Matte Black

CheetahWrap Matte Black is a matte black film. CheetahWrap lists 5 other black shades, so it is worth seeing them side by side before you settle on one.

This is color change wrap vinyl from CheetahWrap's catalog. It resurfaces the car in a new color and can be removed later without touching the factory paint underneath, which is why wraps hold resale value in a way a respray does not. Vinyl changes how the car looks; it is not impact protection, so if you also want the paint shielded from rock chips, the same kind of color exists as color paint protection film at a higher price.

The matte finish

Matte kills reflection completely, which makes body lines read sculptural instead of shiny. It is the most demanding finish to own and the rules are simple but absolute: hand wash only, no wax, no polish, no machine buffer, and no automatic car wash. Any of those will burnish shine into the surface permanently, and the shiny patch cannot be undone.

Living with black in the Pacific Northwest

Black is the hardest color to keep looking perfect and the best looking when it is. Every swirl and every water spot shows, and in Seattle that means drying the car rather than letting it air dry after rain. Dark colors show water spots, dust and wash marks sooner than light ones, and our rain leaves spots the moment it dries on a panel. Drying the car after a wash rather than letting it air dry is most of the battle.

Care: hand wash only. No wax, no polish, no machine buffer and no automatic car wash — all four permanently burnish shine into a matte surface.