The black you see is a thick vinyl that I applied in hopes of protecting the paint in that area. The kayak rack on the roof pulls down (picture below) and I was afraid that contact might be made when strapping the boat down. Fortunately the system stays about 9 to 10 inches away from the car (even in the closest areas) so it is sort of a non-issue... but I've kept it on because I kind of like the look.
the car looks like a transformer when we are loading it up with kayaks
and bikes... its quite a sight to see.