BMW M8

The owner of this M8 wanted two things that usually pull in opposite directions. He wanted the car protected, fully, against the chips and scratches that come with driving something this fast. And he wanted to change the look, from glossy to matte, without the commitment of paint.

There is one product that does both at once, and most shops don't push it because it is harder to install. XPEL Stealth. It is paint protection film, the same self-healing, chip-stopping armor we put on supercars, except it cures to a satin matte finish. So we wrapped the M8 in full-body Stealth PPF. In one step the car went from showroom gloss to a deep, even matte, and got bulletproofed at the same time.

Stone chips, scratches, swirl marks: they hit the film. The factory paint underneath stays flawless and, the day he wants the gloss back, the film comes off and it is all still there.

Matte film is the most unforgiving install there is. Gloss hides small flaws in the light. Matte shows everything: every speck of dust, every edge, every seam sits right there on the surface. So there was no margin. Clean panels, edges tucked into the jambs, a finish that runs unbroken across the whole car. The M8 looks like it was born matte, and it is protected like a track car. The best of both, in one job. XPEL Stealth PPF, installed in West LA.