Yes the cars in any Gt game don't actually get dirty...they just lose their shine. When we pay 50 credits, all we are getting is the wax job, making the car lose its oxydation...there isn't any actual dirt being washed away.
See, and you're using your emulator toy! That's how you actually got the car wash to work. Did you know that in GT2, cars barely lose their shine? The car wash barely does anything. I think with the emulator you're able to get the full oxydized effect and that's why your cars actuallly wind up looking "dirty", whereas if you just put a disc into a Playstation, you'd only lose perhaps 10% of your shine.
I totally agree with you about the dirty look. I love that "beater" look some cars get in GT1, 3, and 4! An old Silvia looks totally dope when it's oxydized 👍