Vinyl wrapping and paint protection film are two totally different things. Vinyl wrap is installed dry and only protects your paint from very small particles such as sand (but wont stop rocks). Paint protection film is applied wet and is incredibly durable... it was designed to stop rocks from penetrating the film. Both should only be aplied by professionals.... unless you want a crappy looking job. But I find most Viper owners care about their cars more than that. Full wrapping a car in vinyl can run anywhere from $3500 and up... more so in the $5,000 range for larger vehicles. Paint protection film will cost about the same. One more thing to note is if you like the color of your car and want the matte/satin finish there is a satin finish paint protection film otu that gives your paint a satin finish, is incredibly durable, and much easier to maintain than vinyl.
Definitely true in regard that the 3m material and vinyl wrap are different. Vinyl is much more My Evo has the 3m paint protection on it that I installed. Lots of soap solution, alcohol solution and heat. I had a pre cut kit and the stuff is so thick that it is very difficult to work with (a lot of lining up/ stretching on precut kits). You cant even see mine on the car, but once again, time and patience is everything. Obviously it will protect a hell of a lot of stuff, but for the majority of viper drivers who dont run a high risk of severe road debris, I think vinyl is the way to go. Spice up your car with a new color/ finish and the stuff is VERY forgiving. It rarely creases or wrinkles and if it does for some reason, just apply some heat and it comes out. Not only that, But I much perfer dry application over wet, which some vinyls are and i think all clear protectants are. I do suggest that if you choose to do this yourself, have someone that can at least help you lay it on the car. Keeping it square, and pulled tight is key. Again, patience is a must. Im taking my time and mine looks like the car is painted until you look in the door jams, behind the gas lid, etc.