So I finally get the sports car of my dreams - a "new" 2008 BMW M3 Coupe. I love everything about this car, except the mild orange peel finish on the Melbourne Red metallic paint. I've done lots of online research and also looked at lots of other new cars (including other bimmers) and have concluded this problem is far too common. I would love to improve the situation, and figure I have a few choices:

1) Live with it (can't at this point)
2) Go back to the dealer, but even if I can convince them to address it I'm afraid they will screw it up worse
3) Pay some big $$$ to have a custom shop "upgrade" the paint, but this is ridiculously expensive and seems as risky as the dealer
4) Color sand the factory paint, but from everything I've read this is REALLY risky
5) Take a shot myself with a DA polisher and see how much improvement I can get, which is the path I'm currently on

Purchased a PC polisher "kit" from Autogeek with Lake Country pads and XMT "light swirl" formula (nothing too aggressive to start with). Received the package last Friday and started in over the weekend. Worked on the trunk deck a little just to feel things out (nice and flat area with little orange peel). After some practice and some nice results, I moved on to the big hood.

So far, I am very pleased with the results. Lit the car up with some halogen lights and was surprised to see a lot more fine scratches and swirls than expected on a new car. But as I CAREFULLY went through the polishing steps, things really improved. I didn't expect a lot of improvement in the orange peel, so I was pleasantly surprized to see a noticable improvement. Sort of like "blending" it all together a little smoother without completely removing it like color sanding would achieve.

So I'm wondering, how far should I take this process? I am very concerned about the thickness of the clear coat. But if I stick to the very mild polishes, is it pretty safe to work it this way? I made 2 passes on each section of the hood with the XMT light swirl remover before moving on to the finishing products. Any thoughts on how much clear coat is being removed? Where do I stop? I'd rather do too little than too much.