2018 BMW M4 F83

This 2018 BMW M4 F83 convertible came into our Milpitas shop for a full layer of Icon Rocklear across every panel. On black metallic paint the difference shows up as depth: the flake sparkles under the shop lights and the finish reads darker, wetter and glassier than it did the day it left the dealership. Because Icon Rocklear bonds into the factory clear coat, that look is locked in, with UV and fade protection that runs around fifteen years and no waxing or reapplying along the way.

The F83 is the convertible M4, and it carries a folding hard top rather than fabric. That matters for a finish job, because with the roof up the car is painted metal from the nose to the rear deck with no break in material, and with it down you are looking at one long uninterrupted run of black along each side. Black metallic is the least forgiving combination there is: the flake needs light to come alive, but the dark base reports every flaw in the surface. Getting both right at once is the whole test.

A drop top also spends more of its life with paint exposed, which is where the permanence matters. The coating resists the UV fade and the staining that comes from grime working into the surface, it does not yellow, and it never needs to come off. If it eventually wears, the factory clear coat underneath is untouched.

Sixteen photos taken inside the Milpitas shop: front three quarters at several distances, straight on front and rear, an elevated rear three quarter, and close work on the kidney grille and roundel and the rear quarter panel. Browse the angles, then see how this compares to the other options on our paint protection comparison page.