[ALC]

As I edge ever closer to buying my Ampera, I run through the options (thankfully few), make my choice of model (Electron) and then I get stuck on colour choice.... Having worked in the Automotive Industry for 20 years I know that colour choice matters. The difference between a 'top' selling colour and a duff one can be several hundred pounds at trade-in 3 years down the line. But then, the car also looks so great in some colours and only 'so-so' in others...

I remember reading an earlier thread in EV chat about which colours get noticed, (silver was obvious, but black was 'invisible'). Yes - the car looks stunning in white, because it accentuates the boomerang lights at the front. But is that reason enough? I'm not taken by black, the metallic grey or the silver (the Ampera is defiantly NOT an Audi - and 50% of cars up and down most streets are a shade of silver anyway) - so that leaves blue or red. The red is more expensive (tri- coat metallic) so what about the blue...?

Choose Power blue in the Ampera website and the car comes up in an attractive Prussian blue - nothing like the blue Amperas I've seen (twice), or that I can find as pics after Googling 'Blue Ampera'. Similarly the Red on the site is more a flame red / bright shade shade on my laptop than the cherry red example I've seen (Oxford Park and Ride - plugged in and re-charging happily).

And then with my sensible head on a quick search of Autotrader shows 11 Amperas for sale - 5 of them are white. That either means that it's the most popular colour - or the one that no-one can shift.

Hmm....Thoughts anyone?

Tim

 

[Big Paul]

Silver was the "launch colour" and features in a lot of advert pictures and from experience takes the dirt well

By that I mean it can keep looking good longer than the darker colours might before a wash is necessary

But that's putting my sensible hat on!!!

Big Paul

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

I have the Grey Metallic with dark red interior trim and I love that colour. I always like cars in any kind of gunmetal colour. Having said that I also like the blue and red but the blue also comes with blue trim inside (IIRC) and I liked the blue trim less... I found it too aggressive or loud (if that makes sense!).

 

[h8ten]

I have gone for Summit White, with the red interior detailing. I was always a plain red car fan, current Corsa is Flame red and VX220 is Calypso red (they look the same though) Neither of which are available on the Ampera but have had a dark metallic blue Frontera Diamond and a White Vectra Supertouring. I tended to find that with the darker colours any stone chips would show up either with polish or the touch up pencils were a shade darker than the car's paint. The white Vectra on the other hand was a brilliant white and there was too much glare from the paintwork to be able to see any stone chips once they had been touched up. It was a blue Ampera I had out for my three day test drive with the white detailing but I think it might not stay very white so opted for the red but I did like the car in blue.
Just a thought now, I could always have the car wrapped in bright red!

 

[dpeilow]

I think the blue looks better in person than on the website. I've seen it at the dealer and on the road and it looks handsome in either setting IMHO. There is no blue interior in the UK though Paul, just red or white options.

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

Ah right. I must be remembering the white trim on the blue car then. I thought the white trim looked good but I couldn't live with it every day. It is over a year since I saw it so I just forgot... sorry.

 

[Parax]

I've got a cyber grey (metallic graphite) with white interior. When we did the initial pre-launch test drives we saw the pearl white, silver, grey, and black cars, my wife and I preferred the grey. However having seen the blue in a couple of dealers I really like the colour and with hindsight might have chosen that, although the white has also grown on me in time, it does stand out more in traffic (emphasises the 'boomerang' lights).

I like the additional print detailing on the red interior, but I find the white more calming, I have not had any problems with dirt or discolouring. (I think the Volt has an option for a silver interior? I recall seeing this on one of the early demo cars.)


So for me, I think the best are the white, blue and grey, with the white interior. And, of course, everyone's opinions will be different!

 

[dpeilow]

The silver interior is available in mainland Europe...

 

[ALC]

Thanks for you views. I think it'll be white...

But now another choice...Summit white or Lithium white.

Is the tri-coat metallic really worth another £400 pr so?
Does it add anything? Any thoughts out there?

Tim

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

The tri-coats are worth the money in my opinion. They look quite stunning especially in the sun... but then I chose the grey for my Ampera! Grey metallic is probably my favoroite car colour but if it wasn't the grey it would be the tri-coat red.

I think for me the decision as to which colour is not really about money. It is about how I feel driving the car. I want the cars I drive to make me feel good everytime I drive it or look at it and that goes beyond the extra few hundred at purchase or at resale. It is a small proportion of the car's price so I would say just get the one that you most like and want. It is a lot to spend on a car if you are not getting the colour you want because of some potential saving (that may never happen) several years down the road.