jet black or black saphire

[cgajjar330i]

my question goes to the owners of jet black bmws. if price was not an option, would you get jet black or black saphire. Imo, i think jet black looks better, but my old bmw was black saphire and i think it hides scratches better. What issues do you have caring for jet black. Would you guys get jet black over black saphire again?

[StarrDlux]

jet black; it is the hotness.

just be prepared to handwash every week and keep it garaged and ding free.

the metallic black is for those folks who like drive thru car washes; dings;swirl marks; dirt.

i mean black saphire looks great don't get me wrong but there's a commitment for jet black when done properly looks far superior.

i owned a e46 jet black; no swirl marks; hand wash every weekend; clay bar; no dings in 40 month lease, looked awesome at 40 months just as good as day 1 mirror finish. but thats alot of time.

I also pay to have someone do my lawn $35 for 2 hours in the blazing summer. I could do it myself but i'd rather spend my free time with mah baby (infant).

Now when the kids gets older to wash the car properly i will definitely try jet black again but i really want an exotic like laguna seca or imola yellow car some day. just once.

imola S4 :) yummy

[griffinto]

If you want rock chips then buy Jet Black. Metallic paint holds up better.

[BMWFM1]

So far happy with JB. Price was not a consideration.

[HG132]

the metallic black is for those folks who like drive thru car washes; dings;swirl marks; dirt.

You're kidding right...I bet there are are lot of posters who would have a problem w/that response. :tsk:

Black sapphire gives off a richness and depth that the Jet Black cannot--no matter how much polish you layer on...and my other car is Jet Black...so I can show bias.

[JG]

my question goes to the owners of jet black bmws. if price was not an option, would you get jet black or black saphire. Imo, i think jet black looks better, but my old bmw was black saphire and i think it hides scratches better. What issues do you have caring for jet black. Would you guys get jet black over black saphire again?

Jet black when pristine clean and shiny.

That is about 1/100th of the time the car is in use (5 to 10 minutes after hand detailing before atmospheric dust etc. starts to react)

But when it is clean and shiny it is a joy to behold.

Metallic is not bad but the pin pricks of metal don't give it that pure black feeling.

My last BMW was jet black. When I turned it in after lease end it was more or less black with lots of white dots on the hood from debris and stones.

[TMARCUSK]

"Black sapphire gives off a richness and depth that the Jet Black cannot--no matter how much polish you layer on...and my other car is Jet Black...so I can show bias." [QUOTE] - HG132



IMO, it's the exact opposite. If you are looking for depth and purity, it's gotta' be Jet black. Black sapphire is nice but I think lacks the depth or "wet look" that you see with jet black. The challenge is keeping jet black clean. If you're not into car care, go with black sapphire.

Bottom line...BMW does Jet black VERY well. No brainer IMO. :thumbup:

[Unagi1]

Take a look at the sparkliness of it and tell me you don't want it ;)

[frank325]

Black sapphire gives off a richness and depth that the Jet Black cannot--no matter how much polish you layer on...and my other car is Jet Black...so I can show bias.

Wha!??!? How could you say metallic paint is richer and has more depth than jet black?! Jet black is like a mirror. Any metallic paint can't even come close to how jet black looks when it's clean and detailed.

[StarrDlux]

yah this sapphire is just a rehash of cosmos metallic black. i mean it has a rainbow of sparkling glitter in the paint. A rainbow oh my! click your heels 3 times for sapphire.

Definitely shouts man-love in Castro district in SFO :) j/k

[Rubber Ducky]

A. this topic has more threads than AT vs MT. Search.

B. I've had both side by side in my garage. Prefer JB. When it's hot, it's the hottest.

C. This is not a subject to obsess about. Pays your money and takes your chances.

[PhilipWOT]

Jet Black is 10x sexier when properly cared for. Metallic black is for people who don't wax their car. It hides the dirt.

[timod14]

I've had a 335 in Black Sapphire (which got totalled) and now have my new 3er in Jet Black. The metallic would likely hide scratches better, but when I clean and wax the jet black, it looks awesome, better than the BS could ever look. The BS looks just "fair" on average, and after a while the sparklies started to reflect alot of colors which I didn't like (greens, purples, etc).

I would recommend the jet black. It requires more maintenance but having a color that forces you to maintain you car better can only be a good thing overall for the life of the car. Plus you save a bit of money which you can reinvest in good car cleaning/polishing products.

[cgajjar330i]

gonna get the jet black. it's my personal prefrance and decided to man up to commitment of washing it every week. its just hard because the car will be in a parking garage.

[frank325]

if you go through a span of time where it doesn't get rained on a lot, it's ok to be lazy and not wash it every week. Hell, when it's winter around here, I have to go weeks and weeks without really washing it well, and it survives.

[StarrDlux]

girls wash cars too. make it a social event. amazing what can come out of a clean jet black car, minimal clothes, and a hose and bucket of water.

[jetaged]

hey STARRDLUX, you seem familiar with "man love in the Castro district in SFO" - is there something that you'd like to share with the group?
you DO realize that there are gay men and women who own BMWs right??

[jetblackattack]

-
IMO, it's the exact opposite. If you are looking for depth and purity, it's gotta' be Jet black. Black sapphire is nice but I think lacks the depth or "wet look" that you see with jet black. The challenge is keeping jet black clean. If you're not into car care, go with black sapphire.

Bottom line...BMW does Jet black VERY well. No brainer IMO. :thumbup:

EXACTLY

+1:thumbup:

[StarrDlux]

not sure what gay anything has to do with bmw?
:p

[moviebumm]

The Jet Black definitely looks better than Sapphire but the JB almost always looks dirty right after being washed (virtually all the time). The Sapphire has depth while the Jet Black doesn't. I chose the Metallic Black for the depth of color and because it made the car look more exotic. I used to own a Jet Black car so if you choose to go that route prepare to wash your car everyday. Good luck.

[mistercindy]

I'll chime in for the cheap contingent. Why pay the extra money for darn near the same color from any rational perspective? The guy on the rush hour highway and the folks walking by in the busy parking lot are gonna know only one thing: its a black car. Save your money.

BTW, I'd never get a black car because I can't stand washing them. They look great when pristine, but pristine doesn't often happen. That's one reason why I buy white cars.

[Kzang]

the metallic black is for those folks who like drive thru car washes; dings;swirl marks; dirt.



I hand wash my car always



If you want rock chips then buy Jet Black. Metallic paint holds up better.



My car has rock chips from driving on Highways and interstates, not because the color of the car.
:rofl:

[mookjohnson]

I have jet black right now, and it is beautiful on the e46. However, I just sam saphire blk on a 335 and looked insane! Very Darth Vader like -- bad@ss. I just ordered monaco to change up a bit, but if I were to get black on the 335, it would be saphire.

[DrGP]

When the 2 colors are dirty(which is most of the time) they look the same. When they are clean, the Sapphire just sparkles in the sunlight, but the Jet looks SLIGHTLY darker. Its basically like saying you like Coke better than Pepsi. In most conditions, they look the same. It you wash your car weekly, they both will be dirty for at least 5 out of the 7 days IF it doesn't rain.

[WhiteTrash]

EXACTLY

+1:thumbup:


+2

sapphire black just looks somewhat dusty to me, even when clean.

[griffinto]

I hand wash my car always



My car has rock chips from driving on Highways and interstates, not because the color of the car.
:rofl:

The color of the car does matter how resilient the paint is and jet black paint chips more often than black metallic paint. :rolleyes:

[StarrDlux]

if you care to not have rock chips you spend $500 on clear-bra or equivalent.

i've got zero rock chips on my 104K mostly highway 2002 audi a4. zero; zed. One bust windshield replaced with PPG glass.

not sure how clearbra ages with jet black or looks but with the blue audi denim at 7.5 years its about time to peel it off and run naked. no rock chips. nada.

[dave25692003]

I have Jet Black and I love it. It is awesome, but I have to wash my car everyday that I take it out. It is not my daily driver car. More of a special occation.

[iwanna330cic]

gonna get the jet black. it's my personal prefrance and decided to man up to commitment of washing it every week. its just hard because the car will be in a parking garage.
Good for you! :thumbup: I just spent most of yesterday washing, clay bar, polish, and NXT waxing my jet black E93. There HAD been a few minor swirls and light spider web scratches. They be all gone now. The car looks like someone just poured cooking oil all over it. Just georgous! Other colors have their beauty and pros, but a super clean and shiny jet black takes them all. Looks really hot and sexy with the red interior, too! :D

Doug

[jbeene]

I've had both. Black Saph drove me nuts as it looked like it had a haze on it no matter how clean it was.

JB seems to shine up nicer (to me at least). Tell me this thing doesn't look hot.

[scbieber]

I love my jet black - and it's really not that hard to maintain as long as you wash/dry it properly using the right type of wash mitt/towels... and the California Duster! After I wash & wax I use the duster once a day and my car looks fantastic all the time. I even go 2 weeks between washes, and so far, no scratches by the duster... Sapphire just doesn't have the depth and pure blackness... that's my vote.

[markl53]

Sapphire just doesn't have the depth and pure blackness... that's my vote

Well, Black Sapphire isn't made to have the same "pure black" of Jet Black. It's a totally different color. To me, and I've had 2 Black Sapphire 3's, it adds a more interesting element, especially in bright light. I'd almost compare it more to a color MB had (don't know if it's still around), Tectonic Gray which was a very expensive option on a C-Class a few years ago.

[Unagi1]

Jet Black is so boooooring....:thumbdwn:

:D

[cngzsn]

jet black > *

but

sapphire black > jet black

go figure...

[R.R.]

I drive 2008 jet black coupe. I love it! Plus I tinted the windows, not to dark, looks super sexy and elegant.

[scbieber]

Well, Black Sapphire isn't made to have the same "pure black" of Jet Black.

My point exactly... if you're going to get black why get something "almost" black...:rolleyes: