what I want is astro black / silver top.

I owned a black black car before and it was impossible to keep clean. How well does dirt show on the Astro Black?

TIA

 

If it's ANYthing like Jet Black, it shows.... VERY well.

But think of it this way: If you have a brain tumor, are you better off knowing it, or not know it ??

Okay, there you go. Same with dirt. You're better of knowing it's there than not knowing. Knowing it's there, you can get it the hell off !





Ps. I don't care for Astro Black. It can't make up its mind... is it black ? Or is it blue ?

 

I'm a black car guy, but IMHO, dirty Astro Black looks a little worse than dirty Black Black--the fact it is a little lighter in the first place means it looks a little "blah-er" when it is dirty, which will be often.

I came very close to ordering an AB, but ended up going with DS; on the way to the dealership to place the order, I happened to be following a dirty AB--the look of it made be glad I went with DS.

I understand the lure of black, though--YMMV.

 

Hot Chocolate has the same problems. Shows a ton of dirt and the back of the car is a dust trap.

But when washed and waxed, hot cocoa looks fantastic. Ditto for Astro Black.

 

Black cars are death for OCD people like me. I love the color, but it costs a ton of time to keep clean. I've recently moved from black cars to Titanium / Silver and finally PW/B/B Clubbie and it's like I have twice as much free time now :D

 

They're a JOY for OCDetailers like ME. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing such a brilliant shine and sharp reflections in Jet Black paint.

I take care of the PW MINI the same way, I don't skimp on detailing just because the dirt doesn't show up as well. Still have to take care of the paint and keep the car looking new. But it's not as rewarding as the work spent on the other MINIs.

 

Black is no doubt beautiful. But you have to invest the time to keep it looking its best.

I have a friend that is obsessed with black cars, yet he doesn't take care of them. What's the point?

Black shows scratches from miles away. Not a very good choice of color if you live in a sunbelt state (makes the car too hot).

Pluses of solid black paints? Easiest to touch up and repair.

 

Question: do scratches and swirl marks from wax show up more easily on black? I got PS and amazed by how long it stays looking clean. Of course, removing wax is more work because I always miss a few spots!

 

You don't get scratches and swirl marks FROM wax. You get them from other sources and they show up more if you fill them in with wax.

But yes, swirls and scratches do show up more so on black and other dark colors then they do in the lighter colors.

 

"suddenly not available"? That's unfortunate. If you really don't want the AB, find out if your dealership can do a "search" and see if there just might be another Clubman matching what you'd ordered or is another color you like.

Everyone's different in what they like. I hate a dirty looking car, but am "lazy".

Let us know what you end up deciding.

 

He got the car already. Pics coming soon...

 

We'll stay tuned.

 

Think of it as two colors for the price of one

 

Its like the color Carbon Black on my E46 m3.. its dark navy blue but has tint of purple on a sunny day to darker blue and almost blackish color at night... i loved it... thats why i got AB color for my MINI...