Fragrance comparison

Icon Racing vs Steel Grey

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 16 Oct 2026 995 ratings analysed

Icon Racing

Alfred Dunhill

4.02968 votes

Rank #25,071 CitrusAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

55%scent match

Closely related

3 wins

Steel Grey

Zara

3.8327 votes

Rank #17,055 CitrusMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Steel Grey takes 3 of 5 categories.

Icon Racing
Choose it for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus and sillage & projection. Best in spring.
Steel Grey
Choose it for a citrus and musky character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Icon Racing2/5

Steel Grey3/5

Ratings & consensus: Icon Racing
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Steel Grey
Sillage & projection: Icon Racing
Value for money: Steel Grey
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Steel Grey

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

Icon RacingAlfred Dunhill

Steel GreyZara

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.02/ 5 · 968 votes

Have 79%Had 21%Want 0%

3.83/ 5 · 27 votes

Have 55%Had 26%Want 19%

Category winnerIcon RacingRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

37%Love

40%Like

11%Ok

10%Dislike

1%Hate

968 votes

25%Love

31%Like

38%Ok

6%Dislike

0%Hate

16 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate76

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate72

Category winners

LongevitySteel Grey

SillageIcon Racing

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value65

¤ Price value89

Category winnerSteel GreyBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

aromatic91%

fresh spicy83%

warm spicy74%

white floral65%

lavender56%

citrus100%

musky86%

warm spicy72%

aromatic58%

powdery44%

fresh spicy30%

Scent match55%Closely related · both citrus, aromatic and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top

GrapefruitCardamomBergamot

Heart

Orange BlossomLavenderPepper

Base

MuskGuaiac WoodVetiver

Top

Bergamot

Heart

Cardamom

Base

Musk

InformationalShared notesCardamom, Bergamot and Musk. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer97

Fall0

Winter22

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer89

Fall78

Winter44

Day100

Night63

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men93

Unisex5

Women2

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#25,071

PerfumerLaurent Le Guernec

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#17,055

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews11

Category winnerSteel GreyHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Icon Racing by Alfred Dunhill is a Woody Aromatic fragrance for men. Icon Racing was launched in 2017. The nose behind this fragrance is Laurent Le Guernec. Top notes are Grapefruit, Cardamom and Bergamot; middle notes are Orange Blossom, Lavender and Pepper; base notes are Musk, Guaiac Wood and Vetiver.

Reviews →

Steel Grey is a clean, cardamom-led Zara scent with a brief citrus lift up top and a soft musky base underneath. It reads fresh, lightly spicy, and easy to wear rather than complex. On skin, it usually suits spring and summer best, especially daytime use. If you like simple, crisp fragrances with a smooth spicy edge a…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Icon Racing or Steel Grey?

Steel Grey takes 3 of 5 categories. Icon Racing is rated 4.02/5 from 968 votes; Steel Grey is rated 3.83/5 from 27 votes. Choose Icon Racing for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus and sillage & projection. Best in spring. Choose Steel Grey for a citrus and musky character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Icon Racing or Steel Grey?

Steel Grey lasts longest (Steel Grey 68/100, Icon Racing 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Icon Racing or Steel Grey?

Projection is very close: Icon Racing 57/100, Steel Grey 55/100 for sillage.

Do Icon Racing and Steel Grey smell similar?

Closely related: a 55% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, aromatic and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Bergamot and Musk.

Is Icon Racing or Steel Grey better for summer or winter?

Steel Grey suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Icon Racing and Steel Grey?

Icon Racing has top notes of Grapefruit, Cardamom and Bergamot, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Lavender and Pepper, a base of Musk, Guaiac Wood and Vetiver. Steel Grey has top notes of Bergamot, heart notes of Cardamom, a base of Musk.