New car protection for a BMW i8: XPEL film and Gtechniq coating
This BMW i8 came to our Wiltshire studio from new for our new car protection detail, with XPEL paint protection film and Gtechniq Crystal Serum Black. The i8 is an unusual car to protect: carbon fibre structure, aluminium panels and a shape with very little flat surface on it, which makes the film work slow and the preparation matter more, not less.
Preparation from new
A new car arrives with transport marks and whatever the handover wash left behind, and both film and coatings seal in what is underneath them. The i8 was safely washed and fully decontaminated, wheels removed so they could be cleaned and coated properly, and the paint refined before any protection was applied.
XPEL paint protection film
XPEL film is the only protection that physically stops a stone chip rather than making the paint easier to wash. It is self-healing, so light marks in its surface disappear with heat, and it carries a 10-year warranty against yellowing and peeling. Patterns are computer-cut on site rather than cut on the vehicle, which matters even more on a car shaped like this, with edges wrapped and tucked wherever the panel allows. Coverage options are set out on our BMW paint protection page.
Gtechniq ceramic coating
The remaining paintwork was protected with Crystal Serum Black, the professional-only coating in the Gtechniq range at the time, which is why it is fitted by accredited detailers rather than sold in a bottle. Glass and interior surfaces were treated as well, so the whole car is easier to live with rather than just the paint. Today the equivalent coating is Crystal Serum Ultra, on our ceramic coating page.
BMW new car protection in Wiltshire
We protect new BMWs from our studio in Hilperton, near Trowbridge, for owners across Wiltshire, Bath, Bristol, Swindon and Somerset. The best time to book this work is as soon as you have a delivery date, so the car reaches us before it has been washed at home for the first time.
See more BMW work: M2 Competition new car detail, M3 CS full XPEL PPF and M4 CS machine polish, or browse our new car protection and car detailing packages.