Review: Autoflex High Gloss Wrap in Atlantis Blue

[ellipsis212]

Originally Posted by Q_Subsub

OP thanks for the review on autoflex. I kept going back and forth on getting it done because I didn't know how the overspray would be handled and whether it would offer sufficient protection for the type of driving I do (spend a lot of time in the mountains). I am planning on asking the installer in my area to add additional layers to the front bumper, rocker panel and the mirrors to give just a bit more protection in those areas. Do you think that will ruin the consistency of color on the car?

And btw I love the color you chose! I myself had thought to do Atlantis Blue for my M2 then realized it was just too similar to Long Beach Blue for the M2.. so at this point I am down between the San Marino Blue or the Isle of Man Green that came out for the G80/82. I'll make a decision once I see samples in flesh but either case I am very very excited.

Go for it! Overspray is really up to the installer's skill level, but you should assume there will be a little to deal with in weird places (like my windshield washer nozzle hose). It doesn't come off that easily if you find it a month later but some solvent and elbow grease works.

As for layers, the strength of the wrap comes from the clear coat. If you lay down more clear you'll have more protection but it should be consistent throughout rather than extra in the high impact spots.

Mine is a year old now and doesn't look a week old. No rock chips even which tells me it's a pretty resilient material though not to be confused with PPF.

[Q_Subsub]

Thanks that's really good to know about the clear coat and layers. I will make sure to have a more thorough discussion about taping off the possible overspray areas, especially since my car has alpine white.

My concern of protection stemmed from previously having vinyl that was chewed through, but it sounds like these might offer a tad bit more protection than vinyl so definitely a plus.

As for maintenance, did you end up getting yours ceramic coated? I am not planning on going that route yet so just wanted to know if the look holds up with regular wash & wax.

[ellipsis212]

Originally Posted by Q_Subsub

Thanks that's really good to know about the clear coat and layers. I will make sure to have a more thorough discussion about taping off the possible overspray areas, especially since my car has alpine white.

My concern of protection stemmed from previously having vinyl that was chewed through, but it sounds like these might offer a tad bit more protection than vinyl so definitely a plus.

As for maintenance, did you end up getting yours ceramic coated? I am not planning on going that route yet so just wanted to know if the look holds up with regular wash & wax.

I did ceramic coat mine but it was just because I enjoy detailing and had extra time this summer. Completely optional step but you'll need to wait at least 3 months before you do it to let the Autoflex fully (fully) cure.

You can wash normally and if you prefer wax/glaze to ceramic that's fine. Treat it like paint and it'll perform like paint.

Get some up close shots from your installer before committing since most of these look good from 10' away. The quality will be evident under proper lighting from up close.

[Q_Subsub]

Gotcha. Unfortunately at this point I am back to square one because I decided to not pursue the work with the local area installer. I kept losing confidence that they would do a good job.

I have reached out to the next nearest installer which is 4 hours away and seems to have good pictures/videos of their work, but I'm not sure what happened to them as they seem to have gone MIA since the summer.

If this installer doesn't work out, I may just have to resort to getting a vinyl wrap as other installers are at least 10 hours away from where I am at.

[wknd_M]

That’s awesome! wish we had more resources here. Looks amazing

[sl0m0]

Originally Posted by ellipsis212

I've been meaning to give you all a write up on my experience with Autoflex which is a spray wrap product. There were a few bumps and bruises along the way to get the result that I was going for but the final product makes me extremely happy! The reason I'm sharing this is so that you have information on this option in case you are considering a wrap of any kind.

A while back I came across this excellent thread from member M2PDX on his decision to go from Black Sapphire to San Marino Blue with Autoflex since that color wasn't a factory option to him. His thread has loads of info on the process and several beautiful pictures: https://f87.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1530010 so please check it out if you want to learn more about what it is and how it works. As we all know the M3/M4 could be had in a variety of individual colors but I had opted for BSM when I purchased my 2017 M3 comp (with only 1900 miles on the clock) mainly because it was/is my favorite of the standard colors that I could get my hands on.

Though I had it ceramic coated, after a while I started to get a little tired of the BSM cleaning process and I felt like I could only really enjoy it when it was spotless (which as you know is approximately 6 seconds after driving away). In addition to that I had amassed a nice group of CF goodies for the car but the whole affair was low contrast and I started pining for a blue color with pop. My two favorites were SMB and Atlantis Blue, and thus began the mental ping pong of how and whether to pursue it.

On one hand, I loved my car exactly as it was: suspension, exhaust, aero, interior mods, speakers/sub, etc. I didn't want to have to undo those since I had done everything myself, and I also knew that it might be tough to find a good candidate - especially in Atlantis. Lastly, I own the car and I didn't want to pay VA sales tax on a new one after just 18 months so I opted to put some of that money toward a wrap instead. The gloss vinyl wraps I had seen looked cool but they could never pass as an OEM finish, and matte/satin isn't my thing so I started researching options with Autoflex.

The nearest authorized installer would never return my phone calls or emails and I started to look out of state. Liquid Wrap Labs was about 5 hours away in PA and his work on instagram looked good from afar so Jon (the owner) and I began to discuss the job. He was very knowledgeable and was able to match OEM paint codes with a small upcharge from his tint supplier and he found the Atlantis mixture without issue and Autoflex allows the installer to replicate or adjust factory pearl/metallic. He indicated that the ceramic coating would need to come off but otherwise it was good to go, so last summer during a week long work trip around the country I dropped off the car on a Monday and picked it back up on a Friday. He had a GTR and Ferrari 430 in with it so I felt comfortable leaving it in his hands.

The result I got back was not great. I won't go into a ton of detail but basically he got behind and I pushed him to deliver it - the job was rushed and some mistakes were made. The car looked fantastic from 20 feet away but up close there was inconsistency, overspray, extensive surface peel, and not enough luster to merit the high gloss name. I was really disappointed driving the 5 hours home but we talked it out over the next few weeks and worked out a remedy.

He offered to peel and redo the whole thing and this time I asked him to flow coat the finish which, if you're not familiar, means clear coating, multi-stage wet sanding, polishing and then respraying several layers of clear followed by another full polish. I also asked him to ensure that there was absolutely no overspray in areas like door hinges and washer nozzles under the hood. I paid for the materials but otherwise Jon did the job at his cost. He had also moved locations since the summer and had a new state of the art paint booth this time which made me confident he could deliver a great result.

This time I said to keep it until it was done and just over a week after drop off a buddy and I drove back up to get it. I kept Jon on ice for a couple minutes while I walked around and inspected it but eventually I started laughing because of how ridiculously awesome it turned out. Take a look and judge for yourself. I'm including a few pics others took and my own iPhone pics of the nitty gritty stuff including doors so you can see where it starts/ends. This stuff is essentially really advanced plastidip and you need to be able to peel it after 3 - 5 years of use, so spraying into hinges and trim areas is not a good idea.

So far I've had it for a month and it definitely gets a lot of attention. I'm not sure I factored that into the equation but people absolutely react to this color so I find myself having to talk about it a lot more. Overall though I think it looks great and I'm totally happy with the outcome. If you consider doing this make sure you go through an authorized installer, allow up to a full week for the job, and pay the extra money for flow coating and a full polish. Best thing is, when I'm done with it I can go right back to pristine Black or change to another option. Cost for this was around $3k FYI.

How has this held up?

[ellipsis212]

No longer have it on. Car is fully stock but it was a big job to remove every bit of overspray. I’d steer clear of it personally unless your installer is absolutely ace.

On the bright side my paint didn’t age a day under the autoflex.

[Stryyker]

I would be so interested in actually gettijg autoflex done if there was actually an authorized installer near me. If you dont mind me asking how much did the job set you back?

[ellipsis212]

About $3k