Major Problem with the color.
 

This is a big decision where a mistake is going to be with me for several years. I’m having a hard time deciding on which Roadster color to get, the red or the black! Red has always been the iconic color for sport cars and I have owned several “reds” in the past. The new Roadster looks good in all the colors but my decision is now between the Solid Red and the Magnetic Black. We all heard the personal testimonies and opinions about black cars which is probably the reason why I have never owned a black car. Are the paint swirls really that bad? Does is always look dirty? I’m looking forward to any comments and humorous opinions.

I own a black car and yes it looks pretty damn good when clean but it's really easy to get dirty and show every little detail. And yes swirl marks shows. I also own a red car before and love it. I wouldn't get black again for my next car, but it's up to you

IMHO, don't choose black. My last vehicle was a very nice '08 Accord coupe and it was black. It was a B*itch to keep clean. I would wash and polish it and only an hour later it was showing the dust. And if it rained....

The Platinum Graphite (or Carbon Silver as it's called in Canada) seems to be a very easy color to maintain. It doesn't show dust and when it's dirty, it still looks clean.

So.... dark colors bad (to keep looking clean)..... light colors good.

Black rose! You get the best of both colours!

Another comment that I’ve heard more than once is that black is really hot in the summer. I live in New England and we get 2-3 weeks a summer where it’s Hot and Humid (thank god for AC).

I buy only red cars---I have a red Miata, a red Altima coupe, a red Z. The color is bright and that is incidentally a safety plus. Red is warm and less delicate to deal with, maintenance wise, than black. Red has always been an appropriate color for sporty cars. For what its worth, I notice that Nissan seems to often present the Z in red. Red will not be a handicap for you when you re-sell or trade, as black might be.

The great thing about a black car is that when its clean, it looks goooooood. IMO, it can't be beat when its clean. The shine and luster is just so deep. On the other hand however, to keep it clean is a full time job. Dust, water spots, etc. just show up so easily on black.

In other colors like platinum graphite, to echo 6MT, its easy to maintain. You can't really see the dust until it gets really bad or someone starts drawing pictures in the dust....what I have noticed on my Z (which is PG), is that even after a clay and wax, the shine just isn't as deep, it doesn't quite have that pop that darkers colors can produce. Don't get me wrong, its nice and slick and shiny, just not quite as much...

I've never had a red car, so its hard to really say. I'm sure it probably sits somewhere in the middle of what I just said. either way, red definitely gets noticed :) its pretty much the iconic sports car color. i test drove a red Z and I thought the color looked pretty good. A little bit much for me, only cuz i'm a black/grey/silver person.

Just go with the color that really makes you smile everytime you look at one. Even if it requires a lot of work, consider it a labor of love.

There is a reason its called magnetic black...dust and anything that is going to screw up your shine is attracted to it like no ones business. BUT when its clean and perfect its awesome.

I have a red one, and the swirl marks are extremely prevalent, you're screwed both ways as far as that goes, but red has always been the iconic sports car color.

:icon18::bowrofl:

I think the coupes look really good in red. IMHO the roadster less so. I went for PG for my roadster -- It has a sorta classy look that suits the roadster. I've also seen some very nice white ones, but I never seriously considered white for mine.

How much work are you willing to do to keep it up? I spent half my life trying to keep my black S2000 clean and actually found it kind of depressing how briefly the effort lasted. Personally, I can't stand red cars so that was never an option for me; always looks like you're trying too hard to be noticed.

My 370 is platinum graphite and looks rich, expensive and clean all the time.

Unless you need a show car finish at all times, black really isn't bad at all. We have 4 black cars, and even when dirty, from a few feet away they look just fine.

A 50/50 vehicle.... looks good from 50 feet going 50mph.

I agree with the OP that Solid Red would complement the lines of the Roadster very nicely. I've observed that red does tend to fade over time, though, even with care. I have avoided it, because it's such a charged and polarizing color. On a very few cars -- particularly sports/roadsters I think it's great. On others, it's a dog.

Magnetic Black would be beautiful on this car. I've owned two black convertibles -- an MZ3 and a 330CiC. Both were easier to maintain than hardtop black cars because all the paintwork is low and is in large areas that don't require as much finely detailed cleaning -- essentially, you reduce your work by about half. Make no mistake, though, you will have to work to maintain the finish. I used to carry a bottle of Quick Detailer and a towel in the trunk for emergencies. I also found I was waxing more frequently than I ever had with lighter cars, probably because the results were so much more rewarding.

The Roadster is a bit of a different animal than the Coupe, in terms of aesthetics. I think the Roadster has a bit more refined looks and benefits from more elegant color choices -- shades of gray or dark, rich colors. That said, I've seen the white over black Roadster on this board and it really caught my eye -- I'd rank it among my top three choices. So maybe my color theories are full of sh!t.

In the end, if you can keep it up, MB will pay dividends in WOW factor. Beautiful, elegant -- it's sporty and refined. You're just as good at a 5-star restaurant as you are at a club.

SR is more the racer set. It's pretty, but it's begging to be noticed -- not quite as sure of itself. Definitely leans more toward the club or weekend cruising and may actually require more care than black over the long haul, if applicable.

Between those two, I'd go for black.

Platinum Graphite got my heart racing, though.

Not a fan of the roadster, but if you are gonna get it, I wouldn't get black... My buddy just unloaded his 08 Tahoe (Black in color), and that thing had so many swirls on it, it took us HOURS to detail it... There is nothing better than a clean, black car, the problem is, it is damn near impossible to keep em clean!

I was just down at the dealesr in Fairfax, VA and the have a Black Cherry Coupe. It looked pretty nice.

I have a black car. I look good in it. I dont see myself in any other colors.

The black Z chose me.

Its impossible to see swirls unless you two feet from the car. But when i drive on the freeway, people turn their heads i know they're looking at me and my Z, not the swirls. when i turn my head and look at them, i know i get respect from driving a black Z.

Thats all that matters.

I've been going through the same thing for a couple of weeks, deciding on options and colors. I think the reason it's been hard is that the Z looks good no matter what. You can't go wrong.

I like the roadster a lot. My wife likes the coupe because she thinks the top spoils the lines, so she suggested we get black. That way the top would blend in better with the lines of the car.

I've never had black for the reasons we all know and I don't think I'm going to start now.

I have had a red sports car before, and they are definitely head turners. You can't go wrong with red.

On the Z, I've decided I like the white over black. The contrast doesn't bother me and the PW is a nice looking color that doesn't show dirt and is easy to see on the road.

I think the PG is awesome also. There's something about it that makes the lines of the car stand out, and I like the look of the door handles etc against that color the best.

So for me, it will be the PW, the SR, or the PG. I'd be happy with any of them.

i bought silver for my last 3 cars.

it's been raining hard for more than a week in california and i drove the 370z every day, but it's looking like it's just been washed.

Go with red is a nice color fairly easy to keep clean as well. Black when clean looks greats, but I had a big black truck and trying to keep that beast clean was well a beast. Had to wash it weekly and the next day it would be dirty again, showed every single imperfection. You can't go wrong with red... Or Monterey Blue

I had a black truck once. I will never own another black vehicle again. Take it for what it's worth.

I think only car people would understand the necessity for an emergency quick detailing.
:tup:

Silver 

Color won't make a difference to how hot it is in the car. All the heat comes through the windows. A recent test at Fords car lot of various colors showed an immeasurable difference between different colors. There was however, a less than 1 deg C difference from black to white so I wouldn't let that be a deciding factor.

:iagree:

I LOVE my black Z but keeping it clean is crazy. Its more of a pain in the azz than anything. The first hour or two after a wash is flawless (if your not close to see all the swirls and scratches from the car wash) This is why I'm going to paint it 3/4 QAB Pearl white. Dirt won't be so obvious anymore. Black IS gorgeous but definitly won't stay clean for long!

I always thought I would get the black when shopping for the 370Z. However once I saw it in person, I thought the black overwhelmed the shape, contours of the car.

:icon18: agree, shows every swirl but looks the best when its clean

Red is a very emotional color. I love it and hate it at the same time. Best color ever.

ReD:rock:

:twocents:RED

Mine is magnetic black and it is a horror fest at the least!Do yourself and don't buy this car in black!Its not so bad just because it is black because all my cars have been black but this paint on the car is junk!Trust me you will be sorry!
As to any other color paint is paint and nissan dropped the ball on this car as far as paint!

Buy Brilliant Silver. Even when it's dirty it's clean! :tup:

Thanks for all the advice! I’m leaning towards the Solid Red. I’m getting the “Roadster Base” and I think the black on black is going to be a little too much black, if you know what I mean!

:tup:

Cant go wrong with either one of these, by far the best colors offered with the Z34 IMHO. BTW, that sexy Red beast is my Roxy :)

http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/i...38d8d79639.jpg

Man, when they're next to each other, they look great! Its like they should be driving side by side 24/7!

Damn skippy, did I hear an encore? i believe so! happy to oblige... To the OP, wouldnt you like to be the owner of one of these sexy beotches?:tup:
http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/i...ebc268f31e.jpg

And just to add, there are a few monterrey blues floating around here, with the newest edition being one of our very own "ZSteve", swirl marks are EXTREMELY hard to detect in that color, one of the bonuses I guess.