[LOW4LYF]

I do love my 4 silver BMW's...

Silver is such a low maintenance and car wash friendly color!

What is the most car wash friendly paint color on the G8x?

I will lease and return the car after 36 months, no need for any paint protection, coating etc.

No winter use in California but no hand wash either for sure.

[solstice]

Lightest available metallic usually fit that bill. So possibly Brooklyn grey.

[themnmd]

IMHO there is no car wash friendly paint

[snareman]

Why are you worrying about it and especially if you are leasing? Back a few cars ago I was anal about washing. I'd go to the DIY wash and bring my own bucket, brush, soap, etc. I was really just there for their soft water and sprayer. It was often a good hour of bonding with my car with the washing, drying, windows, detailing spray, etc. You know, guy time. Just me and the car. I think we got closer...

I eventually decided that my desire to have a clean car was greater than my desire to have zero possible swirls. Sometimes I don't have the hour to invest. I realized that I wasn't going to be standing outside in December in Ohio for that hour bonding with my car. And so, I got an unlimited monthly wash package at a local drive through wash and haven't looked back. I can go through it every day if I want. It effectively feels "free". If there are micro swirls on my car I never notice them.

So I say other than maybe a frozen color (although I've heard recently that they are even ok for washes?) get whatever color you want and don't worry about it. (especially for a lease)

[TargaM2]

Originally Posted by snareman

Why are you worrying about it and especially if you are leasing? Back a few cars ago I was anal about washing. I'd go to the DIY wash and bring my own bucket, brush, soap, etc. I was really just there for their soft water and sprayer. It was often a good hour of bonding with my car with the washing, drying, windows, detailing spray, etc. You know, guy time. Just me and the car. I think we got closer...

I eventually decided that my desire to have a clean car was greater than my desire to have zero possible swirls. Sometimes I don't have the hour to invest. I realized that I wasn't going to be standing outside in December in Ohio for that hour bonding with my car. And so, I got an unlimited monthly wash package at a local drive through wash and haven't looked back. I can go through it every day if I want. It effectively feels "free". If there are micro swirls on my car I never notice them.

So I say other than maybe a frozen color (although I've heard recently that they are even ok for washes?) get whatever color you want and don't worry about it. [SIZE="1"](especially for a lease)[/SIZE]

That's somewhat hard to argue with.
The only real downside to the newer brushless drive thru car washes (my wife uses them occasionally) i see is that you need to keep the wax up to the car as it breaks down quicker than hand washing.
I prefer to take my own spray-on wheel cleaner & chamois & use the high pressure foam hand sprayer at the car wash rather than use the drive thru which is still relatively quick & easy compared to handwashing, again you need to keep the Carnuba up to it though.
If you want a colour that you can somewhat neglect I'd say go silver or white.

[MachinesWithSouls]

I like either AMMO Foam, or Meguiar's Gold Class car wash soap.

Automatic car washes are terrible for the paint, and just grind dirt into the clear coat. It might be a lease, but you still want it to look good for those 3 years, and swirls dull the paint.

Put a ceramic coating on it and it'll be much easier to wash it come winter time.

[LOW4LYF]

Originally Posted by MachinesWithSouls

I like either AMMO Foam, or Meguiar's Gold Class car wash soap.

Automatic car washes are terrible for the paint, and just grind dirt into the clear coat. It might be a lease, but you still want it to look good for those 3 years, and swirls dull the paint.

Put a ceramic coating on it and it'll be much easier to wash it come winter time.

Well, for some people the car might be a priority but not for me anymore.
We have currently 9 cars in a two person household, can you imagine having the time washing them by hand?

I wash my other 6 BMW's (4 silver, 1 black, 1 gray) in a car wash since years with zero issues.

Fun fact: I bought my M4 new and had it for 4 years. Garage Queen, Hand Wash only for 4 years, drove it only for 4800 miles! Car was sold unseen and ended as a track car. Never ever again.

[snareman]

Originally Posted by MachinesWithSouls

I like either AMMO Foam, or Meguiar's Gold Class car wash soap.

Automatic car washes are terrible for the paint, and just grind dirt into the clear coat. It might be a lease, but you still want it to look good for those 3 years, and swirls dull the paint.

Put a ceramic coating on it and it'll be much easier to wash it come winter time.

I believe they are probably worse for the paint and harder on whatever wax you might have on the car. If I had the time to invest I'd do it all by hand. On a leased car, the $2-3k cost for a ceramic coating is harder to swallow. In the end though I just place a higher priority of the car looking good by it always being clean. My snow/dirt/salty Jeep looks horrible in the winter. Enter my monthly wash package.

[MachinesWithSouls]

Originally Posted by LOW4LYF

Well, for some people the car might be a priority but not for me anymore.
We have currently 9 cars in a two person household, can you imagine having the time washing them by hand?

I wash my other 6 BMW's (4 silver, 1 black, 1 gray) in a car wash since years with zero issues.

Fun fact: I bought my M4 new and had it for 4 years. Garage Queen, Hand Wash only for 4 years, drove it only for 4800 miles! Car was sold unseen and ended as a track car. Never ever again.

If you have nine of them, cars are a priority for you. Properly caring for the paint is not.

If you've been taking them to an automatic car wash, you have swirl marks, so you have issues. You simply don't care, which is fine. I have less time to do it as I get older so I'm not judging.