Something not quite right about WRB colour to me
 

Hello all, first off, I try not to post too much as I don't yet own an 86, but I appreciate all of the posts/info/anecdotes you guys have contributed thus far, it's been invaluable to me.

Anyhow, I've more or less been ready to commit to a purchase, and I've been going into various local Subaru dealers during my free time the past few weeks. The colour I've been dead set on for months now is WRB, partially from all of the awesome shots I've seen of it, and I've always liked the vibrance on WRX's and STI's I've seen in the past few years. However, when I finally got to see a WRB limited in person up close at the dealer, I was disappointed to find that it looked….rather flat up close. Like this:

http://www.car-revs-daily.com/file/2...23-400x290.jpg

However, I've seen a few BRZ's that look fantastic on the road, like this:

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/attac...1&d=1345731981

Is it just the lighting? Or is it wax/opticoat/detailing that seems to give the WRB that much more vibrance? The one I saw at the dealer had been sitting there for a while, so was probably dirty, I don't know, but the WRX's I've noticed seemed to have a different quality of vibrance too, however I have seen some WRX's on the road which also seem to have a more muted/flat WRB look to them. Would appreciate any input from WRB owners on tips to get that really vibrant/shiny/dark WRB look, I was a little put off by it at the dealer and I've been leaning more towards SWP ever since.

Don't mean to offend any WRB owners out there, I still want it but I want to know what's up with this paint or am I just crazy and imagining things? :iono:

WRB is plenty shiny if cleaned and maintained properly. Lighting, dust, and general grime all probably contributed to it looking poor at the dealership, but I can assure you, it's not a flat color.

All colors look shitty if they're dirty. Go to another dealer and find a clean one, it's the only way YOU will know if you like WRB or not.

A lot of it does come down to detailing. I can't say whether or not that made the difference in the ones you've seen, but a good detail can change everything.

For example, a regular black car with a good detail can look ridiculous:

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/6932/img3821n.jpg

e: also that second photo in the OP is a bit over-saturated. Photos can always be deceiving.

Definitely agree that photos can be very deceiving, as everyone is going to want to take photos of their cars in the most flattering light. Have the WRB shades changed over the years or have they largely remained the same? Every time I see a clean 2004/2006 WRB STi in person I drool, and I just want the BRZ I buy to more or less match that. If it takes detailing, so be it. I was planning on getting it opti-coated first, would that be an issue? Or should detailing come first, optic oat after?

That BRZ looks clean! If I were to do it all over again I would White/SWP.

+1 on proper detailing... A good color correction+wax will make it look twice as better as it did from the factory. Don't let the dealer clean it up.

I'm not sure if true or not but I thought I read something on the forum here that the paint code for WRB was slightly different for the 14's compared to the 13's, perhaps that's the case?

I didn't want WRB.. I wanted silver.. until I actually saw a WRB in the showroom... I now own a WRB.

It's definitely a case of lighting and cleanliness. My WRB BRZ looks pretty average when it's dirty, but once you wash and shine it, it always turns heads everywhere. Even a light coating of dust makes a huge difference.

Agree 100%

I sometimes look at photos I've taken of it.. and then I'll see my car in the parking lot a few days later like.. "WTF, maybe my camera made it look better."

But when it's clean, in certain sunlight, it shines all different kinds of baby blue, sometimes purple under fluorescent light. I love it when it's clean :D

Either way, it's 100x better than a black car. My black car only looked clean for about 2 hours after washing it.

That second photo has a filter on it, that's why it looks so good. It's not just WRB that looks that way either. Put any pic of a car up against that same pic with some editing work and you will see the same results. I think you need to choose a color you are going to like when it's dull, dirty, normal...and love when it's freshly washed/waxed etc.

Without editing:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-g...o/IMG_3197.JPG

With editing!:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-i...o/IMG_3194.JPG

Not the same shot, but you get the idea. Same day, car, level of clean, camera, settings etc.

WRB is awesome and FAR from dull. In the evening in my drive way I have 4 clear sun reflections that point inside my garage and blinds me every time but idc. This paint is amazing if there is some shade around the paint will change color from light blue to royal blue to dark blue to purple all in a matter of a few square feet. Its amazing, plus its the proper Subaru color.

Love my wrb