Tire Wax

The other day, after finishing the tire change on the Panamera, I was really surprised at how deeply black the new tires looked. Since I see the old tires every day, I hadn’t really noticed, but after some driving, the tires’ color gets dirty and dull.

Then my husband said,

Compared to the Panamera, the GT3’s tires don’t look black at all—let’s use tire wax to make them black again.

So we bought SurLuster Tire Care, a tire wax.

シュアラスター タイヤケア [水性 黒味 UVカット 高耐久] タイヤコーティング+R SurLuster S-89

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Surluster (シュアラスター)

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Wow… so there’s a cream kind of like hair dye for humans, huh? This wax is applied and spread on the tire sidewalls to restore the tire’s natural shine. It’s compatible with almost all types of car tires.

The content is 200ml, but with just one bottle, you can apply it to about 80 tires. When I asked why he chose this one, he said,

Oil-based sprays last longer, but I’ve heard oil-based products aren’t good for tires. A long time ago, I used a cheap foaming spray tire wax regularly—if I remember right, it was on Pirelli P6000s. Within two years, the sidewalls developed very fine cracks, so I decided to stop using it. Tires originally have weather-resistant agents, but oil-based products can strip or alter those. Also, I prefer water-based ones because they give a more natural finish. Not too shiny is better. This cream can cover one tire with about the same amount as applying a cosmetic cream, and since it covers 80 tires per bottle, it’s a great value. If you want more durability, there are more expensive, high-durability versions available.

Looking at reviews of this tire wax, it’s highly rated, and compared to similar products from other brands, it lasts longer, keeping tires black for about two weeks if it doesn’t rain. Some reviews also say, “Even if it fades in 2-3 weeks, considering tire wear, this is actually the best duration.”

What Happens When You Apply Tire Wax?

When we actually applied this wax to the tires, they immediately turned jet black, and the wheels looked tighter and cooler, which made my husband happy. The application is simple: clean the tire, take a small amount of the wax on a sponge, spread it evenly and gradually on the tire, then let it dry for about 20 minutes.

By the way, the key point is to wash the tire sidewalls thoroughly before applying.

Here’s a photo of the tires after waxing.

Compared to the before photo, the tires are blacker, but since the wheels are large and the tires are thin, the difference is a bit hard to notice.

On the other hand, my husband also applied it to the air-cooled Porsche (964). Since the wheels are smaller and the tires have a larger surface area, they look really black. (He said, “There are some uneven spots since it’s freshly applied…”)

Here’s the before photo.

Still, there really are so many car-related products out there. Lately, I’ve been thinking I want to visit a big store and take a good look at all the car goods available.