Automotive Addiction bets it all on black (and yellow) to take a tired ex-press car and bring it back to show-stopping condition – with some cool carbon additions to boot!
When it comes to vehicles, provenance is a big deal. A car coming with celebrity names on the log book, a history of celebrated racing success, or even just notoriety from its use in film or TV are all factors that can radically alter a car’s desirability to the right customer. And when a certain Vegas Yellow Audi R8 Performance V10 rolled into Automotive Addiction for a cosmetic refresh, its reputation preceded it.
“We knew straight away that this was one of Audi’s original press cars for the model,” explains Dhyllan, Automotive Addiction’s MD. “The fact that it’s a very early 2019 model means it was one of the first of the latest facelift models to come off the production line, and it’s registration plate gave away its past as a journalist test vehicle.”
In fact, just type the car’s reg into Google, and you can see it in countless magazine articles and Youtube videos online, being tried and tested by some of the most respected motoring journos in the country.
And while some may argue that a press car might be subjected to a harder life than a cherished, privately-owned example, due to the nature of its ownership at manufacturer level, it will have been maintained to impeccable standards. So while it may have seen some more extreme driving than most – a necessity to assess the car’s dynamic abilities – it’s nothing that the car isn’t fully prepared and equipped to handle with the right maintenance.
The R8 had been through a second owner since it left the press fleet, had covered 45,700 miles since new and came complete with paint protection film on the front end to protect it from stone chips. It was then bought by long-time friend and customer of Automotive Addiction, Carl Owen. Carl had his heart set on a Vegas yellow example and, when this one came up for sale, he didn’t want to miss the opportunity to add his name to the log book.
“I’d wanted a Vegas Yellow R8 V10 Performance ever since I saw one in a magazine,” remembers Carl. “The vibrant hue really suits the sharp edged lines of the R8 perfectly and gives off real supercar vibes in my opinion. However, they didn’t make many in that colour, so my choices were limited. So when I saw one come up for sale at an independent dealer, I jumped at the chance!”
Unfortunately, not all car sales outlets are as diligent about car preparation as we are at Automotive Addiction, and, although mechanically sound, the presentation of the car and overall cosmetic condition were underwhelming to say the least.
“It was a disappointment to be honest,” says Carl. “I had my dream car, but there were elements that were letting it down. Luckily, I knew exactly how to fix it, and booked it in with Dhyllan and the team for a thorough rejuvenation and full car PPF.”
When the team got the R8 into the inspection booth it was clear there were areas in need of serious improvement. While the paint protection film that had been fitted in the past had helped reduce the amount of stone chips to the front end, it was clear the application was far from the best, and certainly not up to Automotive Addiction’s standards.
“Having covered the most miles of any 2019-on facelift R8 V10 currently on sale, although mechanically sound, it was obvious the car’s cosmetic condition had taken a bit of a battering. Both the film templates and the way it had been applied were not great, meaning there were gaps around the edges of the panels,” remembers Dhyllan. “Not only could you visibly see the edges – exacerbated by the build-up of dirt that accumulates on the edge of the film – but these exposed areas had suffered damage too, including a few small stone chips and scuffs.”
Upon closer inspection, the PPF had also lost its ability to self-heal with the application of heat. This can happen to paint protection film if it is not maintained properly, as certain abrasive washing or polishing methods can strip the fine self-healing top layer of the film, inhibiting its properties.
As well as the poor PPF job, the paint itself had faded, lacking the vibrant pop that Vegas yellow is known for, while some of the badges were not genuine Audi items.
“This just goes to show that not all PPF jobs are created equal,” laughs Dhyllan. “Just because a car has PPF, it doesn’t always mean its properly protected, or looking its best. Advancements in technology, such as the templates and plotters that cut them, the methods of application, and even the films themselves, all add up. This means, a job that most installers would’ve considered perfectly adequate five years ago, has now been far superseded with today’s products and techniques. So the R8 was the perfect candidate for our rejuvenation process.”
The procedure began with the careful removal of the old PPF. It’s always worth being extra cautious when removing previously applied paint protection film, because, if the job wasn’t completely correctly, had been installed too soon over non-factory paintwork, or the paint underneath is damaged in any way, there is always a chance that the paintwork could come away with the film, leading to a costly respray to fix. Luckily, in the case of Carl’s R8, with the appropriate application of heat and steam to soften the adhesive, the film was removed easily and without issue.
“Once the film is off, we carefully corrected any small chips and scuff that occurred in the exposed areas and set about cleaning any adhesive residue from the panels,” says Dhyllan. “We then started the painstaking preparation process that is required to decontaminate the car before the new film can be applied.”
This is where a large part of the time and cost of professional level PPF application is incurred, as the finished result will only ever be as good as the preparation that has been completed before.
“It takes two people three days to prepare the a car for full-body PPF,” says Dhyllan. “That’s over 60 man hours and includes a meticulous wheels-off, chemical decontamination wash and clay bar to remove all traces of glue, tar, fall out and coatings; a full-car machine paint correction to enhance the clarity of the colour and provide the best surface for the new film to adhere to; before a final pre-PPF wash to ensure all oils and dust from the polishing process are removed before installation.” Click here to find out more
The fitment of the film is carried out in a sealed clean booth, to avoid any airborne contaminants landing on the car and itself takes an installer a further five days to complete a full car PPF install.
“We use top quality, self-healing Suntek and Stek films which are precision cut on a digital plotter to provide a flawless, almost exclusively edgeless finish,” says Dhyllan. “The software we use allows us to tweak the shape of the panels to allow extra material to be folded around the edges where possible for a virtually invisible finish.”
Adding some extra pop to the proceedings was the fitment of Stek carbon-effect PPF on the R8’s body addenda, which was painted in dull matt grey from the factory.
“Carl had seen the Stek carbon PPF on a Porsche Cayman GT4 we had completed and could not believe how realistic it looked,” smiles Dhyllan. “Applied correctly, it looks practically indistinguishable from the real thing, so he wanted us to fit this to add contrast to the R8’s Vegas Yellow paint.”
The carbon-effect PPF was added to the R8’s front splitter, mirrors, window triangles, side pods, upper quarter panels, side skirts and exhaust shrouds and looks simply stunning with a set of genuine pre-facelift V10 Plus wheels in gloss black.
“The rear wing of the R8 comes in carbon-fibre from the factory and, looking at the PPF next to the wing, it’s virtually impossible to tell the difference. It really is that good, yet costs around one tenth of the price of replacing the parts with genuine carbon-fibre alternatives,” says Dhyllan. “Combined with adding some tinted PPF to the headlights and taillights and adding some genuine badges, the finished look of the car is absolutely stunning.”
Revealing the car to Carl when it was finished, he was also suitably impressed with its transformation.
“It was incredible!” Carl recalls. “It looked like a completely different yellow! And you couldn’t even see the PPF at all. I was completely shocked. The car looked brand spanking new and the gloss was amazing.”
It just goes to show what can be achieved by using the right products and the correct techniques by skilled detailers and installers.
With the Vegas Yellow R8 now looking sharper than ever — its iconic paintwork restored to full vibrancy, its lines enhanced by subtle carbon accents, and its body cocooned in virtually invisible protection — Carl’s dream supercar has finally been given the finish it deserves. More than just a cosmetic makeover, Automotive Addiction’s meticulous approach has breathed new life into a car with genuine provenance and character. It’s proof that with the right expertise and attention to detail, even a high-mileage, hard-used ex-press car can be turned into a show-stopping head-turner. From tired to timeless, this R8 is Vegas or bust — and it’s hitting the jackpot.
Contact us today for more information and a fully tailored quotation.
