Skip advert
Advertisement

Scholl Concepts S17+ Polishing Compound

Professional cutting compound restores faded and slightly scratched paintwork

Scholl Concepts S17+

Price: £12.50 (500ml S17+); £5 (Hand Polishing Puck)
Contact: 01780 721470, www.spautopia.co.uk

If you clean your car regularly, it’s inevitable that the paint will suffer from swirl marks in the lacquer. Until now, the only way to get rid of them was with a tricky-to-use and costly machine buffer. But now car cleaning specialist Spautopia has a cheaper solution: its S17+ polishing compound and special hand-held applicator pads.

Advertisement - Article continues below

A 250g bottle of S17+ costs £12.50, and the purple paste is applied sparingly to your bodywork. The foam pad is a costly £5, although it is machine washable.

We put four drops of S17+ on a pad, and four blobs on a section of black bodywork. You need to apply a fair bit of pressure and make repeated passes, because it’s not the most aggressive cutting formula available, but when you consider the saving you’re making by not using a machine buffer, the effort is worth it.

We tackled our panel twice and the results were clear. After buffing off, S17+ left a deep shine and glossy finish, ready for waxing.

Verdict

Rating: ★★★
What is it?
An easy way to restore the shine of your dull paintwork by hand.
Problems?
Not the most aggressive compound, hand-polishing pads are expensive.
Why buy?
It’s great at removing defects, as it improved both the depth and the shine of our black test panel.

Skip advert
Advertisement

New & used car deals

Volkswagen Golf

Volkswagen Golf

RRP £24,625Avg. savings £2,546 off RRP*Used from £10,695
Dacia Spring

Dacia Spring

RRP £14,995Avg. savings £4,588 off RRP*
Kia Sportage

Kia Sportage

RRP £28,065Avg. savings £3,330 off RRP*Used from £14,200
Nissan Juke

Nissan Juke

RRP £19,785Avg. savings £4,644 off RRP*Used from £9,260
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Insurers still refuse to cover some Chinese cars despite booming sales
Skywell BE11 - front action

Insurers still refuse to cover some Chinese cars despite booming sales

Insurance companies seem to be struggling to keep pace with the wave of new cars coming from China, and buyers are literally paying the price
News
26 Feb 2026
Major Renault Megane revamp due this year with more range and racy looks
Renault Megane E-Tech Electric - rear static (night)

Major Renault Megane revamp due this year with more range and racy looks

All-new battery could push the more aggressive Megane EV past 300 miles of range
News
27 Feb 2026
Diesel cars aren’t dead, in fact they’re even starting to make a comeback
Opinion - Vauxhall Grandland

Diesel cars aren’t dead, in fact they’re even starting to make a comeback

If you're looking for the most cost-effective cars to run, Mike Rutherford thinks you shouldn't discount diesel
Opinion
1 Mar 2026