Point is, the gelcoat is awesome. And I won't be painting it. At least not in its first incarnation. It isn't metallic or anything though of course, and a paint job would give you that. So, no, it probably isn't as good as a $10k paint job. It is different to a $10k paint job.
Dean is right though - I'd reckon the prep for a paint job would be easier with this finish meaning you could get a $10k paint job for maybe $7k
But what would I know - I'm only a computer nerd.