Obsidian Black or Palladium Silver?
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2002 S55 AMG
Obsidian Black or Palladium Silver?
I have stumbled in just one decision with my order. That being the color. I have changed my mind hundreds of times but am pretty sure I have it between palladium silver and Obsidian Black (also if anyone thinks the non-metallic black is a worthy option?)
I am leaning towards palladium silver just because it looks so good in those promotional shots and videos. I also think it highlights the AMG body styling better...but my current car (s55 amg) is black and that's what is making this decision difficult.
Help!!!
I am leaning towards palladium silver just because it looks so good in those promotional shots and videos. I also think it highlights the AMG body styling better...but my current car (s55 amg) is black and that's what is making this decision difficult.
Help!!!
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2008
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From: Southeast PA
2024 911 Turbo S, 2023 Denali 2500 HD, 2026 G63
Go with the Steel Grey. It is a good in between. The Palladium Silver is a little plain for me plus you see them everywhere. The Black is sweet when clean but very tough to keep clean. The Steel Grey has a lot of metallic in it and really pops in the sunlight. It was a tough choice for me but I went with the Steel Grey. Go to your local dealer and compare the colors on the standard C class. Look at the colors in the bright sunlight and in the dark to see what really looks the best for you.
Member
Joined: Jan 2007
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From: Lake Norman, NC
C63, GL450, Panamera S, lots of little British leakers
Assuming your C is going to be a daily driver, I like the steel gray a lot.
We have obsidian black on our GL, and unless its JUST been washed, it always looks dirty or dusty... and with the drought in the Carolinas, many communties are still under a car washing ban.
We have obsidian black on our GL, and unless its JUST been washed, it always looks dirty or dusty... and with the drought in the Carolinas, many communties are still under a car washing ban.
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Joined: Aug 2005
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2001 S500 Sport "Klaus"
Go with the Steel Grey. It is a good in between. The Palladium Silver is a little plain for me plus you see them everywhere. The Black is sweet when clean but very tough to keep clean. The Steel Grey has a lot of metallic in it and really pops in the sunlight. It was a tough choice for me but I went with the Steel Grey. Go to your local dealer and compare the colors on the standard C class. Look at the colors in the bright sunlight and in the dark to see what really looks the best for you.
i bought my wife a bimmer x3 in the sapphire black, which is pretty much obsidian black in benz lexicography, and when it's dirty it looks black. when it's clean it looks terrific, as it's very subtle. the nice thing is that the metal flake does a nicer job hiding dirt than does the non-metallic black on these (and most) cars.
ymmv.
btw, my last benz was a (non-met) black e55 wagon. looked great, and there's no issue with hiding the curves vs. brighter colors. totally killed when it was freshly washed, but mostly it's keeping the wheels clean and free of brake dust that'll make these amg's look the business; that made a much bigger difference than dust/dirtiness. i now drive a "silver arrow" hyper-metallic silver 2002 sl500, and it can go an eternity without a wash and still look serviceable. again, even if it's dog-dirty, if the wheels get hosed off, it'll rock the planet for another few weeks! all told, though, if you're terribly worried about how these things look when not washed, it's really six of one, half-dozen of the other, in my experience.
that said, you might consider mars red...
Last edited by vixapphire; Apr 7, 2008 at 11:04 PM.
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From: California, USA
E63 P30, CL500 Sport
Obsidian black looks very good and the tiny metallic/sparkly particles make the car look very exotic and unique. My last 2 Mercedes were obsidian black and I loved them, but they are just so hard to keep clean and require a lot of maintenance 
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From: Brisbane, Australia
I’ve an obsidian black SLK, looks great clean but needs work every week to keep it that way. Obsidian looks much better than flat black, as someone said, the metallic fleck adds a lot to the finish.
Having said that I’ve ordered a C63 in tenorite grey (code 775 for those that know it by another name). I have seen the car in the flesh and it shows up the lines of the car way better that a black one. Silver - not my thing but being like the grey, you’ll see the bumps and hollows of the car more so than a black.
Just some thoughts.....
Having said that I’ve ordered a C63 in tenorite grey (code 775 for those that know it by another name). I have seen the car in the flesh and it shows up the lines of the car way better that a black one. Silver - not my thing but being like the grey, you’ll see the bumps and hollows of the car more so than a black.
Just some thoughts.....
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You buy a black car and you but a car and a hobby-. It looks great clean but if you're anything like me and the dust on it drives you crazy! Go to the dealer and check out C's in both colors with the amg kit- it's pretty much the same so you'll be able to get a better idea. If you do get black get it with metallic not just straight black so it won't show the scratches as much-
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From: LA
RR Sport / C63
i bought my wife a bimmer x3 in the sapphire black, which is pretty much obsidian black in benz lexicography, and when it's dirty it looks black. when it's clean it looks terrific, as it's very subtle. the nice thing is that the metal flake does a nicer job hiding dirt than does the non-metallic black on these (and most) cars.
That's what we ordered here. I like the mars red CLK63 BE and red C350's I see. Plus it's more rare on the road and looks sporty & classy
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2008 Barolo Red C300 4matic Lux P1, MM
I'd go with Barolo Red.
Steel Grey, Palladium Silver, Black, and Arctic White seem to be what everyone has ordered. Can no one imagine how god a Barolo Red C63 would look with the chrome grill and the AMG accents?
But if your sticking to the choices you have narrowed down, I'd go with the Obsidian Black.
Steel Grey, Palladium Silver, Black, and Arctic White seem to be what everyone has ordered. Can no one imagine how god a Barolo Red C63 would look with the chrome grill and the AMG accents?
But if your sticking to the choices you have narrowed down, I'd go with the Obsidian Black.
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2001 S500 Sport "Klaus"
From my experience with the Sapphire black on BMW's (similar to Obsidian black on MB), it looks good at night but they look more dirty when you get dust on them after a day or two of washing the car. It's much hard to keep clean than the non-metallic black, where if you do a good detail & buff job the first time, it'll help prevent swirl marks and the car will look clean. Eitherway, you're going to be cleaning the dust/dirt off a black car more often than another color.
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From: Richmond, BC, Canada
2010 Prius & Miata MX5 PRHT, 2010 Toyota Venza AWD, 05 C55 AMG, Yamaha 1100 Custom, Honda 250 Reflex
My choice would be Palladium Silver. It is a great alternative to Iridium Silver and is a lot easier to maintain compared to Obsidian Black.
