2024 Lotus Touch Up Paint (1 OEM Colors)

The 2024 Lotus Vibe

Welcome to 2024, the year Lotus decided to have a mid-life crisis and a rebirth all at once. You've got the Emira screaming the final petrol-powered swan song of the old guard, while the Eletre and Emeya are rolling off the line as heavy-hitting electric behemoths. It's a wild time to be a Lotus fan, and the colors reflect that "look at me" energy. We've focused our attention on the absolute survivors of this era, and frankly, the only color that truly captures the Hethel spirit: Chrome Orange Tricoat. It's loud, it's proud, and it's a direct nod to the days when these cars were built in sheds, even if they're now being sprayed in high-tech clean rooms.

Paint Health Check

Now, let's talk reality. We are deep in the Thin Paint Era. Back in my day, you could sand a car three times and still have enough pigment to keep the neighbors jealous. In 2024, the robots in the factory have been tuned for maximum "efficiency." That means they're applying coats so thin you'd think they were trying to save weight on the paint itself-which, knowing Lotus, they probably were. The clear coat is hard and glossy, but it's brittle. On these composite panels, stone chips don't just happen; they migrate. If you're seeing "bubbling" near the door handles or edges where the paint meets the carbon fiber or fiberglass, don't panic-that's just the modern reality of factory enamel trying to stick to a flexible future.

Restoration Tip

When you're dealing with a Tricoat like Chrome Orange, you have to respect the process. These aren't the "slap-it-on" single-stage finishes of the 70s. You've got a base, a midcoat for that pearlescent depth, and a clear. My advice? Build your layers slowly; don't blob it. If you try to fill a chip in one go, you'll end up with a dark spot that looks like a bruised orange. Apply the base thin, wait for the flash, let the midcoat do the heavy lifting for the color match, and then seal it. Because the factory paint is so thin, you're better off with three paper-thin applications than one "thick" fix that'll just pop off the next time you hit 60 mph.