Curious to see your thoughts on Ultimate Black for those that have it.

-Scratches/Swirls?
-Baking hot during the summer?
-Does it hide dust and road grime easily?
-Anything else that might be noteworthy

 

Better than Ebony
Yes
Better than Ebony
Still looks best in Black!

 

I've had black cars before. Never again. They are beautiful when clean and polished. But they require a ton of work to keep them looking that way.

 

+1.

Absolutely STUNNING when clean and polished / waxed. Far too much work to keep them looking freshly polished / waxed!

 

Out of curiosity, do you think XPEL would help preserve the finish with less hassle?

 

When I was researching, I had a great deal of trouble picking a color. The F just looks good in every single one, a very rare trait. Finally, I chose an all black 2016 R Coupe. Ultimate Black exterior with black pack, 20" blades and black calipers, jet on jet interior. I was a bit nervous as my wife has an ebony 650 which looks great clean but not so much after a few miles. Nevertheless, I took the plunge figuring the Ultimate Black would help hide some of the dirt. I also put on a full xPel wrap straight from the dealer.

All I can say is WOW! I may be biased, but the car is amazing. You really can't see any dirt or dust unless right on top of the car. After 2 months, I spent 45 minutes hosing and wiping and it looks immaculate. Brake dust is barely visible and the UB just pops in sunlight (when we occasionally get some). There is something about a sports car in black that makes me drool so I could not resist and have no regrets.

 

Yes. I certainly do.

XPel on any color helps with ease of cleaning, and requires much less polishing and waxing.

 

There was a fairly long thread on this a while back...maybe search the top level.

Anyway, I have Ultimate Black and it's pretty much dirty no matter what. Clean it -- it's incredible. Drive it and pull back in and it's accumulated a lot of dust and it shows...sigh...

 

When it came time to order my 2015 R, my final decision was down to Ebony or Ultimate Black. I asked a lot of different people their opinion, including posters on this site.

I vascillated back and forth for days... eventually, the GM at my dealership met me at the lot one Sunday morning, had his porters freshly wash two cars, then parked both an Ebony and Ultimate Black Coupe - one directly in front of the other - in the middle of an open area on the lot so I could walk all the way around both and compare from all angles. It was a bright sunlit day.

My decision was instantaneous. From 20 or more ft., the Ebony car looked classically pure and the paint showed incredible depth. The Ultimate paint appeared hazy in comparison, as if it had a layer of dust even though it did not. Within 10 ft, the sparkle from the metallic flake in the Ultimate Black made the paint far too Hollywood glam or Vegas glitter for my taste.

I ordered Ebony, and have no regrets whatsoever. Absolutely love the look, and it stops people dead in their tracks for a good long stare.
Those that claim nothing beats a pure Black paint when clean are absolutely correct.
Others that complain about keeping a black car clean aren't trying.

My car gets hand washed every Friday morning at 9am. The wash is done by my detailer, who handles the car himself. Once a month he expands the wash to a mini detail, addressing any spots or blems, applying a sealer if needed and dressing the interior. Once a quarter the wash becomes a full detail. Once every 6 months the full detail includes paint correction, removal of any sap, pollen or paint overspray that may have drifted onto the surface, plus he polishes out any swirls or hairline scratches he can find under the bright lights in his shop.

The man's passion for his craft shows every week. Between washes I use a detail spray for a few days so long as the car remains clean. Depending on where and how much I've driven, once a layer of dust is apparent, the detail spray is put away. Because I my work is in an area surrounded by industrial manufacturers of many types, I regularly cover the cat when parked at the office.

Given the rarity of inclement weather here in Southern California, when it does rain, I shrug my shoulders and wait for Friday to roll around! It's never far away...

 

As with other metallics, scratches/swirls are less noticeable with Ultimate Black. As it's on the more aggressive side (enhanced glimmer and sparkle due to larger/multi-colored flakes), it does a very decent job of hiding scratches. Summer sun? Black bakes, but I sense you already know that down in the OC. Park indoors if you can. Hiding dust? Not as great as a lighter color (white/silver), but Ultimate tries hard to hide the dust. Road grime? It shows dirt, but what color doesn't? Just a matter of degree.

Couple other thoughts. I have only black cars and don't mind getting out the polisher to correct cobwebbing, scratches, etc. If you're up for that, Ultimate won't let you down. I gave the lighter colors a real chance before settling on Ultimate since I wanted to best represent the F-Type's styling features as a lighter color would do; but, I knew that I would eventually regret not getting black. Also, IronMike's impressions of Ebony as the classic black is spot on. Nothing like it. The only reason I don't go with a non-metallic black on a street-driven car is because the scratches are easier to spot and require more frequent corrective action.

Ever owned a black car?

 

+1

I've owned both colors in the past and I prefer Ebony hands-down. IronMike and I had a long conversation about colors when he was trying to decide

Although Ultimate Black was a nice color, I was just never happy with how it looked. I much prefer the deep, mirror gloss of Ebony as opposed to the muted reflections in a metallic color.

 

I prefer Ebony over Ultimate but it took me forever to find an Ebony car because it seems the only 'Black' the dealerships order is Ultimate Black. The thing I disliked about Ultimate is that it never really looks 'clean' IMO, even when it is. Granted it hides the dirt better, but never seemed to have that deep, rich black that a clean flat black can give you. To me, detailing my car is my weekly therapy so owning a black car in past has been a labor of love. I decided and ordered Ebony, but then ended up buying a 2014 demo in BRG at another dealership. In short - I think the car looks better in Ebony when it's clean and looks better in Ultimate when it's mildly dirty. Which will bother you more, only you can say.

 

I have the Ultimate in an XKR. I did a side by side detail one day with a buddy who has a jet black Porsche 911. We did the side by side deal too.

Funny enough he liked the metallic hue running through the XKR and I preferred his jet black.

So I think it is all a matter of opinion. As far as maintenance, a black car is going to require a lot...no matter if it is flat, metallic, shiny, jet, ebony. But in the end a black car always looks the best when properly cared for.

Good luck and the great news is that you can't go wrong with either choice.