The growing trend towards special finishes on new vehicles is evident in the latest colour offering from MINI. It is now offering Frozen Black metallic paint on selected models, something that will make the car stand out from the crowd but could cause bodyshops a serious headache.

The new finish is created using a complex manufacturing process, exclusive to the BMW Group, which also involves a high degree of manual craftsmanship not usually associated with mass production. A special surface treatment is used to provide a substrate base layer for grip and corrosion protection. This is followed by a colour layer and a further layer of clear lacquer which has added silicates to create a matted impression and velvet texture.

BMW say the Frozen Black metallic is of the same high quality as the other paint finishes available for MINI in terms of abrasion resistance and colour durability. The finish is completely weather resistant and car wash resistant, however hand washing does require special care as spot cleaning of the surface using wax or polish can leave an unwanted gloss effect. For this reason the BMW Group offers care products developed specially for treating the new finish.

Because the painting process is labour intensive the body colour will be available on a limited run of vehicles and command a premium price. This means the chances of an Irish bodyshop being asked to repair the velvet vehicle may be slim. However, with many other manufacturers experimenting with special finishes to differentiate certain models, refinishers may well have to develop and employ some very different repair and paint application techniques in the future.