I was joking. Yes, if you clearcoat flat black it becomes gloss black. Flat does scuff really easy. Like, brush your leg on it and it scuffs, easy. I've painted a few times from a gun with base coat, clear or acrylic enamel. I bet there is some sort of paint out there that remains flat that's scuff resistent and not called LineX. I stole this from this site. The "matte" black looks awesome in the first car. http://www.club3g.com/forum/other-cars/105953-flat-black-paint-jobs.html First off, there is a difference between flat black and a matte black. The cars you posted pictures of are not examples of flat black paint jobs; they are black with a matte finish. Huge difference when you see it in person. Matte finishes have an almost coarse texture to them, but they still reflect light and have a slight shine to them (even though it's not glossy). Think of matte finishes when you develop a photograph. No matter what you have heard, matte finishes (especially in black) are going to show scratches like a bitch and get dirty EXTREMELY fast. I think they look neat at an event or in photos, but I wouldn't want it on anything but a trailored showcar. And by trailored showcar I don't mean a WRX. The cars you posted are high-dollar rides and pull that off a little easier than a sub-$30,000 Subie. OK, the M5 isn't that out of reach, but it's still a specialty car. Regardless, flat-finishes (matte or otherwise) are going to be the next big ricer rage, you just watch. Any asshole with a can of black spraypaint can replicate the look in the same way as cutting your springs shortcuts a coilover suspension: it's quick and cheap. Most people will simply think you are sporting primer on an unpainted car. If you are sold on matte finishes, consider doing it in a lighter shade, or even a standard color like red or blue. Better yet, only do particular sections in the matte finish and keep the other sections glossy--either along a body line, or get wild and do a glossy design over the matte base color. Post a picture of your car if you don't know what I'm talking about.