Rolls Royce Phantom sets trend with Glasurit paints made in Münster

Münster/Hof/Geneva. It’s bound to be one of the stars—if not “the” star—of this year’s Geneva International Motor Show. The Rolls Royce Phantom, which Mansory, a leading tuning company, will be presenting at the world’s largest car show, has been painted with BASF Coatings' Glasurit brand mat-effect paints. The Phantom will not just be making its mark in the premium category, but will be setting an overall automotive finish trend. BASF Coatings, one of the world’s leading paint manufacturers, is observing a brand new relationship between cars and their drivers. "Sensual Surfaces" is the buzzword for the new trend. The texture of the car’s surface and its material are taking on special significance, complementing color as a major feature. Surface texture is a key factor for both women and men when it comes to individuality in purchasing a car. In addition to the color of the finish, automotive design is taking on another stimulating dimension, as the Rolls Royce Phantom demonstrates. The silky, smooth appearance of the automotive surface, coated with mat-effect paints, attracts drivers as if by magic. It’s a classy mat look that communicates elegance and understatement.

Mansory commissioned Claus Wohlleben and his team at the Wohlleben paintshop in the Bavarian city of Hof to outfit the Rolls Royce Phantom with a black-mat finish, in fact using black super mat. “We’re setting true standards,” says Claus Wohlleben. The mat-effect paints are two-component clearcoats. The key difference between Glasurit 923-55 Clear mat and standard automotive paint is the addition of a matting effect. It also contains Glasurit 929-93 hardener. “We need to keep in mind that mat-effect paints are special-effect paints. That means that currently the paint is applied by hand, calling for a high level of craftsmanship and careful handling.

The Rolls Royce Phantom, dubbed the “sublimest luxury automobile” by the media, experts, and car aficionados, deserves this meticulous treatment by an absolute application expert. It had left the Rolls Royce plant with a black finish, but without any mat effects. By the way, the OEM paints were also produced by BASF Coatings.

Wohlleben stood in awe of the “yacht on four wheels” when Mansory delivered the Rolls to his business completely dissembled. After all, the car is sublime, even when it’s completely taken apart. At 5.83 meters and 3.2 tonnes, it’s the flagship of the absolute luxury class. “When the car was driven up in a closed flat-bed truck and then presented to us, it was exhilarating, because we knew we were facing a real challenge,” says Wohlleben.

And it was. Wohlleben assigned four members of his team to the Rolls Royce project. He knew that the job would keep them busy for a week. The dissembled add-on parts were separately prepped and painted. The original black glossy finish was lightly sanded. The golden stripe, the Rolls Phantom’s trademark, was removed and surfacer applied to smooth out uneven spots. Then the paint was applied, followed by a layer of clearcoat. After another round of sanding, a layer of clearcoat mat was added. The Rolls’ interior and exterior were painted, including the insides of the doors and the trunk lid. When it came to the mirrors, the radiator grille, and the trim strips, the initial plans had to be tweaked. They received a coat of silver mat instead of black mat. “The combination of silver mat with the black mat finish of the body is absolutely ravishing,” says Wohlleben.

Even the wheels are different than those on the original model. The 22-inch wheels were replaced by 24-inch wheels. The hubcaps were painted in black mat as well. Even the interior now has little in common with the Rolls Royce that was delivered to Wohlleben’s company. “The Rolls was a dream car even before we started modifying it, but now it's truly one of a kind—a dream come true," says Wohlleben. And he’s right, since he's turned the Mansory Rolls into something that can be described only in superlatives. The car's speed matches its sleek appearance, accelerating from 0 to 100 km per hour in 5.9 seconds, and it has a top speed of 240 km per hour. Yet despite its power, the Rolls is supremely serene. It’s a genuine object of beauty that's elegant and full of majestic dignity.

Glasurit Automotive Refinish

Under the Glasurit brand, BASF markets a comprehensive range of automotive refinishing paint systems, focusing on eco-efficient waterborne basecoats and high-solids paints. By using these systems all legal solvent-reduction requirements can be complied with anywhere in the world, and with regard to appearance and durability, the products meet the same quality standards as solvent-borne paints. In this area, the company offers a wide variety of services to support its customers. Glasurit Automotive Refinish is approved by most of the leading car manufacturers for aftermarket repair worldwide and chosen by them for its color expertise. Internet: www.glasurit.com

Information for editors:

Mansory and Glasurit extend a warm welcome to the Mansory booth at the Geneva International Motor Show from March 6 and 7 (both press-days) and then to March 18, 2007. You can find Mansory and the Rolls at booth 5030.

P-Coat-0503