You've done a good job with the paint but I tend to agree about the specular side of it.Also maybe the chromework could have done with some more specularity?One small thing that seems to look a bit odd is the sense of size with the buildings & well.Realise though that this is still a wip,so would like to see the finished article. Paul.:o)

Other than the fact it isn't paint but gel coat epoxy I would say this experiment worked. The contrast of the bright reflective chrome with the black wrought iron is delicate. The stiffness of the stone can still be sonorous as metal in a symphonic way. Fibreglass on the other hand is as reedy as Egypt.

Gelcoat epoxy vs paint? If you didn't know could you tell the difference from a picture? Exactly how would you do it differently in the shaders? Who cares? Anyway, I'm only guessing at the result you're after, but for me, I'd try a glossy in alt spec with a low Ks value (around 0.5 or less) and maybe use a spec only light to show up the car without effecting the rest of the scenery. Basically, just keep twiddling around until you get the desired effect. The car is the main focus of the composition and as such should really stand out and pop. The shadows are a little heavy for me too, but really like the composition of this render and I hope you keep on with it until you're happy with it (since the only critic any of us actually needs to satisfy is ourselves). So all up, nice work!

Very excellent image