2019 Lotus Touch Up Paint (1 OEM Colors)

The 2019 Lotus Vibe

By 2019, the rest of the world was busy making cars that looked like computer-generated appliances, but Lotus was still hand-assembling pieces of art like the Evora GT and the final runs of the Elise. While the average commuter was blending into a sea of "Nardo Gray" and "Rental-Car Silver," the only color that truly mattered for a car this focused was Chrome Orange Tricoat. It wasn't just a color; it was a loud, tri-stage warning to everyone else on the track that you weren't there to play nice.

Paint Health Check

Welcome to the Thin Paint Era. In 2019, the factory robots were calibrated for "efficiency," which is just a fancy way of saying they didn't want to add a single milligram of extra weight to those composite bodies. The clear coat on these cars is hard, but it's thinner than a dealership's promise. Since these are low-slung, fiberglass-and-carbon-fiber speed machines, the nose is a magnet for road grit. You aren't worried about rust-thank the gods for composites-but you are worried about "robot-thin" clear coats chipping down to the primer at the first sign of a gravel truck. And watch out for "osmosis"-if moisture got trapped under that finish during the curing process, you'll see those tiny, annoying bubbles starting to lift the paint from the shell.

Restoration Tip

If you're touching up a 2019 finish, remember: modern clear coats are brittle. If you try to fill a chip with one big glob, it's going to look like a zit on a supermodel and probably pop off in six months. Build your layers slowly. Apply a thin base, let it flash, and then add your mid-coat and clear in delicate passes. Don't blob it; the goal is to mimic that factory-thin profile so the repair stays flexible enough to move with the composite body panels.