White Only M3 - is your fr bumper different colour from the rest of the car?

[Blueskye]

So... I don’t know what’s wrong with me... but after my car came back from SC visit...
I noticed that my front bumper looked “different” (I was inspecting paint job and noticed scratches on the bumper, but that’s for another time...)

I have noticed that the “finish” of the paint itself (under the top coat) seems to be different, almost not uniform ( like orange peel) and they applied the top coat on top which has smoothened it out... does that make sense?!
This makes the bumper portion look a different colour from the rest of the car.

is yours different too??
Tesla is saying it’s normal because the bumper is plastic and the rest is metal.
I personally think is B**ls**t. I had other cars with painted plastic bumper and you could not see no difference!!
Wouldn’t a thick enough coat of primer make up for the difference in material...?

the paint on the metal part looks very finely milled particles, while the bumper looks “larger” particles...
Is yours similar?
Can you post pics?
Should I insist on the bumper or just let it go?

 

[TypeRx]

This picture in particular looks pretty off...but the pearl flakes really look different based on the angle of light so it is difficult to tell.

That said, here is a pic of mine. Passenger side of hood where it meets with the front bumper corner.

I would argue with Tesla, but not sure how far you will get. Good news is, at least here in the states, buying a PAINTED bumper direct from Tesla is like $800-$1000. So, not a crazy expense as you can probably recover $300 for your stock bumper skin in the process.

 

[Blueskye]

This picture in particular looks pretty off...but the pearl flakes really look different based on the angle of light so it is difficult to tell.

That said, here is a pic of mine. Passenger side of hood where it meets with the front bumper corner.View attachment 562513

The paint on your panels look identical same finish and “grit of the paint”!!!!
Which is what I’m convinced mine looked like before!
This is my theory...
I went in with a lot of tiny problems... one being my headlights needed replacement...
I think they may have removed the bumper to get to the headlights... and maybe they mistakenly swapped the bumpers with another M3?
Or maybe that happened while they repainted? I don’t know....

the picture you pinned is exactly what it looks in real life.
What’s worse on a sunny day it looks like the bumper is a completely different colour due to that paint difference! And you can really notice it when standing a few feet away from the car!

 

[TypeRx]

To be honest, my first guess would be that the bumper was repainted or is a victim of overspray. You had other parts of the car already painted? I guess its possible they swapped with another bumper but that seems really odd / unlikely.

 

[Blueskye]

To be honest, my first guess would be that the bumper was repainted or is a victim of overspray. You had other parts of the car already painted? I guess its possible they swapped with another bumper but that seems really odd / unlikely.

Yeah I thought as well that the swapping is a stretch...

but the whole bumper looks like that...? Not just a portion of it.

yes, I took delivery in March and there were a Good few deep scratches (down to metal) on the car.
The frunk hood had 2 very deep and sizeable chips and another scratches right next to the headlight in the pic.
A good portion or the frunk hood was repainted and is now rebooked for a paint correction due to very visible bubbling and orange peel effect..
As well as those scratches on the bumper that magically appeared while car was with SC

 

[TypeRx]

Yeah I thought as well that the swapping is a stretch...

but the whole bumper looks like that...? Not just a portion of it.

yes, I took delivery in March and there were a Good few deep scratches (down to metal) on the car.
The frunk hood had 2 very deep and sizeable chips and another scratches right next to the headlight in the pic.
A good portion or the frunk hood was repainted and is now rebooked for a paint correction due to very visible bubbling and orange peel effect..
As well as those scratches on the bumper that magically appeared while car was with SC

Definitely continue your fight with Tesla. I bet the paint shop didn't just paint your frunk hood but also attempted to blend with your bumper or something to that effect. After maybe they didn't compound the bumper but did the hood. Regardless, this is unacceptable on essentially a brand new car.

 

[Blueskye]

Definitely continue your fight with Tesla. I bet the paint shop didn't just paint your frunk hood but also attempted to blend with your bumper or something to that effect. After maybe they didn't compound the bumper but did the hood. Regardless, this is unacceptable on essentially a brand new car.

the SC is trying to convince me that paint difference between bumper and rear of the car is “as per design” and ALL white M3 are the same.
This is by I was trying to obtain pics from other M3, to make my case stronger on how that was not normal.

I definitely want to continue to pressure on the fact that it’s a brand new car and I’m still convinced that if enough base coat and appropriate primer is put before the paint, the surface of plastic and metal would make zero difference on the paint finish!
It’s just annoying though as I don’t want to ruin the relationship with the SC as they’re the closest to me and I was told the other Within “reasonable” distance was closed down
But at the same time it is incredibly unfair cos the difference is very noticeable.

 

[XLR82XS]

In my 20+ years experience that looks like a shoddy respray of the bumper. All my white Teslas do not suffer from that effect with factory original paint.

 

[Blueskye]

In my 20+ years experience that looks like a shoddy respray of the bumper. All my white Teslas do not suffer from that effect with factory original paint.

Thanks for letting me know.

In theory and on paper they have NOT touched the bumper, only re-sprayed the bonnet (frunk lid).

I went to SC yesterday for a different issue and there were a good few white M3 Rady for delivery or in service (brand new ones) and I have to be honest (I checked all bumpers like a weirdo) it was a 50-50 split! Some were perfect pint and some looked like mine!
So I see that they will press on that that’s how they “all are”.

I’m sure mine wasn’t like this, I don’t know how to go from there though... I think I’ll just keep insisting and see what happens..

 

[Blueskye]

Does anyone agree though that If prunier is applied properly the base material (plastic or aluminium or whatever else) makes no difference to the paint finish/colour? or am I wrong?

is the rear bumper plastic too?

 

[ChrisH]

I saw lots of posts and a few YouTube videos about this when the model 3s were first coming out. I think some of the explanation was that the material the bumper is made of is different than most of the rest of the car which may result in the slight appearance difference but I don’t think I’ve seen it on many white cars in person.