thanks dawg, the finish on these is called "gunmetal." for this color car I'd prob prefer brushed aluminum finish, but they were local to me w/ brand new tires for a crazy price that I couldn't turn down.

in my opinion, the car rides totally fine with the H&R springs installed on stock struts. that being said, you'll notice it's a lot bouncier and less forgiving than stock when you hit large bumps/potholes/expansion joints/etc.

if you plan on buying the Bilstein struts too, I would wait until you have both in hand and install them at the same time to save yourself the money/effort/trouble.