BMW M has a reputation for offering excellent color options for its cars. Iconic colors like Laguna Seca Blue, Dakar Yellow and Techno Violet are all burnt into the memories of BMW purists. However, in recent years, M car colors have become a bit predictable, especially in cars like the M5 and M8. However, with this new BMW M3 (and M4), it seems as if the folks in Garching have returned to form, as the new G80 has one of the best color palettes of any M car in history.
Before even getting into special Individual colors, the G80 BMW M3 offers several interesting and vibrant colors that will make owners’ cars stand out from the seemingly endless sea of black, white and grey sports cars.
For starters, two of BMW’s now-signature Frozen colors are offered from the factory, without having to special order them or choose a special model. You can get a base-model M3 with either Frozen Portimao Blue or Frozen Brilliant White, right from the standard order sheet. Some enthusiasts bemoan BMW’s Frozen colors, as they’re a bit more finnicky and require more maintenance, but it’s nice to have the option.
Then there are the more interesting tame colors, such as Oxide Grey, which is grey but has a bit of champagne to its hue that really makes it unique. There’s also Toronto Red which is a pretty standard red but it’s metallic and has a nice pop to it.
However, there’s one more really interesting metallic color that makes the G80 BMW M3 truly unique — Isle of Man Green. Named after the Sovereign State of the UK, a little island in the Irish Sea, Isle of Man Green has a British Racing Green vibe that’s out of character in a German sport sedan but also really endearing. BMW M doesn’t often put out deep greens such as this, so it’s really refreshing to see.
Lastly, there’s the most interesting and beguiling of all the colors for the new M3 — Sau Paulo Yellow. It’s a non-metallic color that’s so bright and vibrant one risks searing one’s retinas upon closer inspection. While the color is a bit controversial, it is so in a good way. It’s bright and fun and hilarious and while, objectively, I don’t quite love it, I love that it exists. It’s such a happy, silly color that proves BMW M still has a sense of humor, even if the color is only offered on a car that sports one of the most cynical designs in the entire automotive industry.
Which leads me to my next point. It’s a shame that BMW is offering such fantastic colors on a car with such a polarizing design. If you don’t like the new design, it’s hard to appreciate the new colors and, as a potential BMW M3 customer, that must be frustrating. Still, take the good with the bad and try and at least appreciate the fact that BMW is selling cool colors to begin with. Even if they’re on a car that looks like Nosferatu on HGH.
