[M2_ICY]

So I took my car out today for a nice quarantine drive and when I got out I noticed that there was minor damage to the paint. I’m 100% sure I didn’t hit anything and I was wondering if anyone could help identify what the cause of this is. Did someone accidentally ding my car or are these rock chips? I really would just like to have some peace of mind, I cannot stop thinking about the cause.

[G80BSM]

At first glance, they do look like rock chips but if you look closer you can see what seems like a scratch besides the first paint chip on the left side. Maybe it's a shadow. If that's actually a scratch then someone probably dinged it.
Get the OEM touch-up paint and using a toothpick or something with a really fine tip, fill them up.

[jessetaylor1]

Yeah, I have quite a few rock chips on my M. Those unfortunately do not look like rock chips. At the very least I'd grab Dr Color Chip and touch them up best you can. Not much else you can do that's cost effective.

[fullstack]

Looks like a shopping cart hit it.

[M2Cmtl]

Yeah I don’t think that’s a rock chip. I got a fairly big one on the front bumper just 100km before installing the PPF... crap happens!

[JggyM2]

Originally Posted by M2Cmtl

Yeah I don’t think that’s a rock chip. I got a fairly big one on the front bumper just 100km before installing the PPF... crap happens!

logic to do PPF versus to just ceramic coat? what coverage PPF are you planning to do? any coating on top of the PPF?

[jayg80]

I did PPF on the high impact areas: front bumper, mirrors, headlights, lower rocker panels.

I then did Opti-Coat ceramic coating on top of the PPF along with all other areas of the car.

Ceramic coatings are a great low maintenance, swirl protecting option but will do nothing against rocks and other small debris hitting your paint while driving.

[M2Cmtl]

Exactly what jayg88 said. PPF for the full front, rocker, mirrors and rear hips... the rest is just wasting money for PPF. People actually think ceramic coating helps for rock chips... it does nothing!

[HODLM]

My biggest regret is not PPF'ing the front portion of the car. Driving on I-95 is the equivalent of taking a sand blaster to the paint.

[Spider.]

Is this towards the rear of the car? Because if it is- I suspect someone hit it with something like shopping cart, especially since I see a scuff graze towards the left.

[JggyM2]

Originally Posted by M2Cmtl

Exactly what jayg88 said. PPF for the full front, rocker, mirrors and rear hips... the rest is just wasting money for PPF. People actually think ceramic coating helps for rock chips... it does nothing!

yup done the ppf on the front bumper, panels, hood, mirrors and rear rockers. so far so good. Ceramic coat helps with ease of washing for sure too.