[Ringthane]

Car colours, are indeed, a contentious issue.

When Mrs R and I first went to our local dealership, we looked at the choices of colours, and neither of us could agree on the actual “colours” available, although I chose a blue that was only available on the R Design, and I wanted an Inscription, because I wanted a blonde interior.

In the end, Mrs R chose Crystal White, which is the literal opposite of the Safire Black we had before, but I wasn’t opposed to it because, while I understand our members aversion to white cars, it harked back to my first car I ever bought new; an Opel Manta GTE, in white, with white wheels, and thinking it was the dogs bollocks.

My decision making, was based on how hot a black car gets, in direct sunlight. I was walking home from work, on a particularly hot day, and passed an Audi A1, with a silver body and a black roof, and noticed the difference between the two colours, in terms of the temperature to the touch.

Now, with the Crystal White car on my driveway, I’m struck by how the White makes the car stand out, against the various shades of grey, and black, around it. It is also, considerably cooler to the touch, compared my daughter’s grey Kia Sportage or black Range Rover Sport. Indeed, looking at the colours of the cars on the rest of my street, my Crystal Wight XC60 stands out.

What’s also apparent, is that in dull sunlight, the car appears flat white and in strong sunlight, it looks pearlescent, so I’m very happy with my choice.