Anyone else think Individual paint is shady practice?

[G35POPPEDMYCHERRY]

lots of FOMO in this thread... my girl just bought a 2 thousand dollar handbag. estimated cost to make <100$. i agree that yaz and SO should have been more normal colors and I probably would have gotten blue however, there isn't anything new here folks. move along

[stooker]

Originally Posted by Kimeran

I think a lot of people have drifted off from what the OP was talking about (from my understanding).
Please don't take offence to this, as it is just my opinion, but I feel like Ferrari Red is simply just red. It has been dubbed as a special colour, and they ask crazy money for that colour. But it is just a red F8X, it should have just been a standard colour along with a simple blue, grey and black.
Other colours like Silverstone, Sakhir Orange, Atlantis Blue etc etc should have been on special order.

No, this was a lot of the discussion I was hoping this thread would generate. Given that people get individual colors for different reasons, it would have gone a lot of different directions no matter what.

I think the intent of the Individual program is good and provides a lot of flexibility, but BMW are being manipulative in how it is perceived and subsequently desired by the different people that want it for their own reasons. Some say it’s just business and in the end of course it’s up to the buyer to decide. I just wanted to see what everyone else was thinking because I felt a bit of the Emporor’s new clothes syndrome going on and thought I was missing something.

For me, I would have absolutely loved Tanzanite Blue, but I opted for AW in the absence of a comparable dark blue as an option, which I would have gladly paid a little extra for, but not the steep Individual price.

[Killed by Death]

Originally Posted by stooker

Eh, not sure what you’re talking about with the 911. I’m seeing 12 standard and metallic colors (metallic only $720 extra). Yes a lot are vanilla colors but it does includes red, yellow and two blues.

I’m also seeing four “special” colors and those are $3,150, to include Miami Blue and Lava Orange.

Seems like the 911 has way more choices than the F8x, before having to go custom, which is $6K+.

Exactly, Porsche has at least 5 standard and metallic colors I would be extremely happy with. Hell even the Ford Mustang has better options.

BMW has ZERO

[Circuit Hunter]

I agree that the F80/F82/F83 color palate is weak (no red and only one non-metallic) but thinking that BMW offering individual paint is a scam is silly even at $5,200. Why do you suppose very few manufacturers offer this option? How is it any different than package bundles that most manufacturers offer? I'd rather have an exclusive paint on a car that I see at least five a day than a $4,100 package that only has one feature that I care about.

On another note, 2018 Individual owners all got ICONS standard.

[stooker]

Originally Posted by G35POPPEDMYCHERRY

lots of FOMO in this thread... my girl just bought a 2 thousand dollar handbag. estimated cost to make <100$. i agree that yaz and SO should have been more normal colors and I probably would have gotten blue however, there isn't anything new here folks. move along

Not seeing the connection between FOMO and your GF's purse as it pertains to this thread...

[FC]

TL;DR, but in the early 2000's one could get an E39 M5 (from memory) in Black, metallic black, white, red (Imola!), blue (LeMans!), silver, sterling silver, and more. That is a lot of nice colors.

EDIT:

Found this (scroll towards bottom). Seriously nice color selection.

http://www.bmwmregistry.com/model_faq.php?id=18

[48Laws]

Originally Posted by stooker

Not seeing the connection between FOMO and your GF's purse as it pertains to this thread...

He’s saying that the individual paint( LV bag, i assume) isn’t worth the price but because of FOMO, folks are willing to pay the price.

[TexasSurgeon]

I think BMW offers great color choices. And then if you want something different or exotic $5K is very cheap compared to other luxury brand companies. Even a wrap is going to cost a minimum of $5K for a car like the M3/M4.
Maserati exclusive colors start at about $15K, Porsche colors are also pretty pricey.

[JmikeMillz]

Originally Posted by TexasSurgeon

I think BMW offers great color choices. And then if you want something different or exotic $5K is very cheap compared to other luxury brand companies.

The issue I have is that this is not true for this gen. If you want something "different or exotic" you can get SO, AY, or YMB for cheap, but if you want just a normal red or blue, you have to fork over $5k - and wait longer for the order.

[allinon72]

Originally Posted by JmikeMillz

The issue I have is that this is not true for this gen. If you want something "different or exotic" you can get SO, AY, or YMB for cheap, but if you want just a normal red or blue, you have to fork over $5k - and wait longer for the order.

It's the same in reverse. If normal red or blue were standard colors, and SO, AYl, and Yas were individual colors, there would be bitching as well. Basically BMW can't please everyone.

[dongerkim]

BMW just denied my individual paint request. If you ask me, they’re pretty bad at scamming.

[stooker]

Originally Posted by allinon72

It's the same in reverse. If normal red or blue were standard colors, and SO, AYl, and Yas were individual colors, there would be bitching as well. Basically BMW can't please everyone.

That's not the same as the situation now, where people have to go Individual for basic colors. That's more valid of a reason to bitch. SO, AY, and YM are unique colors and are better suited for the "Individual" mindset. If they were not offered standard, anyone bitching that they should be standard would simply be told they can pay for Individual, at which point they don't have much argument.

[GrussGott]

Originally Posted by dongerkim

BMW just denied my individual paint request. If you ask me, they’re pretty bad at scamming.

Individual WOULDN'T be shady if it was a well run program that catered to the customer experience.

In the case of BMWNA, Individual is a fucking disaster:

(1.) The dealers aren't incented in any way to help you
(2.) The dealers have no fucking idea about any of it
(3.) BMWNA & BMWAG are completely opaque on what can / can't be ordered and pricing.

So, yes, BMW Individual is shady-as-fuck simply because it's a sloppy unorganized mess of a program that creates a horrible customer experience both for those that choose it AND those that don't.

[bringbacklsb]

Originally Posted by GrussGott

Individual WOULDN'T be shady if it was a well run program that catered to the customer experience.

In the case of BMWNA, Individual is a fucking disaster:

(1.) The dealers aren't incented in any way to help you
(2.) The dealers have no fucking idea about any of it
(3.) BMWNA & BMWAG are completely opaque on what can / can't be ordered and pricing.

So, yes, BMW Individual is shady-as-fuck simply because it's a sloppy unorganized mess of a program that creates a horrible customer experience both for those that choose it AND those that don't.

#3 is the worst. If it were rectified it would take care of #2. Individual should be a smooth process especially considering the money involved in ordering such options.

[Brix]

I really think we got a weak palette for F80. Like mineral grey but had on M235 and wanted change. No space grey, 5K for Nardo. Grigio medio/telesto pricey. Limerock only on CS. Tanzanite/azurite dark.. topaz hard to pull off.. champagne quartz a bit warm.

Jeez ur killing me BMW.. I gave up and went refrigerator white. Game over

I will probably let BMW bang or skam me for 5k on a nardo G80. All we can do is pray.

Individual is marketable because a lot of M car owners will pay the extra buck to get exactly what they want

[1M4]

Originally Posted by Nimgaard

I dont find it to be bad practice, after all it makes manufacturing sense to have a set of standard colors.

What bothers me is that they have few standard colors, and some of them are very special. I want my car red, and i dont think there is any red option for M3/M4. Sakhir Orange is way to much for me, and not really a red color.

Ended up ordering an Imola red M4, which im very happy with. But i feel they could have offered a few more base colors, and changed some of the crazier ones for more basic ones.

That was an easier sell than ay but I guess they have their reasons.

[captainaudio]

Originally Posted by Nimgaard

I dont find it to be bad practice, after all it makes manufacturing sense to have a set of standard colors.

What bothers me is that they have few standard colors, and some of them are very special. I want my car red, and i dont think there is any red option for M3/M4. Sakhir Orange is way to much for me, and not really a red color.

Ended up ordering an Imola red M4, which im very happy with. But i feel they could have offered a few more base colors, and changed some of the crazier ones for more basic ones.

The individual colors are standard colors. The only individual thing about them is that the individual who orders them gets shaken down for more money.

[drgmt]

I like the AMG approach here in Australia.

Cars essentially come fully optioned. A few gold class extras. But so easy to order.

[///M-er-gized]

I like the concept of being able to order any color you want. I've seen some really cool colors on Bimmerpost. Violet, Ferrari Red, various shades of blue, etc. From a manufacturers perspective, I think you have to charge a premium for that degree of customization. Otherwise, the economics wouldn't work. They can't offer an almost unlimited palette of colors without charging for that.

[AtlantisF80]

What is shady is how much it costs to order an individual color. $5,000 is a lot!

[Nimgaard]

Originally Posted by captainaudio

The individual colors are standard colors. The only individual thing about them is that the individual who orders them gets shaken down for more money.

As colors go many are standard, its just a mix after all. But BMW cant offer the entire color palette on all models for free or cheap, if they did they would have to add the cost of swapping colors in the factory line or in some cases even hand painting to all cars. Would be a bit silly to have to partially pay for premium paint when ordering an ordinary flat white...

My guess is that they have a number X that they can offer as standard colors for that model or series and everything else is custom that comes at a cost. The selection of colors could be better (Austin Yellow is a pretty special color) but where do you draw the line? Basic red, should it be Imola, Ferrari or Japan red? Or another?

I think the customization possibilities are great, the base selection could be a little less wild on the F8x and the price is debatable on some of the after all pretty basic colors. But overall its a pretty reasonable system when accounting for manufacturing processes and what not.

Im not defending BMW, i would have liked to get my Imola red for "free" but i dont think its shady practice.

[GrussGott]

Originally Posted by ///M-er-gized

I like the concept of being able to order any color you want. I've seen some really cool colors on Bimmerpost. Violet, Ferrari Red, various shades of blue, etc. From a manufacturers perspective, I think you have to charge a premium for that degree of customization. Otherwise, the economics wouldn't work. They can't offer an almost unlimited palette of colors without charging for that.

+1 - This past november we did a custom tour of the factory ... after seeing that, I felt like $5000 was fair.

Plus it's split between BMWNA (or your local importer) and BMWAG. For BMWNA they have to pay a full time salary and benefits for at least one person (we all know who), maybe more, and the all of systems and training to even enable ordering.

And we know the BMWNA person that does it, doesn't just place an order - they have to watch the car and make tweaks all along the way.

Then BMWAG has to fuck with their insanely complicated systems and assembly line process to pull a single car off the line and run it somewhere else for painting and then get it back to the assembly line for completion.

The point is, there are a lot of fix costs for both the importer and the manufacturer and they have to pick a single cost to charge us, only being able to forecast how many people might buy.

I'd be surprised if BMWAG Finance thinks Individual paint is a big profit center.