What's with the "Cement" Paint-Color Craze?

[mmcartalk]

What's with the "Cement" Paint-Color Craze?

For years, white, black, silver, and various shades of platinum/titanium-metallic (such as Lexus' Atomic silver) have literally dominated the vehicle paint-color palettes. But, recently (I'd say within the last year or two), a new shade seems to have become a craze.....the non-metallic "Cement" look, which is a dull-looking (but not matte) light grey, or sometimes light bluish-gray, like on the Ford Bronco and Bronco Sport, that imitates the look and color of drying cement/concrete. I admit is an interesting look, but I don't quite understand the fad it has become.......and the rush by automakers to adopt it in their color-palattes. I see more and more of these cement-color vehicles on the road each day, so apparently the public is voting with their wallets....and the automakers may simply be responding to demand for the color. It is being applied to virtually every type of vehicle today.....sedans, coupes, crossovers, trucks, and truck-based SUVs....so apparently it is not just one class of vehicle-buyer, but virtually all.

Discuss if you have an opinion.

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DRIVING IS BELIEVING

 

[Gor134]

It started with Audi when they launched Nardo Grey almost 10 years ago.

Fairly certain once wrap-shops started making it around 5-6 years ago is when it brought the colour more attention to how it looks on other cars, alongide BMW and Porsche offering it as custom order colours. And then like you said in the last 2-3 years the variations of that Nardo Gray-esque colour just took off with almost every brand offering a similar colour.

 

[mikeavelli]

Was such a cool color when Audi made it popular about ten years ago. Mostly on RS and S cars. It became lame when every boring cuv and car started to do it.

Literally saw this Optima park next to my friends S8 today cause I guess he thinks it’s an Audi lol

On 4x4s it’s cool. On the 500 LE it’s cool. On an AMG it’s cool. On a HR-V it’s puke 🤮

My thoughts lol

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0eJFrms4nosZVUfb1437QEmMueXGundaUXPbKhM9FyRUSsrGuBmk9mbUfBobHB3EUl&id=100005078766867

 

[Och]

I think Chrysler does this color best, particularly looks great on the GC.

 

[Gor134]

My thoughts lol

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0eJFrms4nosZVUfb1437QEmMueXGundaUXPbKhM9FyRUSsrGuBmk9mbUfBobHB3EUl&id=100005078766867

View attachment 6364

Unrelated but that generation S8 is so good. I do prefer the prefacelift but the facelift is solid too. Audi dropped the ball so hard on the dull D5 successor.

 

[mikeavelli]

Unrelated but that generation S8 is so good. I do prefer the prefacelift but the facelift is solid too. Audi dropped the ball so hard on the dull D5 successor.

Looks cool on a Durango SRT or Hellcat…

I saw this a couple days ago I didn’t even know what the hell it was. Another lame CUV in nardo

 

[Tragic Bronson]

I believe "Cement" was first to market for Toyota on the 2011 tC...I think they felt it got played out once the newer Tacomas got the color, as they have rotated other interesting ones in and out of the color palette like Voodoo Blue, Army Green and Lunar Rock, etc.

 

[IS-SV]

Mocha coffee color caught my eye recently on a Taycan. .

 

[mmcartalk]

It started with Audi when they launched Nardo Grey almost 10 years ago.

Fairly certain once wrap-shops started making it around 5-6 years ago is when it brought the colour more attention to how it looks on other cars, alongide BMW and Porsche offering it as custom order colours. And then like you said in the last 2-3 years the variations of that Nardo Gray-esque colour just took off with almost every brand offering a similar colour.

Like Tragic Johnson, I first saw that color on the 2Gen Scion tC, but I'm sure that some others offered it back then, too.

 

[mmcartalk]

Looks cool on a Durango SRT or Hellcat…

I saw this a couple days ago I didn’t even know what the hell it was. Another lame CUV in nardo

View attachment 6365

Yeah, that's an interesting one...I couldn't figure it out, either. It's not a Tiguan, and it's not an Atlas.

 

[Sulu]

Yeah, that's an interesting one...I couldn't figure it out, either. It's not a Tiguan, and it's not an Atlas.

I believe that it is the VW Taos.

 

[mmcartalk]

I believe that it is the VW Taos.
View attachment 6368

Ah, Thanks, Sulu. I had forgotten about the new Taos. Age is starting to catch up with me, I guess.

I saw this a couple days ago I didn’t even know what the hell it was. Another lame CUV in nardo

Well, Mike............there's your answer.

 

[NXracer]

When ones identity is tied with the color of vehicle they drive they choose a color very few can get to make them appear a certain type of way "look at Marshall and his cement Gray Taco means he chooses to go against the grain"....
-I assume every single product meeting that invited their Market PR staff.

Fast forward a decade, when the cement gray color fad experiences a lull and that same person is going around with a faded primer color taco.

 

[mmcartalk]

When ones identity is tied with the color of vehicle they drive they choose a color very few can get to make them appear a certain type of way "look at Marshall and his cement Gray Taco means he chooses to go against the grain"....
-I assume every single product meeting that invited their Market PR staff.

Fast forward a decade, when the cement gray color fad experiences a lull and that same person is going around with a faded primer color taco.

^^^^^ That mustard/yellowish-brown color in the cartoon was actually available on some cars I can remember, primarily the Honda Civic and Ford Focus.

 

[mikeavelli]

Looks good on the RS6 the other two can burn to the ground.

 

[mmcartalk]

Looks good on the RS6 the other two can burn to the ground.

Don't say that, Mike. Enough vehicles today ARE burning to the ground.

 

[Levi]

It is called fashion. Special cars get special/unique colors. Then marketing team sells "special" daily garbage can for extra, so that they can themselves afford to drive special cars instead of boredom.

 

[faustjonson2]

On this color, dirt is not visible, as well as on silver.
I had a car in black, it's terribly very quickly you can see the dirt and dust.

Right now in turquoise - beauty

 

[mikeavelli]

Note the chalk Cayenne Turbo behind it

 

[Gor134]

Note the chalk? Man, I'm noting that damn 535is!!!!! 🥵 What a historic piece of machinery!