paint protection coating is indeed mostly BS. a good clear coat is going to be a much much better protection. If i were to spend a few K doing a coating, I rather put the money to send to a good paint shop for clear coating.

the other thing not many people discuss is the actual quality of the factory paint. for example, Honda is know for very soft clear coat that does not wear well compared to many of its european counterparts. so again, i will prefer to spend on enhancing the paint.

remember, your clear coat/paint is to protect your car and having a coating to protect the protector is like wearing a condom to protect your condom