my mondeo had matt paint and i didn't have to pay for that, it did it all by itself.

matt black cars are the new in thing for the yoofs to do to their 50 quid novas they have spent a fortune on.

i think it looks rubbish.

In HK I've also seen matte silver on a high end (AMG) Merc E-Class. It wouldn't be my choice but then wealth and taste appear to be inversely related in this neck of the woods e.g. a two-tone orange and black Bentley and a two-tone silver and bright-yellow Rolls Royce are often parked in my neighbourhood.

Would look pretty cool on a Hilux with a serious looking large caliber gun bolted to the chassis.

I think the matt black trend was influenced by the USAF stealth fighters and bombers.

Maybe also some of teh snapshots of prototypes and development mules in the motoring press, which are sometimes matt black.

Perhaps matt black is supposed to convey the impression of something special, like the car is something that it's not, and it also gives the impression of 'I'm and engineer, I'm interested in how it works, not what it looks like' - a bit like rat bikes among bikers.

Black is definitely 'in', though. The famous LNER 4-6-2 steam loco, Flying Scotsman, which has just been overhauled, will be in unlined wartime black instead of its usual LNER apple green! And a later British Railways 4-6-2 steam loco, Britannia, has also exchanged Brunswick green for unlined BR black!

Edited by Sofa Spud on 12/05/2011 at 16:04

There is an orangey yellow saxo a few miles from here with black go faster stripes over the bonnet, roof and down the back of the boot.

Trouble is, they are wonky and look like they are electricians insulation tape.

I drive past it most mornings and think to myself - nice work fella.

On a similar theme, I'm seeing an increasing number of cars with black wheels. They are almost always on boy racer/chavmobiles and the owners obviously think they look cool.

A total contrast to the bright shiny steel/chrome wheels we've been used to for years, where bling was best; on these black things you can't see where the tyre ends and the wheel begins.