Many cost extra, but these optional paint colors are full-on in the flair department.
According to research by PPG, grayscale shades from white to black comprised 76 percent of paint colors on vehicles sold in the United States in 2020. The next most popular color, blue, checked in at 9 percent of market share. Gone are the days when the roads were packed with cars colored like Skittles. But there are a few manufacturers that still like a little pizzazz on their showroom floor (or website). If you just want to be you and stand out from the crowd, here are some of the quirkiest and most outlandish paint colors available today. Intumescent Paint Fire Rating
While the dynamics of the new Acura TLX Type S are worth writing home about on their own, the Tiger Eye Pearl paint sure does add a little something special to the more driver-focused Type S, a trim returning to the States for the first time since 2008. As an exclusive option for the highest-performance-variant TLX, this gold color is sure to cause at least some gawking while jaunting down the road.
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If you’re in the market for a compact sports sedan cosplaying an SUV, look no further than the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio. In the event the sound of Alfa's twin-turbo V-6 isn’t enough to pique the curiosity of passersby, wrapping your Stelvio Quad in the optional Ocra GT Tri-Coat paint surely ought to. (We cannot, however, confirm whether that attention will be good or bad.)
MORE ABOUT THE STELVIO QUADRIFOGLIO
There are a number of ways to tackle configuring the aesthetics of your new British luxury vehicle. You may choose the subdued white over tan or a stronger black-on-black look if you’re a more typical buyer. For the unconventional types, Aston Martin offers a wide selection of bold paint schemes, including Lime Essence. While you may think a hue so vibrant would be reserved for their sports coupes, the option is available across the entire lineup, including on the DBX, Aston’s new SUV. The buyer even has the choice of either a glossy or satin finish in this particular shade of green.
Like we said, there's an awful lot of orange going around these days. The Audi Q8's version is dubbed Dragon Orange Metallic, and it is worth mentioning because, well, the Q8 is an awful lot of SUV to be painted orange.
Audi has had some distinct colors in the past, and it doesn’t seem to be shying away from that past. Look no further than the new RS3. Available in stunning Kyalami Green, the RS3 continues the Audi tradition of always staying in the limelight. Sadly, the five-door variant isn’t available here in the U.S., but we hope buyers elsewhere will enjoy it as much as we would like to.
In the past, when it came to high-end luxury cars like Rolls-Royce, Duesenberg, and Isotta Fraschini, buyers seemed to primarily enjoy the black, white, and off-white colorways more than the rest. Nowadays, it seems the super-luxury car market is a hotbed for brighter and more expressive uses of their metal canvases. This is especially true for Bentley, as their Continental GT and Flying Spur are available in this light-blue Jetstream II Metallic paint—a soothing color to accent the luxury style while remaining bright enough to announce your arrival at the country club with ease.
MORE ABOUT THE CONTINENTAL GT
BMW understands what compact sports sedan and coupe buyers are looking for—at least when it comes to color. With an in-your-face front-end design, it’s no wonder that the new-generation compact M cars are available in this eye-catching Sao Paulo Yellow. Here it is on the M4. This way, as the meme goes, even if the turn signals aren’t used as often as they ought to be, rest assured the car is seen by everyone in close proximity.
The eighth-generation Corvette continues to evolve Chevy's formula for its sports car. First, it was the switch to a mid-engine layout. For 2024, Chevy adds a gas-electric hybrid powertrain to its flagship two-seater, dubbing it the E-Ray. Accompanying this new powertrain offering is a new color bearing the name Cacti Green. It's a hue that's somehow simultaneously subtle and head-turning, and it's the color we'd pick if we were putting money down on an E-Ray.
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We can't say we expected a color for the Honda Pilot to make this list, either. But what can we say? We're suckers for a nice shade of blue. Limited to the off-road-oriented TrailSport trim, Diffused Sky Pearl is easy on the eyes and gives the Pilot a certain flare that's simply missing from many of its three-row competitors.
It's no secret we like the latest Honda Civic Si's Blazing Orange Pearl paint. Heck, we even equipped our long-term 2022 Civic Si in the hue. And all the time we've spent with our Civic Si has only increased our love for this color that manages to match the sporty, but not over the top, vibes of Honda's compact sports sedan.
MORE ABOUT THE CIVIC SI
The Jeep Gladiator may not be the best mid-size pickup out there, but like its Wrangler SUV brethren, it's still a fun tool for catching some sun and taking the trail less traveled. Jeep offers its pickup in a variety of colors, but its High Velocity that really makes a statement. High Velocity is a blinding neon yellow that makes any nearby color look comparatively dull. It's not a color for the subtle among us. Then again, there's little that subtle about the open-top Gladiator anyway.
Like the Countach, Diablo, Murciélago, and Aventador before it, the new 2024 Lamborghini Revuelto wears body panels designed to turn heads. The Italian brand allows buyers of this hybrid supercar to complement its low-slung design with a seemingly infinite number of polarizing paint colors, including Blu Glauco. This piercing blue-green hue is both brash and beautiful. Blu Glauco might not be right for everyone, but it looks so right on the Revuelto.
Have you ever seen a vintage Porsche and thought its color would be an excellent match to a current model? Good news. That’s absolutely possible thanks to Porsche’s Paint to Sample program. For a five-figure dollar amount, you can pick through the catalog of old colors and apply any of them to your new Porsche. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, they’ll make a color custom for you, though be ready to shell out twice as much cash.
Generally speaking, Porsche’s vehicles tend to stand out anyway. Whether it’s because of the exhaust, strong styling, or the murmurs of folks expressing their distaste for the pretentious, a Porsche is bound to be noticed. You’ll have to trade the engine note for an electric whir, but the Taycan keeps the attention of a crowd just as well as most other Porsche models. With a car wrapped in this gorgeous Frozen Berry Metallic purple, you can easily make up for the lack of audible announcement with the added visual flair the color brings.
If you have close to half a million to spend on an ultra-luxury electric vehicle, then you won't be disappointed with the 2024 Rolls-Royce Spectre, which treats its passengers like British royalty. This two-door model offers various exterior paint color options, including two-tone ones. Though deciding which Spectre hue is the most head-turning was tough, we ultimately had to give our nod to Twilight Purple stood out as number one. After all, purple is the color of royalty.
Jacob Kurowicki’s love affair with cars doesn’t end at track weapons and posh land yachts, but rather extends to the dopey and eccentric. Pining for a Pontiac Sunfire GT as a child was the first indicator, but an ongoing desire for a Lamborghini LM-002 is the kicker. He luckily found a home in the Car and Driver testing team that allows him to further develop his love for the automotive world and the oddities that come with it.
Alessandra Kaestner, a Chicago native, has always been interested in journalism. She remembers listening to NPR every day before school with her parents and trying to race her dad to get the New York Times from the front door. Alessandra continued her passion for journalism by working at her university’s newspaper during her first year and into her sophomore year: the Cornell Daily Sun. She is majoring in psychology and philosophy and wants to explore law and journalism. Although she does not have a lot of background in the world of cars, Alessandra is interested in expanding her knowledge and gaining experience. She could not be more excited to work with so many talented people at Car and Driver.
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