BMW i8

The Future of Detailing

2012 BMW i3 and i8 Concepts

According to the Jetsons, we should be flying around on super highways and taking personal teleportation tubes to work. Although the many images of the future have not come true, there are more realistic concepts of what the future holds. In this case, BMW is set to release a truly innovative line of cars; the i Series. The i3 (fully electric) and the i8 (ridiculously cool) hybrid are sure to take the market by storm, especially given the history of BMW and how great these cars look. Aside from the major changes under the hood, how do these flashy new exoskeletons effect the detailing world? In short, they’ve reinvented it.

At first glance you can see that these i Concepts sport full glass roofs, glass doors, and an interesting carbonate hood that allows for some visibility of the moving parts. The most interesting point here is the obvious increased use of glass and clear elements, which changes the type of care the car demands. As you may have experienced, when glass surfaces get dirty or oily, visibility is compromised. All these glass features may look great when clean, but they also indicate that protecting the clean will be more important than it is today.

For this type of job, products like Rain-B-Gone (or other variants) aren’t the option to get the job done right. Typically these rain repellent products slick up the surface with an oily layer to make water bead. These products are also formulated using harsh chemicals and aren’t very green. With more glass surfaces, it’s going to be extremely important that the protection lasts long; requiring confidence that these products simply cannot provide.

bmw i series door

Detailing a car that has a good amount of glass surfaces (panoramic sunroofs, glass doors, seamless windows and windshields, etc.) requires a glass sealant that uses a natural formula to actually protect the glass instead of just repelling rain. Where as cars require about 4 waxing procedures per year in the present day, these concept cars of the future are going to require glass treatments almost once a month. Fortunately, the development of the ideal product isn’t that far away. In fact, it might already be here in the form of Glass IQ, a premium glass sealant that is the first 100% VOC Free glass sealant on the market.

The bottom line is that car washes, detailing centers, and at home enthusiasts are going to have to change their detailing methods for the cars of the future. More so than ever, in the history of car production, manufacturers are getting creative. We’ve just started to see matte paint jobs take the market by storm, glass panels are coming, and what’s next? That’s the fun part.

Like the i Series cars? Leave us a comment!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *