How to protect your weekend track MONSTER

Imagine a weekend at the track with flying rubber, stone chips, debris and tar stains! The nightmare of any driver who is bent on keeping a car pristine! We received an invitation to check out a detailing on BMW’s latest pocket-rocket: a BMW M2 finished in Long Beach Blue! In an era when cars are getting larger, wider, heavier and bulkier, it’s rare to see something small and lightweight.

Stick an M-badge on a BMW and you know what you’re in for and the M2 doesn’t disappoint. With a form factor that’s incredibly small but with a 6-cylinder engine that’s shoehorned underneath which boasts 370hp! It’s a classic sports car formula: compact, light and powerful! Pushing out 465nm of torque through it’s 19-inch wheels propels this pint sized rocket to 100km/h in 4 seconds!

The BMW’s party trick colour, Long Beach Blue is a stunner! The AutoDetailer Studio team once again invited us over to watch them detail yet another milestone car from the Bavarians. AutoDetailer Studio’s Technical Director Darren Chang was keen to point out that to get out on a track, it would be ideal to use a suitable protection film if using a car out on a track. “A track is a harsh environment for any car and with so much flying debris it is essential a paint protection film is used to get the best protection,” he said. This M2 was coming in for AutoDetailer Studio’s premium Signature Detailing Program that pretty much leaves no screw nor crevice unturned.

Seeing Blue

Prepping Perfection

The detailing team was on standby to get the M2’s paintwork readied to a mirror finish before any film installation was done. “We need the paint to be perfect before we get the protective film on,” Chang said. One of the chief technicians was around to check the thickness of the paint before the work started. “We want to know the characteristics of the paint on each car so we can optimise the results from detailing,” he said.

The crew had an array of different tools on standby to begin the surface correction. Their recent partnership with RUPES, a renowned power tool maker in Italy was born from Chang’s decision to always use the best on the market. “We’re committed to crafting the best for our customers and this was a technological choice that will benefit everyone,” he said. The surface correction is a multi-stage process that utilises different tools on different surfaces to enable optimal results. “There is no single tool to do an entire vehicle, so that’s why we keep a variety of tools of different sizes and different mediums to accomplish a perfect finish, he added.

The 19inch wheels were also steam cleaned, decontaminated and fully detailed. Wheels work in a very harsh environment with water, debris and brake dust. “We’re using a wheel coating system from SONAX™ to ensure no brake dust build-up and to make it easy to remove by just a weekly wash,” Chang said. The detailing on the wheels brought back the sensuous lustre and the coating leaves a hydrophobic barrier to ensure the wheels repel all dirt and debris. “This is a long-term solution that makes good sense because untreated, brake dust can stain your wheels,” he said.

Bringing The Lux Back To Leather

Leather offers one of nature’s best materials. Comfortable, lasting and luxurious, leather still needs maintenance for long term longevity. “Leather needs to be decontaminated and has to be moisturised to retain its suppleness and strength,” Chang said. Even if the leather appears to be ‘clean’, it often absorbs contaminants from the environment and occupants. “Our high-pressure steam cleaning for leather upholstery is a special treatment that won’t harm the leather unlike a normal hot steam cleaner, he added.

Using the Signature Detailing Program, this M2 will be treated to a 5-Stage Leather Feed System that provides a very deep cleansing, moisturising and rejuvenation. “This process cannot be rushed as this requires a fair bit of time for optimal results,” Chang said. Being a natural material, it needs to be infused gradually to ensure sustained results. The team also worked on the plastics, dashboard, dooryards and carpets to ensure it is restored to a factory finish. “We work as far as possible to retain originally in terms of appearance,” Chang said.

The exterior coachwork including suspension components, brake callipers, rotors, springs and arms. “We also got one of our polishing specialist to work on the exhaust tips to give it that more bling,” Chang said. The brake callipers finished in a deep blue were also given a full detailing along with the rotors to make them stand out! The engine was also fully decontaminated and high-pressure steam cleaned and subsequently detailed by the team to give the engine bay a perfect finish.  

Custom-Tailored Protection

The final stage of the process was getting ClearGuard™ Nano SR paint protection film on the M2. “This will keep any stone chips and debris away from the paintwork while maintaining amazing clarity and gloss,” Chang said. Unlike other film systems, the AutoDetailer Studio team utilises a hand measured films that are cut from a large sheet to ensure perfect coverage of each panel. “We will hand-tailor our films to ensure a perfect fit and to maximise protection,” he said. The process is painstaking as it involves the removal and disassembly of many minute components to ensure a perfect fit with no gaps or seams. “We ensure these components are fitted back according to manufacturer’s specifications,” he added.

ClearGuard™ Nano SR is currently a market leading product that’s in a class of its own due to high clarity, virtually no distortion, high gloss, anti-stain formulation and super high strength. It’s also the thickest automotive protection film coming in at 218-microns. “This is the best choice for anyone that really wants to showcase their paintwork and have a durable protective barrier on the car. It’s permanent and should last the lifetime of the car,” Chang said.

All Set For The Track

The BMW M2 emerged with an incredibly deep sheen that was short of a better word; mind-blowing. It has a gloss factor that will seriously get anyone drooling! So yeah, this Bavarian rocket not only looks good; it’s definitely ready for that dirty weekend ahead!

AutoDetailer Studio

35-A LG2, Block J, Jaya One, No. 72A Jalan Universiti, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

GPS: 3.117805,101.635680

AutoDetailer Studio’s website is www.autodetailer.co and they also have a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/autodetailerstudio/