Phantom black or Brilliant Black Audi A6 s line

[mrloxley]

Hi

Need some help on choosing between the two? (Black has always been my favourite color) Wanted advice on whether there is a quality difference?

Thanks.

[Guest 2]

Phantom Black is pearl effect and Brilliant Black is metallic.


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[EssexGonzo]

I can attest that Phantom Black is a cracking base upon which to accumulate dirt over a few months.

And that after 6 years, when it does get a clean it sparkles nicely without the need for polish.

[ScottyA6]

Brilliant Black is a no cost paint option and it is a solid colour, not metallic.

I had a Brilliant black ordered but for reasons I won't go into ended up with a havana black instead. With a solid colour you can typically expect to be doing more in the way of paint correction to take out/fill swirls & holograms in the paint put in by cleaning. I would say 3 or 4 polishes (preferably by machine) a year to keep it neat BUT.. I have a collegue at work who has an A3 in Brilliant and that is holding up very nicely, and although he does keep his car clean he isn't going to heroic efforts. He does wash the car himself though, machine washes or the local 'hand' car wash are both murder on your paint !

[razor77]

The A1 I have in brilliant (flat) black and it looks great, but as a meticulous owner you always see the smallest marks. My advice would always be hand/jet wash, and clay bar and wax at least every 1-2 months for that wet look gleam. Then other than chips or bigger hairline scratches, no one but you will really notice the inevitable swirls.

[Passatier3]

Well, when Chris said one was metallic and the other pearl I would have found it difficult to comment but given that subsequently it's been stated that one is a flat black then it's a no brainer.

I've always said that I won't have a black car, not because they don't look good, because they do, but because as Scotty and razor say they show every mark and scratch, which I'm guessing with water based paints they are even more prone to.

Despite my previous statement I have had one black car, an 80 Sport, which looked great and being a metallic/pearl (what is the difference?) didn't look dirty too quickly and slight scratches weren't too evident.

Actually, whatever the colour, I've always gone (as does my wife) for many years for metallic/pearl as it looks better IMO and holds it colour/shine better after a number of years and light scratches in the lacquer are polished out more easily.

[k6rff]

I have a 2week old A6 S line in phantom black. If you put the brilliant and phantom side by side you will see the pearlescent phantom picks out bodywork features far better than a solid colour. My previous TT was in phantom as is my wife's.

Put out the two side by side.

hope that helps.

[ScottyA6]

I gave my Havanna black its first clean yesterday and was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the paint finish and its general condition. My Jag came (new) with about 8 Hours worth of paint correction required in swirls and holograms but the Audi is pretty damn clean. The Jag was in 'Spectrum blue' and that colour suited the car perfectly but it would swirl if you looked at it. Havanna has an almost bronze look to it in the sunlight and with a coat of FK1000p over a dose of Black Hole the flake in it really pops out. Not sure how easy a paint it will be to match if it needs any repairs so extra extra care required.

[Hippogriff]

I've always had Brilliant Black because I'm cheap and I refuse to pay [extra] for paint. If someone chucked it in for free, I'd get a colour that couldn't be mistaken for Brilliant Black, probably.

Anyway, one Audi person once told me that the solid colours were composed of "softer paint", when I asked more about that she told me that the paint was more liable to being scratched due to it being somehow softer than other paint mixes. I didn't do more than raise my eyebrows at that.

It didn't put me off... two Brilliant Black A4s behind me (soon) and one more on the way (soon) and I also never wash the car... ...that's what rain's for (oh, and trips to Audi Service for resolving problems under warranty - which are almost guaranteed).

[Passatier3]

I think the lacquer on the metallics etc. provides a slightly harder finish?