Not strictly RR related but this demonstrates a direct comparison and might have relevance if any RR owners have diamond cut alloy wheels as they are significantly more expensive to repair than standard alloys.

Spent a couple of hours today driving between two highly recommended alloy wheel refurbishers in the NW of England trying to get one of my mum's nearly new diamond cut 18" BMW alloys properly repaired due to fairly minor outer rim damage resultant from an unplanned argument with a kerb

My usual pro of choice was going to refurb the 18" BMW rim edge/ face for £40.

Unfortunately, when I arrived with it in the boot of the RR he pointed out to me that it is actually a diamond cut wheel and whilst he could do something with it, he wouldn't want to botch it and so directed me to a refurbisher in the region who does have a proper lathe/ set up for repairing diamond cut wheels.

The alternative company staff were extremely helpful, pleasant and agreed to take the wheel there and then for a quick turnaround.

£120 to have the 18" diamond cut wheel 'properly repaired'; and as it is diamond cut, no guarantee with the work.

All the recc's suggest it will be a top and 'as new' repair.

In contrast, our RR one of our standard finish 20" RR alloys is going into today's first port of call/ our usual refurbisher next week for a minor rim edge damage repair which is near identical in size and damage type to the 18" BMW rim; and for £40 with a 12 month guarantee.

What a price difference

And two tone is apparently worse.

I have diamond cut alloys and while they look stunning the reason they won't guarantee the work is that one good stone chip in the lacquer and it will let water behind it and you get worm lines in the lacquer which eventually comes off and the wheels almost look kerbed.

Repairing them means re cutting the face of the alloy and can only be done so many times before affecting wheel integrity, the recut tends to last about a couple years depending on use and road surface.

I'm going to have mine powder coated when I refurbish them because it lasts. 09 TDV8 Westminster, Mariana Black, Rear seat entertainment, hatch bag and 2 slobbery mutts

Been told that actually... Override the diamond cut and go for conventional finishes.

Yep, diamond cut wheels are a right PITA to maintain. I've got 18" Diamond cut multi spoke alloys on my Mondeo ST220, they looked beautiful when I bought the car brand new back in 2006, but after two years of standard road driving (never been curbed or scratched) the laquer started to peel off, crud got in behind and now they look shabby (to put it mildly!).
Gonna get them refurbed once (or should I say IF) the FF has stopped swallowing the spare pennies, but I'm gonna get them powder coated rather than recut (unless the cost of recutting has come down by then and the refurber puts several good coats of laquer on them).

Collected the fully refurb'd and diamond cut BMW wheel back from WRC Preston today. Whilst I think £120 to refurb one wheel is steep, they have done a great job with the finish and actually did so in 48 hours. The wheel looks brand new again so I might not need to tell my mum what really happened