I’m a fan of special custom colors. Ever seen a Chevrolet ordered in Pontiac’s Verdoro Green? Or an Oldsmobile ordered in Dodge’s Plum Crazy? I have, and it looks a little neater. The days of paying extra for a non-production color are long gone for most “regular” cars, but premium brands and special models (Corvette, anyone?) offer custom colors. BMW offers a program called BMW Individual for drivers craving “expressive and unique” paint colors and finishes, which has now been expanded to include the controversial 644-horsepower XM plug-in hybrid “Sport multi-purpose vehicle”.
The German brand’s 29-year-old factory in Spartanburg, South Carolina (actually in nearby Greer) has “flexibility in the paint process,” so the Palmetto State (XM and elsewhere) Built Bimmers are available with the option of special paint finishes.
Originally limited to BMW M models, BMW Individual is a unique division of BMW M that focuses on creating special and bespoke BMW vehicles for nearly all new BMWs. Available in over 165 bespoke exterior paint colors and four different finishes Color Palette: Non-Metallic, Metallic, Pearl Effect Tints and Matte BMW Frozen Finish. “Within each finish, there are more unique treatments that require multiple coats or extended cure times, specific Depends on the specific composition and properties of each particular color. ” They are applied in a separate manufacturing process that avoids automated manual labor. You may have to wait approximately 8-12 weeks for your one-of-a-kind BMW.
BMW won’t just process any sample you submit, but we suspect some of the more prestigious models may have more flexibility in this regard. Pricing depends on model and color.
This article was written by Diego Rosenberg and originally published on ClassicCars.com, Motor Authority’s editorial partner.