Which is darker, Gulf Blue or Midnight Purple?

Midnight Purple is the darker of the two. Its swatch, #40305E, has a lower relative luminance than Gulf Blue at #79B4D6.

What finishes do Gulf Blue and Midnight Purple come in?

Both are paints, so both render in gloss, satin or matte. The finish is picked separately from the colour.

Can I see Gulf Blue and Midnight Purple on my own car?

Yes. Upload a photo of your car to Specced, pick Gulf Blue, then Midnight Purple, and you get a photoreal render of each on your own car to compare side by side. Free, no account needed.

Gulf Blue vs Midnight Purple

Paint comparison · updated Jul 2026

Midnight Purple (#40305E) reads darker than Gulf Blue (#79B4D6), so it holds shadow in the body lines where Gulf Blue lifts them. Both render in gloss, satin or matte, so the finish is a separate decision from the colour and you can try either one in all three. Body shape, paint condition and the light you shoot in move both of them further than the swatch chips suggest, so the only honest comparison is the two rendered on the same car.

See both on your own car

Side by side

Gulf Blue is the pale powder blue of the Gulf Oil racing livery, usually seen with an orange stripe down the middle. It is a light, cool blue that washes out towards white in direct sun and turns noticeably deeper in shade, so it looks like two different colours over one afternoon. It sits best on cars with plenty of flat panel to fill.

Midnight Purple is a paint in the Specced catalogue, swatched at #40305E. You can render it in gloss, satin or matte: the finish changes how hard the reflections read far more than the colour does. Body shape, paint condition and the light you photograph in all change how it lands, so the only honest preview of Midnight Purple is one made from a photo of your own car.

Real renders

Gulf Blue on real cars.

1 render shared publicly by people who specced their own car in Gulf Blue.

Z3 gloss

All Gulf Blue renders →

Real renders

Midnight Purple on real cars.

1 render shared publicly by people who specced their own car in Midnight Purple.

Volkswagen Golf R gloss

All Midnight Purple renders →

Questions

Which is darker, Gulf Blue or Midnight Purple?: Midnight Purple is the darker of the two. Its swatch, #40305E, has a lower relative luminance than Gulf Blue at #79B4D6.
What finishes do Gulf Blue and Midnight Purple come in?: Both are paints, so both render in gloss, satin or matte. The finish is picked separately from the colour.
Can I see Gulf Blue and Midnight Purple on my own car?: Yes. Upload a photo of your car to Specced, pick Gulf Blue, then Midnight Purple, and you get a photoreal render of each on your own car to compare side by side. Free, no account needed.

Other comparisons

All comparisons →

Gulf Blue or Midnight Purple? See both on your car.

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