Some other offenders:

Hank green had a good video about this: https://youtu.be/KchX52bIZSg

I immediately thought "putty ass looking whips".

Is it easier to get these cars resprayed if you get a scrape? I have a car that is black but has a lot of multicoloured flake in the paint, I just know when I get the bumper touched up it will be so obvious.

Totally understand what you're saying but they stopped making that Focus RS in 2018 so, is that still a "new trend" example?

You just happened to pick a car I own (in black) and it's not trending in 2026

It's a long running trend^1^, what can I say? But it's not getting any better.

[1] apparently kickstarted by Audi’s Nardo Grey paint, which debuted on the high-performance RS 7 sports sedan in 2013.

I kinda like it, specially in the focus.

That was a great watch, thank you!

For a tool whose purpose is utility gray makes sense, but car people want to be noticed.

I wonder if AI was used to predict color demand via social media and all it saw was people who were too poor to afford primer and paint in one-go and had to drive around grey…. And it thought that was cool because of the updoots.

There’s a line from Pulp - Common People that I’ve always enjoyed. It was written about the rich, but I think AI often has the detached reality that rich people do:

'Cause everybody hates a tourist.
Especially one who, who thinks it's all such a laugh.
Yeah, and the chip stains and grease will come out in the bath.

Some people have suggested that the opposite is true: that people wanted their cars to look understated rather than flashy reds or oranges or yellows (Lambos, I'm looking at you!).

This grey trend apparently started back in 2013. So, probably not AI.

And, as a side note, I used to drink in The Washington in Sheffield. The guys from Pulp were regulars.

Nardo Gray is a good color, and basically every car's body lines are easily defined in the color. Its pretty hard to find a car that looks bad in Nardo Gray.

It originally was a special order color on the 2013 Audi RS7, and ever since has had various other manufacturers offering similar colors. It's a bit like Grabber Blue, but since it is gray it has a little wider appeal.

Non-metallic paints are easier to get repaired as long as the paint code is matched exactly. Otherwise it can stick out if the paint is slightly off. Also usually needs a wet sand on the clearcoat because the orange peel almost never matches the factory orange peel.

Destroyer grey from dodge was this for a while, though I prefer Chronos Grey from audi.

Renault is going against that at least for some of their new car models. Take the R5, or the new Twingo for example. At least in Austria the default colour that don't cost extra are bright green and yellow.

I actually like that particular shade. It’s the dull gray color that’s a tad darker that’s boring and generic.

IDOTH?

I will die on this hill

Thank you. That would have been a lot easier to figure out too if it was IWDOTH.

I agree. I wanted this shade (well, compared to what is on offer) but not enough to pay more.

Fair comment. I apologise.

I’ve always thought of it as “I’ll die on this hill”.

I love them haha

I'd say BMWs Laguna Seca Blue precedes that, well into the '00s

Were they cunts?

I had a cement gray Scion TC it was the best, never looked too dirty and looked great clean.

i like that people are getting these. they make my dark gray really pop

I don't recall them being so. This was before they were famous though.

Not everyone has to be an Einstein, but making your car the same color as the road is the next level of stupid.

It's taken me this long to find out what these colours are. I wanted to know because they remind me of 1960s & 1970s office furniture, like filing cabinets. And I mean that in a good way. I love these colours!

Putty ass looking wips

Oh I hate this dumb color so much.

It looks like crap on 99% of the cars I've seen it on. Looks like base paint. Looks unfinished

Yes, that's why they have advanced safety features such as brake lights and daytime running lights...

Putty looking ass whips*

My car is dark metallic grey. Not really my favourite, but you basically are limited to any shade of grey on the used car market. I looked it up, and a comparable car in blue would have cost me 5000 more. Not something I shell out just for the colour.