Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[PPG study says silver continues nine-year reign as most popular auto paint color]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/02/ppg-study-says-silver-continues-nine-year-reign-as-most-popular/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/02/ppg-study-says-silver-continues-nine-year-reign-as-most-popular/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/02/ppg-study-says-silver-continues-nine-year-reign-as-most-popular/#commentsFiled under: ,



Silver just won't give up its nine-year choke hold as the most popular color choice for cars and trucks, both in the United States and abroad. In fact, the silver and gray category actually picked up an additional five percent on the rest of the field with a market share of roughly 25 percent in 2009.

Moving on down the list shows that Americans are also fond of white (18 percent market share), black (16 percent) and red (12 percent). All told, all other colors combined add up to less than one third of all vehicles sold in America. Silver also took the top spot in both Europe and the Asia Pacific region. Why are gray shades so popular with new car buyers? According to Jane E. Harrington, PPG manager of color styling and automotive coatings:
What helps drive silver's popularity are all of the innovative effects that really make silver shine... much more than just a simple gray. Silver tones work well with today's tinted metallic textural looks. The diversity of silver, from subtle hue shifts to dimensional metallic flake appearances, works with a variety of vehicle styles.
Want to know more? Click past the break for the press release from PPG. Thanks for the tip, Leslie!

[Source: PPG]

Continue reading PPG study says silver continues nine-year reign as most popular auto paint color

PPG study says silver continues nine-year reign as most popular auto paint color originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>car colorsCarColorspaintpaint colorsPaintColorspopular car colorspopular colorsPopularCarColorsPopularColorsppgsilversilver carsilver carsSilverCarSilverCarsFri, 02 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[FOLLOW UP: CARB says "Just kidding about banning black paint..."]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/29/follow-up-carb-says-just-kidding-about-banning-black-paint/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/29/follow-up-carb-says-just-kidding-about-banning-black-paint/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/29/follow-up-carb-says-just-kidding-about-banning-black-paint/#commentsFiled under: ,



To be completely fair, the California Air Resources Board never intended to ban black paint -- or any color of paint, for that matter. When devising ways to implement the Cool Cars Initiative, CARB couldn't find any dark paints that passed the 20% solar reflectivity test, which others took to mean that CARB would be banning them. Not so, says a CARB spokesman: "We are by no means interested in banning or restricting car colors." For now, CARB is sticking with the reflective glass portion of the initiative, which would add a reflective clear coat to windows and $31-$50 to the price of a new car, and is taking public comments on the proposed new rules. Thanks for the tip, Jason

[Source: LA Times]

FOLLOW UP: CARB says "Just kidding about banning black paint..." originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 29 Mar 2009 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In a move that will likely get California's consumers in a huff, impending legislation may soon restrict the paint color options for Golden State residents looking for their next new vehicle. The specific colors that are currently on the chopping block are all dark hues, with the worst offender seemingly the most innocuous color you could think of: Black. What could California possibly have against these colors, you ask? Apparently, the California Air Resources Board figures that the climate control systems of dark colored cars need to work harder than their lighter siblings - especially after sitting in the sun for a few hours. Anyone living in a hot, sunny climate will tell you that this assumption is accurate, of course. In fact, legislation already exists for buildings that has proven successful at reducing the energy consumption of skyscrapers.

So, what's the crux of the problem... can't paint suppliers just come up with new, less heat-absorbent dark paints? According to Ward's, suppliers have reportedly been testing their pigments and processes to see if it's possible to meet CARB's proposed mandate of 20% solar reflectivity by 2016 with a phase-in period starting in 2012, and things aren't looking good. Apparently, when the proper pigments and chemicals are added to black paint, the resulting color is currently being referred to as "mud-puddle brown." That doesn't sound very attractive, now does it? Windshields, backlights and sunroofs are also slated to get reflective coatings starting in 2012.

When we first heard of this issue, an internal debate immediately began as to whether this might be an elaborate early April Fool's joke, but it isn't. Read through CARB's complete Cool Cars Standards and Test Procedures here (PDF link) for more. Thanks for the tip, Joaquin!

[Source: CARB (PDF link); Wards | Photo: 7mary3]

California to reduce carbon emissions by... banning black cars?! originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>air resources boardAirResourcesBoardautobloggreenautomotive paintAutomotivePaintblack paintblack paint banBlackPaintBlackPaintBancalifornia air resources boardcalifornia cool paintsCaliforniaAirResourcesBoardCaliforniaCoolPaintsCARBcarb cool paintsCarbCoolPaintscool paintcool paintsCoolPaintCoolPaintspaintWed, 25 Mar 2009 14:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Researchers develop self-repairing paint powered by the sun]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/13/researchers-develop-self-repairing-paint-powered-by-the-sun/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/13/researchers-develop-self-repairing-paint-powered-by-the-sun/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/13/researchers-develop-self-repairing-paint-powered-by-the-sun/#commentsFiled under:

In another case of Nature to the Rescue, scientists have come up with a polyurethane coating that repairs itself in the sun. The secret ingredient: chitosan, which comes from the shells of crustaceans and is also used for water filtration, blood clotting and as a diet aid. The common principle appears to be that it as a binding agent, i.e. it wants to hold certain things together.

If your car is scratched and it has the chitosan-injected coating, when put in the sun the chitosan "bonds with other materials in the substance, eventually smoothing the scratch" in less than an hour. No muss, no fuss, no messy clean up. However, the magic only works once -- the coating can't repair itself in the same place twice. Researchers also haven't yet studied how wide a scratch can be before it cannot heal itself.

Nevertheless, self-repairing paint powered by the sun is still a terrific development, especially for those folks with shiny black cars on which even tiny scratches seem to scream for attention. No word on when or if it will ever be available, but the team behind it has a patent pending and is thinking about the business opportunity. Thanks for the tip, everyone!

[Source: Reuters]

Researchers develop self-repairing paint powered by the sun originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Mar 2009 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chitosancoatingcoatingspaintpolyurethanetechtechnologyFri, 13 Mar 2009 17:57:00 EST<![CDATA[Ashes to residual ashes: take care of your car in areas of falling ash]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/22/ashes-to-residual-ashes-take-care-of-your-car-in-areas-of-falli/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/22/ashes-to-residual-ashes-take-care-of-your-car-in-areas-of-falli/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/22/ashes-to-residual-ashes-take-care-of-your-car-in-areas-of-falli/#commentsFiled under: ,

For those of you who have to deal with falling ash from fires, such as the folks in Southern California right now, the most important car care tip for you could be not to let ash interact with water on your car or remain on the car for a long time. If ash and water -- even nighttime dew -- get together on your car's paint, the water reacts with the calcium, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium in ash and might result in chemical etching. It essentially has the same effect as pouring Drano on your car. And you wouldn't do that. While it's impractical to wash your car every night before putting it to bed, at least wipe it down.

[Source: Meguiar's | Photo credit: hypertypo]

Ashes to residual ashes: take care of your car in areas of falling ash originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 22 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>car careCarCarecleaningetcpaintSat, 22 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Don't dig your paint? Change it with the touch of a button.]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/08/dont-dig-your-paint-change-it-with-the-touch-of-a-button/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/08/dont-dig-your-paint-change-it-with-the-touch-of-a-button/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/08/dont-dig-your-paint-change-it-with-the-touch-of-a-button/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Normally, when you want to change the paint color on your car, you're facing lots of disassembly, extensive prep work, and expensive time in a spray booth followed by seemingly endless hand blocking. Instead of the conventional method, a new technology might be on the way to make a color change as easy as twisting a knob. It's actually quite similar to the magic General Motors has wrought with their magnetorheological dampers. The variable-color paint works this way: prior to paint, the body gets a special polymer coating that's got paramagnetic iron oxide particles in it. When a current passes through this coating, the ferrous particles change their alignment, which alters the way they reflect light, effectively changing the car's color. The default color when the car's not running is white, which hints at a future of exceptionally bland parking lots if this technology takes off.

[Source: Motor Authority]

Don't dig your paint? Change it with the touch of a button. originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Nov 2007 08:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When I was a kid, I used to sit in front of the computer and draw up concept cars on Microsoft Paint. It was, and still is, a very primitive application, but it was simple enough for me to use back in grade school. I even designed the graphics for a local ISP's website on MS Paint, but that was the extent of it.

Here's someone, meanwhile, with the know-how and the skills who decided to render a Lamborghini Murcielago, with considerable detail and skill, all on Microsoft Paint. What's more is that he captured the entire process on video and uploaded it to YouTube, from blank page to finished product. Someone with too much time on his hands? Probably, but his video has been making the rounds. And remember, if the time-lapse nine-minute video has you bored halfway through, think of how long it must have taken him in real time.

[Source: Jalopnik]

Continue reading Time Rendered Useless: drawing a Lambo on MS Paint

Time Rendered Useless: drawing a Lambo on MS Paint originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Jul 2007 11:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>lambolamborghinimicrosoftmsmurcielagopaintrenderWed, 25 Jul 2007 11:34:00 EST<![CDATA[eBay Find of the Day: General Zee Camaro not even John Schneider could love]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/19/ebay-find-of-the-day-general-lee-camaro-not-even-john-schneider/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/19/ebay-find-of-the-day-general-lee-camaro-not-even-john-schneider/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/19/ebay-find-of-the-day-general-lee-camaro-not-even-john-schneider/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Look away, look away, look away, Dixie Land!

Some things are just unnatural, and should never be attempted. Does the paint job give this car any pop-culture cred via osmosis? Yes, yes, calling it the "General Zee" displays a modicum of wit, but we can't condone trying to splice in cool with a paint job. Us Gen-Xers will always have a soft spot for the orange Charger with pushbars out front and "01" emblazoned on its welded-shut doors. Giving that treatment to a 2002 Z-28 does not make it a collector car, even if the abomination has under 40,000 miles on it. There's a "Dixie" horn setup, and enough amateur-grade extra wiring is present in the underhood shots to make us cringe visibly. Our favorite modification has to be the muffler, which "has holes added to enhance the sound quality of the V-8 engine." The dead newspaper tycoon operating the T5-6 is a nice touch, too. Must be a one-off, 'cause that's the first we've heard of a "Hearst" shifter. Reserve is not yet met at a current bid of $7,100. Us, we'd use that cash as a downpayment on a General Lee replica that's at least a Mopar, though an Omni GLH dressed up in this type of drag would be equally repugnant.

Thanks for the tip, Aaron!

[Source: eBay]

Gallery: General Zee - Z28 with Dukes paint

eBay Find of the Day: General Zee Camaro not even John Schneider could love originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 19 May 2007 13:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There's no shortage of crossover between the aerospace and automobile industries, with carmakers regularly borrowing ideas from airplanes. Car manufacturers like BMW, Mitsubishi, Saab and Rolls Royce all have roots in building airplanes, but the Dodge Viper? Sure, Carroll Shelby, on whose Cobra the Viper was modeled, used to be a fighter pilot, as was Bob Lutz, but that's still a bit of a stretch. Aerospace retrofitters Northwest Helicopters took a shot at bridging (or at least flying over) the divide with a big ol' Huey painted to match the company owner's Viper SRT/10 coupe.

The firm was reportedly fixing up the chop-lifter for a show and was looking for a way to get it noticed. After driving around car lots looking for the most vibrant of tints, they decided to go with Viper Racing Yellow, and painted the helicopter to match, complete with silver stripes.

The chopper was apparently a big hit at the show, and the owner is undoubtedly the only one to have matching Huey and Viper. (Sure beats matching luggage.) One big difference between the two, aside from the obvious: take a close look a the picture and you'll notice the M60-D cannon mounted to the side of the helicopter, something you're not likely to see on a Viper (unless, of course, Dodge steps in for Aston Martin in the next Bond film).

Thanks for the tip, Dave!

[Source: DavidPitlyuk.com]

For the man who has everything: Dodge Viper with matching helicopter originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Mar 2007 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chopperdodgehelicopterhueymatchingpaintviperTue, 13 Mar 2007 14:28:00 EST<![CDATA[Autoblog Project Garage: Underbody rust mitigation]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/11/autoblog-project-garage-underbody-rust-mitigation/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/11/autoblog-project-garage-underbody-rust-mitigation/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/11/autoblog-project-garage-underbody-rust-mitigation/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Quite simply, rust sucks. Most any vehicle regularly driven during winters in the Salt Belt will fall victim to corrosion, and the various spray-on undercoatings available from the aftermarket have their shortcomings. Specifically, the spray-on application of these coatings often results in incomplete coverage, and what is applied will typically degrade upon repeated exposure to a decade's worth of abrasive road debris.

After dropping the fuel tank on our 1996 Buick Roadmaster, we found some oxidized ugliness despite the vehicle's near-impeccable maintenance record. Fortunately, the damage was caught before significant amounts of sheetmetal were lost, and modern technology has provided us with the tools to keep the situation from getting worse.

Continue reading Autoblog Project Garage: Underbody rust mitigation

Autoblog Project Garage: Underbody rust mitigation originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 11 Nov 2006 13:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bedlinerbodyworkbuickcorrosioneastwoodpaintpor-15projectproject garagerepairroadmasterrustunderbodyundercoatingSat, 11 Nov 2006 13:46:00 EST<![CDATA[Pretty in Pink: Bugatti Veyron by Bathing Ape]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/10/29/pretty-in-pink-bugatti-veyron-by-bathing-ape/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/10/29/pretty-in-pink-bugatti-veyron-by-bathing-ape/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/10/29/pretty-in-pink-bugatti-veyron-by-bathing-ape/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Did you think the Porsche Turbo with the camouflage paint job was strange? Then try this on for size. Japanese streetwear brand Bathing Ape (think Fubu or Marc Ecko from the land of the rising sun) seems to have a knack for taking the most expensive, exclusive high-end automobiles on the market and giving them a "different" paint job.

This repainted Veyron at least remains faithful to Bugatti's two-tone rule: the side panels get a rather unique pink and purple camo job, while the hood and rear panels are in solid Pepto pink. Just as well, 'cause you'll probably need a bottle of Pepto after seeing this, anyway.

Glutton for punishment? There's an almost as revolting image of a camouflaged Rolls Royce Phantom after the jump. Don't think the camouflage will keep it hidden with all that blingin' chrome, though.

[Source: Ed Spivak via German Car Blog]

Continue reading Pretty in Pink: Bugatti Veyron by Bathing Ape

Pretty in Pink: Bugatti Veyron by Bathing Ape originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 29 Oct 2006 17:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Silver has been the most popular color on cars for the past six years, and the godfathers of paint at PPG predict it will remain the king for quite some time. This fact doesn't stop these connoisseurs of color from searching for the next contender of silver's throne. On Thursday, PPG showed off its official color palette of 110 concept colors at its studio in Troy, MI, and revealed it expects more natural colors like brown, green, blue and gold will become popular by the end of the decade, when colors automakers choose today actually go into production.

It's a tough gig trying to predict what hues will be hot three years out, so PPG tracks high fashion, architecture, and consumer goods to get a bead on future color trends. As always, new technology also continues to change the color wheel. Paint additives called effect pigments are increasingly being used to change the make-up of paint. For example, some may remember the optional "Mystichrome" paint offered as an option on the 2004 Ford SVT Mustang Cobra. It contained aluminum flakes and mica and was applied using a different process than normal. The effect was a paint job that shifted color from a metallic topaz to cobalt blue to royal purple to deep onyx black. Trick paint like that, along with more natural tones, is in our future, but silver will not soon be supplanted as our most preferred paint.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Silver still most preferred paint, but what's next? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 28 Oct 2006 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>colorsmystichromepaintPPGsilverSat, 28 Oct 2006 17:32:00 EST<![CDATA[Is it time for wilder paint on street machines?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/11/is-it-time-for-wilder-paint-on-street-machines/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/11/is-it-time-for-wilder-paint-on-street-machines/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/11/is-it-time-for-wilder-paint-on-street-machines/#commentsFiled under: ,

Hot Rod magazine is bemoaning the lack of interesting paint colors and schemes on today's street machines, and who can blame them? It was just last week that we had the same conversation with some local gearheads. Sure, we love the subtle silver and grey of Joe Rogan's Sick Fish 'Cuda, but it seems as if the majority of custom vehicles have pulled back just a bit too far from the garish paint schemes of the 1980s Pro Street movement, and have left us with a limited palate of monotone boredom.

The question then becomes a matter of where to go from here. The psychedelic schemes in Hot Rod's gallery come mostly from the hippie aesthetic of the 1960s, and so it would seem that any new trend would need to be equally rooted in contemporary times instead of simply borrowing from the past. With that in mind, what makes sense? Joshua Davis has produced prints for BMW that were computer-generated from a variety of character lines and the available colors for the roadster. Perhaps a similar technique could be applied towards coding a program that would design the appropriate paint scheme when given a variety of inputs. Considering how computers are taking over every other aspect of the automobile, it's only appropriate that they assume a larger role in the appearance as well.

[Sources: Hot Rod; Wired]

Is it time for wilder paint on street machines? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Sep 2006 12:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>colorsdesigngraphicspaintpinstripesPro StreetschemestripesstyleMon, 11 Sep 2006 12:26:00 EST<![CDATA[TGIF: How the BMW Z4 is made]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/28/tgif-how-the-bmw-z4-is-made/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/28/tgif-how-the-bmw-z4-is-made/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/28/tgif-how-the-bmw-z4-is-made/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The National Association of Manufacturers brings us an educational treat for a fun TGIF - an insider's look at manufacturing the BMW Z4. The vehicle, built at Bimmer's plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, gets the soup-to-nuts treatment from NAM with subject matter and descriptions accessible enough for non-engineers. Check it out to learn more about BMW's assembly and finish techniques, as well as an opportunity to eat up the eye candy that is the BMW Z4.

[Source: The National Association of Manufacturers]

TGIF: How the BMW Z4 is made originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 28 Apr 2006 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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