Automotive Noir: Your Guide To Murdered-Out Cars

Black paint is usually one of two cost-free color options on any car. You can have a car in black or white, and everything else is usually extra.

On more high-end vehicles, a more sophisticated black paint is usually available. Infiniti does a beautiful purple and black blend calledBlack Opal Metallic.

The design options are limitless once you get to the costly stuff like Rolls-Royces and Bentleys. Both manufacturers have entire paint sections dedicated to that murdered-out look.

Unfortunately, the ultimate black is not available to consumers yet.BMW introduced Vantablack VBX2in 2019, a nanostructure paint finish developed by the aerospace industry that absorbs nearly all visible light.

Vantablack will be the ultimate must-have feature for any decent murdered car, as it absorbs 99.965% of light. Couple it with some black alloys and windows, and you have one of the best murdered-out vehicles on the road. The complete blacked-out theme was too much for Munich to put on the Bimmer, so it added chrome to the front and window surrounds.

Soon, you might even be able to have a murdered-out black car on demand or a white car with contrasting dark wheels when you don't feel like it. BMW is behind this new color-changing technology and has found a smart way to make itavailable to customers.

Black or dark-colored alloys have been around for ages but were usually an aftermarket accessory. Around 2010-ish, more automakers noted the growing trend and started offering black alloys as an option straight from the factory. Eventually, black became the default color on performance car wheels because it helps a car look sleeker and more sinister.

Black cars with black wheels are an acquired taste, however. Usually, black alloys are coupled with a vivid color to create contrast.

It's also a cheap but highly effective way to create visually stunning SUVs and trucks. Design in these two segments is limited by functionality, but you can add a bit of visual flair by opting for a set of murdered-out rims.

There are cheap and expensive ways of getting black rims. It all depends on how much money you have. A can of black wheel paint is roughly $30.

The ultimate dark wheel is exposed carbon fiber, but you'll need a lot of money. Ford charges around $7,000 per front wheel and $5,000 per rear wheel if you want carbon fiber rims on a Shelby GT500. And that's relatively affordable.

The newMustang Dark Horseis also available with carbon fiber wheels, which save 10 pounds of weight per corner. This reduces theunsprung weight, which has many benefits for performance cars.

While accessory companies are happy to sell several blacked-out items, it's worth noting that some of these modifications might get you in trouble. Theregulations vary by state, and while one state might not have a problem with darkened taillights, several other states do. Most states don't liketinted windows、头灯和尾灯上修改。The rest is fine.

A murdered-out ride also tends to draw attention from the cops, so you constantly have to drive around and worry about it.

California has the strictest laws, but it's worthwhile investigating the restrictions of the state you live in. And then you have to live with the fact that murdered-out SUVs draw a lot of attention, especially at night. You may be a suburban soccer parent on the way to a country music festival, but to the cops, you look like you're flogging Molly from the trunk.

As mentioned earlier, it's worth asking the cops about headlight restrictions and any other possible restrictions in your state. That's the first hurdle you must cross to get a murdered-out truck, SUV, sedan, or sports car.

The second thing to keep in mind is cost. It shouldn't cost much money if you have amazing DIY skills and already own a black car. However, you will likely need to find specialists to do the badges, emblems, lights, and windows.

If you don't own a black car, budget around $10,000 for a top-tier paint job. We wouldn't spend less money because black is an extremely tricky color to get right. Budget another $2,000 for a set of striking black alloys.

Also, remember that a black car is difficult to wash and even harder to keep clean. An excellent place to start is to read our in-depth look atdetailing a vehicle at home. You must wash it with the right tools, or it will pick up microscopic scratches and swirls. Black paint is much tougher to perfect and, therefore, more expensive to rectify, and the same goes for black wheels. Insurance companies willlikely charge a higher premium.

And while it may seem like a good idea now, you must think a few years in advance. You might love blacked-out cars now, but will you feel the same way four years from now? You might even want to sell the vehicle in a few years, and then you'll have to wait to cross paths with another murder aficionado.