BMW Paint Question

[Deep18]

Good afternoon everyone. For those of you with experience with newer BMW white and silver paint, what do you find works the best for pads and polishes. Assuming just light to medium defects, nothing abusive, what are you reaching for that corrects and finishes the best on this paint?

Thanks for the knowledge, pics always welcome.

[rlmccarty2000]

I’ve got a 2011 BMW 335d in Alpine White and the paint is very hard. I used Meguires microfiber cutting pads and d300 for compounding and Rupes yellow pads and the corresponding yellow polish to finish. Don’t even try to use a mild polish to do anything on your paint. Another combo that I like is Menzerma 400 followed by 3500 on the same pads.

[jdgamble]

Similar experience here. 2017 M240i in Mineral White. I have to go pretty hard with BOSS Fast Correcting Cream on an orange pad to make a dent in swirls. Even that doesn't do much on some of the hard to reach areas (trunk has been killing me... using 3" pads with FCC is not getting it done). At least it's white, so swirls don't really jump out at you.

[minirips2]

I'll echo what the previous members have stated. 2010 128i, and that Crimson red paint is as hard as a rock. Unfortunately, it chips easily from road projectiles. Oddly, it swirls pretty easily, also. Go figure. I had good results from the Rupes pads and compounds, although the blue pads Didn't hold up well for me. The yellow pads are "The Jam", though! If you're doing a multiple step process, consider a MF or Uro Wool B&S pad for your first cut. What machine, if any, are you using?

[DTruck]

Same...
Megs 105 and orange pad was the only thing that would make a dent in the swirls on my E60.

[JCDetails]

Hard paint, most likely ceramicclear if late model. Look to stuff like Rupes UHS, Jescar compound, ClearCut and MF pads to really get any work done.

[SWETM]

The problem comes when you say medium defects. BMW has as everyone has stated a very hard clearcoats and defently if it's a ceramic clearcoat paint. The Rupes UHS system is made for just this. I don't have any experience with it but would consider to test out since it's a one step system for hard clearcoats and ceramic paints. If you where to use ordinary compound and polish. I would look into to use Sonax or Menzerna they have the abrasive technology that handles ceramic paints. Sonax is 3 different products that is Cutmax and Cut&Finish and EX04-06. And team them out with a cutting pad like a mf pad and a medium cut polishing pad and a finishing foam pad. Rupes or Griots Garage BOSS or Lake Country or Buff&Shine has some awesome pads. If you have a 8mm free spinning DA you are going to need a more aggressive pads and abrasives than if you have a direct-drivenDA or a longthrow polisher. So the test spot is important to dial in the right combo for you. It can be rather expensive to get all of the possible combos since you need 5-8 cutting and polishing pads each. This is if you need to 2 step to get you satisfied with the results. If 1 step is what you aim at and the expectations to not get the most deapest defects out. Sonax Cut&Finish and a medium cut polishing pad or Menzerna FG400 on a polishing pad like Rupes yellow pad or Rupes UHS system. Is some combo that will leave you a LSP ready finish and accept the cut it gets you. It's prefered to have more alternatives when dial in the right combo for your paint. So it's up to you to decide about which way suits you.

/Tony