SUMMARY: BMW named this yellow hue after the iconic Dakar Rally, the ultimate rally raid style endurance race that originally trekked from Paris to Dakar, though presently is now held in Saudi Arabia. Though BMW automobiles has never competed as a factory at Dakar, BMW Motorrad won the motorcycle class of the Dakar Rally six times, including its first victory in 1981 when Hubert Auriol won on the R80 G/S. Though we don’t know for sure, it’s a safe guess that these victories are quite likely the inspiration for the name of this almost buttery shade of yellow BMW used to debut the BMW M3 type E36.
Dakar Yellow (dakargelbii; non-metallic uni; 337; BMW) is considered one of BMW Individual’s most iconic colors, and has been a popular choice through BMW Individual since that E36 era. Worth noting, there is also a color known as Dakar Yellow II, though it shares the same 337 color code with the main difference noted by enthusiasts as simply Dakar Yellow with a UNI clear coat.
The E36 generation of BMW M3 is a modern young timer classic, meaning any clean and modestly-miled up specimen is likely to draw a premium. Throw in special paint such as BMW Individual Daytona Violet (daytonaviolett; metallic; 283; BMW) and now you have something extra special. Take for example this 1995 M3 Coupe we’ve just run across.
There’s something about the E36. It lacks the 80s-tastic box flares of the E30 M3, or the truly unique M3 cues of the E46. Instead, like other performance cars of the early 90s (looking at you Porsche 964, Audi S2 or Volkswagen Golf VR6 Highline), it’s understated enough that casual observers might have a hard time picking it out of a lineup of lesser yet well-kitted 3 series models. Well… maybe lesser models in normal colors.
This specific M3 Coupe isn’t just interesting because of its spec. If you decide you want it, it’s also going to be interesting to get transact upon. Why? Well, it’s located not far from Cannes, France. So, you’d have to import it.
On the downside, it’s a U.S. spec car meaning less horsepower. On the upside, U.S. spec cars tend to hold their value better when resold in the American market, and we’re guessing any importation duties were paid back in 1995 when BMW brought the car into the U.S.A. in the first place. You don’t have to pay those duties a second time.
Not paying a second round of duties is a bonus you wouldn’t enjoy on a European spec car, though we doubt it’ll cover your shipping. You’d also have to find someone to import it at the very least. For that we’d suggest Orchid Euro in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Orchid specializes in importation of cars older than 25 years, uses automotive transport vessels rather than risking it shipping in containers, and has a network of people in Europe who can get eyes on and even handle transport to the port of Emden, Germany from which they ship. That all comes with a fee, but we’ve found them to be reasonable and have used their services ourselves.
So, interested in chasing this M3 down? You can find it listed HERE.
Editor’s note: while not a BMW Individual build, Daytona Violet was a one year only color, with just 519 sold in the US. As such, we found it a fitting addition to our records, and a vehicle well worth featuring.
Signal Green is a common name thrown out over the years. While perhaps not as ubiquitously used as say a British Racing Green, we’re guessing that Signal Green(signalgrün; non-metallic uni; P56; BMW) isn’t always the same Signal Green. Granted, Signal is usually a primary green, but whether it’s formulated the same remains to be seen. In this case, we’re talking about BMW Individual’s take on Signal Green solid.
BMW M posted photos of this M3 CS on their social media channels earlier today. Not much is known about further spec on the car due to the nature of a short social media post. Nevertheless, the photos are a solid (ahem) indication of what a BMW Individual client will get should they specify “Signal Green” from the house of M.
A few years after Ken Block flipped the automotive world on its collective head with his matte black Mercedes CLS, it became quite clear that some folks in Munich were big fans. BMW went on to release more than a few “Frozen” editions during the E90-generation, and this Market Find counts itself among them. In 2013, BMW brought a reported 150 of these to the US, and 72 of them were painted in their Individual Frozen Blue Metallic (frozenblau; metallic matte; K5J; BMW) color.
Having covered approximately 50,000 miles since new, this BMW Individual Frozen Blue Metallic M3 (VIN: WBSKG9C55DJ594559) retains the matte finish that made it special- a clear indication that this car was well cared for, at least aesthetically. You see, Frozen paint requires a more complex operation when washing as to not ‘dull’ the matte and turn it back to a more traditional glossy finish.
This BMW Individual Frozen Blue Metallic M3 Coupe is currently on offer at Scottsdale, Arizona’s Proper Performance Motors at an asking price of $51,995. When looking at the current state of a softening overall market, we feel this still represents a solid value, with scarcity more than making up for the approximately +20% premium.
See more details about this Tailored Driver, here.
Woof. When this BMW Individual Slate Green Metallic (slategrün; metallic; 449; BMW) M3 Coupe (VIN: WBSBL93422JR16526) popped up on our radar, we were quite simply floored. A claimed 1-of-1 spec in a color that may have raised more than a few eyebrows in Munich when ordered, Slate Green Metallic paired with Cinnamon leather and Style 163M wheels commonly found on the Competition package is peak M3.
Currently on offer at Ryan Friedman Motor Cars, this M3 has covered just 8,947 miles since new. That works out to be about 406 miles annually, which means the car really was never used, and likely never really will be either. So what we have here is genuinely a real contender for best E46 M3 in existence, which will go on to be a crown jewel in someone’s private collection, or become s centerpiece at one of the world’s more prestigious museums.
If you’ve got the means, do not hesitate to give Ryan Friedman Motor Cars a call, or if you’re feeling frisky just click the Buy It Now button on their site and work out the details later. After all, this is one that you likely won’t see again. Check out the full listing for this Tailored Driver, here.
While pink isn’t typically a widely chosen hue on special paints, Porsche’s Ruby Star Neo holds a special place for its modern reinterpretation (read: “neo”) of a 964 era color that traces its roots to the Carrera Cup. Over the years, the color has become so desirable that it got the aforementioned modern reformulation and reintroduction, and it also tends to jump brands and get painted on cars beyond the Porsche marque. Take this BMW M3 that BMW posted today on its Facebook page HERE.
We love it when manufacturers jump brand boundaries and experiment with colors from other marques. We love it even more when those colors are iconic and/or carry a motorsport pedigree. Bonus points then to BMW M for building the car, setting up a photo shoot at BMW Welt in Münich and then sharing it on their social media channel.
Worth noting, we suspect this is likely the car shared by BMW Welt on its own channel a few weeks ago. The front shot shared by BMW M shows roof bars, revealing the car is a station wagon Touring model, and we suspect multiple cars in this spec and especially at that same location are highly unlikely.
One of a claimed 34 to be produced in BMW Individual Java Green over Silverstone leather, this Tailored Driver (VIN: WBS8M9C51J5K98980) has quite a lot going for it. Apart from the obvious BMW Individual Java Green paint and must-have Competition package, the original curator if this spec opted 666M wheels in black, the Executive and Driver Assistance packages along with the incredibly tasteful but often overlooked extended leather package.
In the 36,000 miles since taking delivery, this M3 saw quite a few performance add-ons as well including a full turbo-back exhaust, intakes, upgraded intercoolers and injectors, and a stage 2 tune to ensure it all works cohesively. Add to that the OEM+ items from the GTS variant and a Vargas V2 crank hub as preventative maintenance, and it’s a fairly compelling package if you’re into this sort of thing.
This BMW Individual Java Green M3 is currently offered for sale at Clearwater, Florida’s Premier Auto Lounge for an asking price of $65,500. See additional images and get more details on this Tailored Driver, here.
No one does “where do they find this stuff?” quite like Enthusiast Auto Group, and this Tailored Driver is proof positive of that. One of an alleged 8 BMW Individual Santorini Blue E9X generation M3’s, this car has covered just 18,600 miles since new.
We’ll get the EAG tax comments out of the way right now- yes this BMW Individual Santorini Blue (santorinblauii; non-metallic uni; 327; BMW) M3 (VIN: WBSKG9C52DJ594292) is priced at $99,900. And yes, that is the result of color, mileage, and the nearly blank-check refurbishment that EAG is known for. But the Enthusiast Auto Group provenance is music to the ears of those prospective buyers who demand the best and have the means to acquire it.
For most of us, we’ll simply enjoy the view of this Tailored Driver and wonder what if. Because if we walked into a BMW store in 2013, we’d walk out having ordered something just like this.
Get the full details on Enthusiast Auto Group’s site, here.
Originally available on the E46 generation M3, to say that Phoenix Yellow was somewhat divisive would be putting it lightly. This almost mustard yellow hue was certainly a product of early-2000s Europe, but has in my opinion aged incredibly well. And this 1 of a claimed 2 BMW Individual Phoenix Yellow M3 certainly has a charm to it.
Moving past the incredibly in-your-face exterior paint and Fox Red interior, this M3 sports a 6 speed manual gearbox, lowering springs from RD Sport Suspension Solutions, and the OEM+ addition of BMW Style 359 wheels in gloss black. Rod Bearings are said to have been done, which provides a good bit of peace of mind. F
This BMW Individual Phoenix Yellow M3 has covered just over 92,000 miles, and is priced at $68,000 at time of writing. Learn more about this Tailored Driver, here.
Being first always comes with some bragging rights and according to BMW Welt | BMW Museum, this is the first M3 Competition Touring in BMW Individual Ruby Star (P9L) solid delivered in Germany. BMW Welt | BMW Museum probably has the best database for things like this so we wouldn’t argue with them. First or last, this is an exciting color for an exciting car.
Ruby Star is deeply rooted in the heritage of certain luxury car manufacturers. Notably, Porsche introduced Ruby Star (also known as Rubystar or Rubystone Red) as a special color in the early 1990s, establishing it as an iconic choice among collectors and enthusiasts of the brand.
It was also stated that the vehicle was collected at BMW Welt. We hope to see more photos of this car online and eventually run a full feature on it. Check out the original Instagram post and more photos below.
