Black metallic is the combination that gets people into trouble. The flake needs light to come alive and the dark base under it reports every flaw you've got in the surface, so the two halves of the paint want opposite things from a finish. This 2018 M4 F83 came in for a full layer of Icon Rocklear on every panel, our permanent paint protection coating, and it bonds into the factory clear coat rather than sitting on top as a layer that wears off. Under the shop lights the flake reads brighter and the black behind it's deeper and glassier than it was the day the car left the dealership.

The F83's the convertible M4, and it carries a folding hard top instead of fabric, which changes the job. Roof up, you've got painted metal running from the nose to the rear deck with no break in material anywhere. Roof down, you're looking at one long uninterrupted run of black along each side, and there's nothing on the car for an uneven coat to hide behind.

A drop top also spends more of its life with the paint out in the open, and that's the part the coating's actually for. Icon Rocklear resists the UV fade, and it keeps grime from working its way in and getting embedded in the surface. It doesn't yellow, it never needs to come off, and it doesn't need waxing. If it ever does wear down, the factory clear coat underneath is untouched.

Sixteen photos from the shop, including close work on the kidney grille, the roundel, and the rear quarter panel. If you haven't decided what your own car needs yet, our paint protection comparison page lays the options out side by side.