A + Engine

Hi All,

Got a car in with an A+ engine in it and a coolant leak out the dizzy side.
Nothing unusual there.

It had a head gasket that's a very hard type of material, blackish dark grey,
something I've never seen before,  It also was installed upside down and
backwards!!!!!!!

But the question is:

Is this a preferred head gasket material over the nice Payen copper gasket?
That one I've learned to put on so it doesn't leak coolant.

Head is at the machine shop being trued.

Later, Paul A