BMW has announced two new color options coming to the 3 Series sedan, 2 Series coupe, and M2: Frozen Pure Grey Metallic and Frozen Portimao Blue Metallic. The colors will be available to order from July 2023 and will be the first 'frozen' colors available on these generations of BMW models. The 'frozen' paint options first appeared over 10 years ago with the Frozen Gray and Frozen Black E92 M3 and have since grown to include many BMW and even some Mini models.

These paint options join a slew of other updates BMW is planning as we head into the summer, with the biggest being the introduction of some new electric 7 Series variants and the expansion of iDrive 8.5 to many of the brand's flagship models. The introduction of more frozen paint options is sure to be a popular decision by the company, but it also allows us to delve into how exactly these options differ from the regular ones.

In case you weren't aware of how this paint came to be, what makes it so special, and how taking care of it is very different from taking care of normal paint, BMW's body and paint technical training manager, Walter Malec, once explained that, as opposed to gloss paint whose quality is measured in how much light it reflects, Frozen paint excels in absorbing the light thanks to the additives in the clear coat.

This is why it's perceived as a sort of mix between a matte and a satin finish and is so highly sought after.

How To Wash Frozen Paint

The paint does have a reputation for being difficult, though. While it holds up to the same paint standards as a regular gloss paint job, the care is much more involved and necessitates increased care from the owner. You have to remember if a panel sees any prominent scratch or damage, there is no "touching it up," that panel will most likely need repainting at some point, and not all repair shops are capable of doing so properly.

First, you cannot use polish or wax on the vehicle; doing so will eliminate the paint's light-absorbing ability and forever make it appear shiny, destroying its aesthetic appeal. The next thing you need to know is you must hand wash the vehicle because any sort of brush with a swirling motion will immediately degrade the finish much more than with gloss paint.

The next step is two-fold, with the first aspect being that when the vehicle is clean, you must make sure it is sealed with a proper Matte sealant to create a durable layer that will protect against imperfections like bird poop or road gunk, and the second is that you need to get rid of these ASAP if you see them on your vehicle.

It's not a super long list, one that several vehicle owners with ordinary paint may already do, but many owners don't see this as worth it, which is why the paint is so rare. If you have the time and the means to take care of it, though, you'll own a BMW that's truly a step above the rest, and shares paint with some of the coolest BMWs ever made.