How to paint a car, step by step
- Finish the mechanical repairs first (see the repair guide); painting is the last step before selling.
- Drive into the paint and customs shop and accept the prompt to restore the car's paint. An early-August playthrough showed this as free on the first car and $250 on a later car, so expect a small fee.
- Hold left click on the car to polish it. Keep going until no brown rust patches are left.
- Paint every marked area. The game treats this as a small task, so panels such as the roof and trunk must each be filled in.
- Choose a colour. The picker sometimes starts on a default such as yellow; change it if you like. You can copy and paste hex codes, which is how creators share exact colours.
- Pick a material, confirm, and drive to a buyer.
Paint materials and colours
The paint menu has grown with almost every update. Materials apply to the primary colour and, since the late-August update, to a secondary colour as well. Secondary colour is how players do two-tone looks, stripes on muscle cars, and contrasting hoods.
| Material or option | What it looks like | First reported |
|---|---|---|
| Default (gloss) | Standard solid paint | Launch |
| Metal | Metallic finish | August 2026 build videos |
| Flake | Sparkly metal-flake finish, popular on reds | August 2026 build videos |
| Matte | Flat finish; creators prefer it in black or white | August 2026 build videos |
| Secondary colour | A second paint zone with its own material | August 30, 2026 update |
| Carbon fiber | Carbon weave; often used for hoods | September 5, 2026 update |
| Carbon camo and forged carbon | Patterned carbon looks that are close to each other | September 5, 2026 update |
| Chrome | Mirror finish, usable as a full wrap | September 5, 2026 update |
A carbon hood is the classic combination: set the hood as the secondary zone and give it the carbon fiber material while the body keeps a gloss or flake colour. Interiors could not be recoloured when this page was checked.
Plates, tint, underglow and horns
The August 16 update opened up several cosmetic options to every player. Before that, custom plates were reported as a content-creator perk.
- License plates: change the characters and add small symbols such as stars or hearts. There is also an NPC near the start area who offers custom plates.
- Window tint: set as a percentage; a creator used about 14% on a classic supercar.
- Underglow: coloured lights under the car.
- Horns: several horn sounds to choose from.
None of these are needed for a flip. They are for cars you keep, show off, or use for videos.
Hiding hoods, doors, bumpers and body panels
Two recent updates added body-panel options in the customs menu. On cars that support it you can:
| Option | Update | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hide the hood | September 26, 2026 | Shown on a muscle car; not every model supports it. |
| Remove the frunk and engine glass | September 26, 2026 | Shown on a remodelled mid-engine supercar that also gained an interior. |
| Hide the doors | October 3, 2026 | Good for off-road builds. |
| Remove the rear bumper | October 3, 2026 | Available on some cars only. |
Opening doors and hoods as you walk around a car came earlier, in the September 12 update, so do not confuse opening a door with hiding it. If an option is missing, the car you are in probably does not support it yet.
Make paint choices that suit the job
| Goal | What to do | What to skip |
|---|---|---|
| Quick flip | Polish fully, paint every panel, confirm | Secondary colours, special materials, plates, tint |
| Higher-value flip | Same as above, plus fresh wheels at Tire Zone | Cosmetic extras that do not affect condition |
| Personal build | Two-tone, carbon or chrome, plate, tint, horn | Nothing; this is where the menu shines |
Once your build looks right, the wheels, tires and suspension guide covers fitment and ride height, and the tuning guide covers performance.