The German brand Audi added colors Matte, i.e. opaque, to some models on the current price list such as TT, TTS, TT RS, Q3 and RS Q3. In addition to Python yellow for the TT RS3 / 4 and Dew silver for the RS Q31 / 2, Daytona gray and Florett silver complete the new color palette with a matte finish. The basic models of the TT and Q3 series are now also available in these new Matte shades.
The demand for quality car finishes is increasing: individuality and sportiness are increasingly coveted values. “Design remains the main reason for buying an Audi. And the color of the vehicle is extremely important, as it is an expression of a driver’s personality“Said Susan Nolte, head of exterior colors within Audi’s Product Marketing Special Equipment team. However, before a new exterior color can be ordered, special manufacturing processes are required.
Providing color recommendations for a new model is the responsibility of the Audi Design Color & Trim team and the Product Marketing team, who work closely together. After choosing the candidates, the appropriate names for the offer are selected: “What is particularly important is that the names given to the colors describe each color as accurately as possible. The first part of the name is the creative element, but it must also evoke a connection with color”Explained Nolte. Audi often uses terms inspired by the world of geography and flora and fauna. Tracks also play a role in color naming for sporty models.
Currently three out of four customers buying new vehicles in Germany they prefer white, black or gray / silver colors. Also in Audi, these are the most popular colors, followed by blue, the latter with a share of around ten percent. And there is a growing demand for matte finishes.
Modern paints are technically complex. In addition to the phosphate layer, the paint finish – with cathodic dip coating (CDP), putty, base coat and clear coat – consists of five thin layers that together do not exceed the thickness of a tenth of a millimeter. It is equivalent to the thickness of a strand of human hair. To meet the quality requirements of everyday use in the long term, paints are subjected to various short and long-term tests, including resistance to stone chips and weathering. As part of the approval process, Audi also checks aspects such as adhesion and corrosion resistance of the paint. The entire process of color design, selection, technical implementation and approval can take three to five years.
The lacquering process runs parallel to the series production of vehicles at the plant in Hungary. The coats of primer, filler and color are followed by the clear matt varnish, which contains matting agents in the form of silicate particles. This is applied directly to the base coat. The thickness of its layers varies from 40 to 50 micrometers. With its surface structure, the matte paint reflects the light in a diffuse rather than directional way, thus obtaining its peculiar appearance Matte.
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