Cars with Rust Wraps: A visually shocking trend

It's a visual oxymoron that's extreme enough to shock most onlookers, at least until they figure out they've been tricked by a very crafty wrap.

This trend has been around internationally for a while now, but seems to be gaining popularity in India with a few aesthetically adventurous car owners lately.

A few of these brave owners have adorned their car bodywork with this vinyl stick-on wrap that makes it look like parts of the car have rusted. This brings an interesting visual contradiction of an extremely expensive car that appears to be in a dilapidated and uncared for condition. Imagine if a latest generation 1+ crore car pulled up next to you in traffic, but looked like it had spent 12 years in a barn in Cherrapunji, you'd be rather baffled. It's a visual oxymoron that's extreme enough to shock most onlookers, at least until they figure out they've been tricked by a very crafty wrap.

Here are a few vehicles I found in India with rust wraps on them:

Porsche 911 Cabriolet

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Back in 2016 this was one of the first vehicles to receive a rust wrap in India. The wrap on this 911 is based on the iconic Martini Racing livery. It was executed by Motormind Designs based in Bangalore. Interestingly, this 911 is the first Porsche in India to have crossed 1 lakh kilometers.

Jaguar F-Type

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Another sports car with a rust-themed wrap. This one was done in 2020 by Layers Wrap and AR wrap. This F-Type was delivered to Vizag, Andhra Pradesh. Clearly this wrap is more of a stylistic representation of a 'rust theme' than a photo-realistic representation like the Porsche above.

Ford EcoSport

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Another wrap done by AR Wrap. This EcoSport features a zombie-themed rust wrap complete with extreme rust, an overall patina effect, and some deep scratch marks. The headlights and fog lights are now red. Among the sea of EcoSports on the road, this one would certainly stand out.

Renault Koleos

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This Koleos gets rust spots and a design that makes the paint appear cracked. The wrap being on an SUV also lends the apparent condition of the car a little more credibility, versus if it was on an expensive sportscar. The Koleos also gets Martini stripes - similar to the Porsche. The wrap was done by Wrap Style Kerala. Other modifications include a blacked-out grille and logo.

Ducati 1199

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Rust wraps are not restricted to just cars, they have been done on bikes as well. Here's a Ducati 1199 with a green rust wrap. I mean, if you're going to make your bike look like it's in shockingly poor condition, may as well have some fun and do it on a Ducati! The wrap was done by Wrap Style Bangalore.

Royal Enfield

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Some might think these are pictures of two Royal Enfields after their first monsoon, but nope - these are wraps too. Done by F Factory Kochi on the Royal Enfield Classic and Royal Enfield Himalayan.

Yamaha RX135

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Another wrap done by F Factory Kochi. I like the detailing on this as well, and the fact that it's an old model of bike surely adds a huge amount of authenticity.

Land Rover Defender

It's not just wraps now. Design companies want to cash in too. Heritage Customs is offering a few pre-rusted parts for Land Rover Defenders. The parts include side vents and hood panels, and are finished by a new metallurgy process. The rustic look is said to last 20 years. Wonder what exactly happens after that…

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