What: 2021 BMW M3 Competition Color: BMW Individual Dravit Grey Metallic (dravitgrau; metallic; C36; BMW) VIN: WBS33AY09MFK97991 Mileage: 42,444 miles Price at Time of this Writing: $65,841 CarFax:Link Window Sticker: N/A Location: BMW South Albany, Glenmont, NY Dealer contact: Beckie Kiernan – sales@bmwofsouthalbany.edealerhub.com Dealer listing:Link
Why we love it:
BMW’s Dravit Grey Metallic is an incredibly cool shade of Grey, featuring metallic flake with hints of Gold that genuinely pop in the right lighting. Sadly the images of this Tailored Driver are not that lighting, but this doesn’t mean the color is any less stunning. Of note, in 2021 BMW Individual was not a full option code 490 Individual color, but it was noted as an Individual shade within BMW’s order guide and fetched a $1,950 premium over other ‘standard’ hues. All that in mind, this $65,000 Tailored Driver is every bit as special in our eyes as a full-boat 490 car, and would make a great addition to the discerning enthusiast’s garage.
What: 1978 Mercedes-Benz 280 CE Coupe Color: Cypress Green (zypressengrün; metallic UNI; 876; Mercedes-Benz) Chassis Number: N/A Mileage: 222,000 km, 137,944 miles Price at Time of this Writing: €18,990 CarFax: N/A Window Sticker: N/A Location: Autozentrum Frankenthal, Frankenthal, Germany Dealer listing:Link
Why we love it:
Nowadays, the W123-generation Mercedes Benz 280 CE is a pretty rare thing. Built in a day when nomenclature and badging actually stood for something, the 280 CE is an E-class Coupe (a.k.a. “CE”) with a 2.8-liter V6 (i.e. 280).
This one is Cypress Green metallic, making it a rare spec but neither a custom build from the factory nor a special limited edition factory model. Hawk-eyed viewers of our “tailored driver” qualification rules may call foul here as a result, but we’re also keen on occasionally listing the very tasteful and/or very rare specifications that may have been off the factory standard option list, but are nevertheless still both rare and sought-after. We think this car qualifies.
In the tailored car collector space, sometimes points are also deducted for modifications. Here again, we tend to give leeway for modifications from iconic aftermarket brands that are period correct. In this case, that includes wheels from longtime Mercedes tuning house Lorinser, a wooden steering wheel from Raid and color-matched bumper covers / body kit from 80s European car accessories house Zender. While these changes may boot this car out of a hallowed space at a Mercedes-Benz factory museum, we suspect they’d definitely earn you street credit at the local cars and coffee.
This is one of our Euro market finds, so the usual caveats apply for our primarily North American readership. For Europe and other markets, we focus on cars older than 25 years, meaning a relatively easy import into the USA. This is often done by working with firms such as our friends at Orchid Euro, you can have the car purchased, transported to port, shipped to America and cleared through customs for clients seeking this sort of service.
What: 2019 BMW i8 Roadster Color:Fire Orange(feuerorange; non-metallic UNI; U94; BMW) VIN: WBY2Z6C52K7D77174 Mileage: 220 Price at Time of this Writing: N/A, Auction CarFax: N/A Window Sticker: N/A Location: Mecum Kissimmee Auction, Kissimmee, FL Dealer listing:Link
Why we love it:
A BMW i8 is already a rare and quirky thing. Now, throw in BMW Individual Fire Orange paint and matching leather segmentation and stitching and you have a truly unique thing indeed. We found the car posted by Evan Lerner on the BMW Individual market & discussion Group on Facebook where he shared that the car is from the Michael Fox collection, a collector who has had “a few special (BMW) Individual cars in the past,” including an Austin Yellow M2.
The car goes on the block on January 18, so check it out soon.
What: 2018 Audi S4 sedan Color: Audi exclusive Graphite Blue Metallic (graphitblau; metallic UNI; M5G / A7; Porsche) VIN: WUAC4AF45JA142578 Mileage: 60,604 miles Price at Time of this Writing: $32,500 CarFax: N/A Window Sticker: Pictured below Location: Wichita, KS Facebook Marketplace listing:Link
Why we love it:
The Audi S4 is a damn fine sports sedan, and we feel it represents a fairly good value in the used car market- even when Audi exclusive paint has been applied. What’s more compelling for this particular example is that of the roughly 80 pre-approved Audi exclusive hues available to customers in 2018, Graphite Blue Metallic was not one of them. The original Tailor at Walter’s Audi in Riverside, CA who spec’d this car worked with Audi exclusive directly to get this Porsche-specific color approved, and the result was well worth the effort. Graphite Blue Metallic is quite subtle in nature (see darker images below) as a vibrant grey with hints of blue, putting it somewhere between Nardo Grey and Kemora Grey in the Tailored Driver color spectrum.
What: 2023 BMW M4 Competition Color: BMW Individual Fire Orange III (fuerorangeiii; non-metallic uni; P7E; BMW) VIN: WBS43AZ04PCM81308 Mileage: 6,829 miles Price at Time of this Writing: $84,900 CarFax: N/A Window Sticker: N/A Location: Sam Lehman Jeep, Champaign, IL Dealer listing:Link
Why we love it:
BMW’s Fire Orange made quite the impact when it was applied to the North American market-specific M3 Lime Rock Edition and RoW-only M3 GTS during the E9X generation, as it was just as in-your-face as the four-liter V8 shoved between it’s front fenders. In the time since, Fire Orange has had a few iterations (now on its third) and take rate seems to be somewhat slim. I suppose we can’t really blame potential buyers for not selecting P7E as their BMW Individual (option code 490) hue of choice when Tailoring a nearly $100,000 M3 or M4, but we have to assume quite a few give it some real thought. With that, we say be bold, enjoy someone else’s depreciation, and take the plunge.
What: 1994 Ferrari 512 TR Color: Viola Hong Kong (violahongkong; metallic UNI; 0155 / 0167; Ferrari) Chassis Number: N/A Mileage: 66,500 km, 41,321 miles Price at Time of this Writing: €199,900 CarFax: N/A Window Sticker: N/A Location: Autohaus Blöchl GmbH, Osterhofen, Germany Dealer listing:Link
Why we love it:
We’re not sure about 1994, but in 2025 Viola Hong Kong has become recently popular as an extra range Tailor Made option. This two layer metallic is said to price in around as a $33,000 option. Back in 1994, it likely wasn’t that expensive though custom paint from the factory was exceedingly more rare. So, finding a 512 TR in that color was remarkable. Then, reading over the listing we noticed that it was painted this color in 2023.
Was it originally this color? The dealer doesn’t list that, though they do mention that they’re in the process of acquiring a certificate from Ferrari Classiche. So, follow up on that should you inquire, but a translation of the German listing seems to suggest it may have been a 2023 color change. If so, at least it was done with an OEM Ferrari color.
This is one of our Euro market finds, so the usual caveats apply for our primarily North American readership. For Europe and other markets, we focus on cars older than 25 years, meaning a relatively easy import into the USA. This is often done by working with firms such as our friends at Orchid Euro, you can have the car purchased, transported to port, shipped to America and cleared through customs for clients seeking this sort of service.
What: 2022 Porsche 718 Spyder Color: Paint to Sample Slate Grey (schiefergrau; non-metallic UNI; 615; Y97; Porsche) VIN: WP0CC2A85NS235221 Mileage: 4,499 Price at Time of this Writing: $137,888 CarFax:Link Window Sticker: N/A Location: Pittsburgh, PA Dealer listing:Link
Why we love it:
At this point, I think it’s legally required to mention that Porsche’s Paint to Sample Slate Grey was Steve McQueen’s favorite color any time the hue is seen or spoken about. Cliché, sure, but also for good reason- the so-called King of Cool reigned during one of the more fondly-remembered eras in pop culture history, and of all the wild pastels, he put his money on Grey. Like true coolness, Slate Grey is a color that is just as in vogue today as it was then, and here we see it applied to what could also be argued as the Porsche brand’s coolest product, the 718 Spyder. On the inside, we see extended Bordeaux Red leather with Black race-tex inserts, 18-way seats, and a PDK gearbox. Subtle, comfortable, and effortlessly cool.
What: 2021 Audi S7 sportback Color: Audi exclusive Kemora Grey Metallic(metallic-UNI; LX7F; Audi) VIN: WAUSFBF27MN047608 Mileage: 49,470 miles Price at Time of this Writing: $58,991 CarFax:Link iPacket: Link Location: Audi North Houston, Texas Dealer listing:Link
Why we love it:
First offered on the Audi RS 3, Audi exclusive Kemora Grey Metallic is a modernized take on the incredibly popular Nardo Grey, with a hint of cyan added for good measure. It’s the kind of subtle Grey we’re sort of surprised wasn’t offered by Audi in the US as a series option on more models, but thankfully we’ve seen that numerous Tailors have rectified this issue via posts on many different social media platforms. So while this may be the first example of Kemora to have found it’s way to Tailored Driver via Market Finds, we certainly do not expect it to be the last.
What: 2018 Porsche 911 GT3 Color: Paint to Sample Meteor Grey Metallic (meteorgraumetallic; metallic UNI; M7W/9Q; Porsche) VIN: WP0AC2A98JS175171 Mileage: 2,003 Price at Time of this Writing: $215,995 CarFax:Link Window Sticker: N/A Location: Orlando, FL Dealer listing:Link
Why we love it:
At the offices of Tailored Driver, we love to put ourselves in the shoes of our Market Find’s original Tailors and try to imagine how conversations went while curating and submitting each order. With this Paint to Sample Meteor Grey Metallic 991-generation GT3, we’d assume that a 997-generation GT3 owner walked into the Porsche dealer in Plano, TX after being told that the then-new 2018 model would be available with three pedals for what was assumed to be the last time. “Great!” they said, “Order it just like my 997 and let me know when to pick it up.” You see, Meteor Grey Metallic was a fairly common standard color during the 997 years if GT3, as were Carbon brakes and Leather seats with Race-Tex accents. In other words, this exact spec, minus the black wheels, massively updated tech, and the benefits a new generation present. If we’re right, and we think we may be, this is an extremely cool example of forward-dating a proven formula to achieve a surprisingly unique Tailored Driver.
What: 2016 Audi RS 7 performance Color: Audi exclusive Nogaro Blue(nogaroblau; pearl effect UNI; Z5M; Audi) VIN: WUAWRAFC1GN905449 Mileage: 22,900 miles Price at Time of this Writing: $69,240 CarFax:Link Window Sticker: N/A Location: Audi Naples, Naples, FL Dealer listing:Link
Why we love it:
Our friend Sam Brandes from Audi Wilmington told us recently that he’s seeing a renaissance for the C7 RS 7 Sportback. According to Sam, he’s moved several over the last few weeks and he’s buying any good examples he can find for his dealership’s inventory in order to satiate this market desire. In the vein of C7 RS 7s then, we’re not sure there are many specs that are more desirable than an RS 7 performance painted Audi exclusive Nogaro Blue. Bonus points for low mileage and condition.
In the case of this RS 7 that’s just entered inventory at Audi Naples, there’s a premium for the low mileage of 22,900. From our perspective, that’s either collector grade miles or it’s about as new as you’re going to find in this market should you be a Zuckerman and want to buy the ultimate vintage example then drive it because that’s what one does with great cars.
Other notable equipment includes a sport exhaust from the factory by Akrapović. At the time, Audi had invested in the Slovenian manufacturer of titanium exhaust systems, and Akrapović was developing race exhausts for the RS 5 DTM and R18 e-tron quattro LMP1 Le Mans racer. The tie-in offered the ultimate credibility to the purveyor of ultimate titanium exhausts. In period, Audi did offer S6 and S7 exhausts from the dealer and built to Audi spec, though the exhaust on this car is believed to be an Akrapović exhaust sold via their own Akrapović retailers.
If you’re seeking the ultimate specification C7 RS 7, we’re not sure you can do better than this one. Yes, you’ll find them cheaper, but we doubt you’ll find one this nice.
