Let’s get geeky about paint.
Exterior paint is available on many new cars. Many new cars come with exterior paint. However, automakers offer a variety of colors for free. For an additional $995, the 2020 Corvette includes a Red Mist Metallic Tintcoat. The Apple Red candy paint can be purchased on the Koenigsegg Jeepo for $63,300. The hypercar’s pearl paints start at $24,800. Why is this such a large price gap?
Donut Media created a YouTube video to find the answer. It asked about the differences in a $2,000 gallon automotive paint and one that costs $200. This video explains the composition of paint: solvents, binders and fillers. These parts can have an impact on the price. Acrylic binders, for example, are more expensive than urethane ones. Paints that are less expensive tend to contain more filler. This is usually a powdery substance such as talc, chalk or gypsum.
Glasurit’s 90 Line is the top-tier paint line. It costs $2,000 per gallon. It was used by Porsche on its 918 Spyder, which was part the $64,000 nine-layer paint process. It has the highest quality binder, filler and solvent. The silver pigment is also exceptional. The color’s finely ground mica flakes coated with a metal oxide make it super reflective. It is also why it is so expensive.
This video does more than compare the different paints. The video also discusses the different types and prices of paint solvents, explains which colors are more costly to make and highlights Lexus’ Structural Blue color, which has no blue pigment. The Lexus took 15 years to perfect this paint process. The paint’s makeup affects how long it will last, how resistant it is to damage and how durable it can be. It can also affect how the paint looks.