Anyone else think Individual paint is shady practice?

[Tacoma]

Originally Posted by 48Laws

That wasn't the point. The differences in colors seems so trivial to warrant the price.

Then what is the point? If it's so trivial to you then don't pay for it. Different people have different opinions and if it matters to you enough to pay for it, that's your prerogative. That's why it's call "Individual" i.e., unique. If it were cheaper then it wouldn't be individually unique and they should call it by another name.

As for pricing, my understanding is that the assembly process the more colors you have the more costly since each color is a separately line. If it's a unique color then you have to stop one of the lines to switch paint that would involve cleansing all the parts that touches paint to rid of the previous paint (or if not cleansing, replacing the part entirely) and then once that's special paint is done, to change it back again. That's a lot of labor and time loss to switch to another paint for one car and the switch back again. Thus more money both in terms of opportunity cost (lost time to change over) and direct cost.

I'm sure there are ways to mitigate these extra costs but nevertheless, I don't think it's as simple as just switching a can of paint. Surely they must make more profit off individual paint and you can argue BMW could've made better choices of their standard paint colors and BMW can be shady in many areas but I'm not seeing any shady practice in regards to paint at all.

[minn19]

I’m not a big fan of a lot of BMW practices, but I think this is what it is. As others have said most manufacturers only give you limited choices. At least BMW gives you an option to get something you really want, but yah you have to pay for it as it is costly to paint a car a non standard color. Are they making money on it, sure but try and get a complete quality paint job for 5 grand at a reputable body shop.

[Wills2]

Originally Posted by domino_z

The sham is a lot of these great colours used to be stock brochure colours back in the e36 days

Looking at the price of these cars in Oz, I would have thought the cost of paint is the least of your worries.





(not to mention all those things you have that can kill you just roaming round)

[ZMM_OMG]

I don't think it's a "scam" per se. As others have pointed out, nobody's forced to pay for an Individual order. I do think they missed the boat with the standard colors by offering polarizing colors like Austin Yellow and Sakhir Orange.

Had it been up to me, I'd have offered:

Standard colors: Alpine White, Black Sapphire, Mineral Grey, Silverstone, LeMans Blue, and Imola Red

Semi-Individual ($1,950 in US): Mineral White, Yas Marina Blue, Sakhir Orange, Austin Yellow, Daytona Violet

Full Individual ($5,500+ in US): Paint to sample

One thing I find incredibly annoying is that BMW allows dealers to order full Individual cars for the showroom. If BMW is serious about maintaining the program as an expression of individuality, one shouldn't find their dream color in dealer stock.

[48Laws]

Originally Posted by Tacoma

Then what is the point? If it's so trivial to you then don't pay for it. Different people have different opinions and if it matters to you enough to pay for it, that's your prerogative. That's why it's call "Individual" i.e., unique. If it were cheaper then it wouldn't be individually unique and they should call it by another name.

As for pricing, my understanding is that the assembly process the more colors you have the more costly since each color is a separately line. If it's a unique color then you have to stop one of the lines to switch paint that would involve cleansing all the parts that touches paint to rid of the previous paint (or if not cleansing, replacing the part entirely) and then once that's special paint is done, to change it back again. That's a lot of labor and time loss to switch to another paint for one car and the switch back again. Thus more money both in terms of opportunity cost (lost time to change over) and direct cost.

I'm sure there are ways to mitigate these extra costs but nevertheless, I don't think it's as simple as just switching a can of paint. Surely they must make more profit off individual paint and you can argue BMW could've made better choices of their standard paint colors and BMW can be shady in many areas but I'm not seeing any shady practice in regards to paint at all.

Im not arguing from an emotional standpoint like you. This topic to me is as important as arguing whether or not pinapple should be on pizza. This topic doesnt shake my soul. That said, for BMW to create fake scarcity and sell it for $5,000 is mildly amusing because I know the game. In another thread, it was reported that nearly 70,000 M3/4s, if im not mistaken, have been sold to date! There is no complicated process to change the painting process of a common 3/4 series. This is not a Pagani. Sorry.

[HoldenMI]

The only base color is white. All other "stock" colors have a charge for metallic paint. The limited available colors and the high price of Individual colors are a practice that BMW uses to maximize profits. Do I like the practice? No. How do I respond? By buying an in stock car with a "stock" color. It all depends on what you're willing to spend to get closer to exactly what you want....

[DML]

This is why BMW introduced 3 of 4 undesirable "M" colors, all about the 5k.

[khanyam4]

The individual program that BMW offer is awesome. The colors that BMW decided to offer standard on the M3/M4 is straight BULL and the interior color is garbage also. The nicer brown interior color is standard on the 3 series, the nicer exterior color is standard on the F10 M5, etc as an example. Nobody is in the business of not making as much money as they can. BMW is no different. I understand their game and I ain't mad at them for it. If I was BMW I would do the same thing.

BMW also realize hey we can make more money off these dudes by tapping into the aftermarket scene with black kidney, black side vent, exhaust, spring,etc.

btw 48Laws I feel you man.

[48Laws]

Originally Posted by khanyam4

The individual program that BMW offer is awesome. The colors that BMW decided to offer standard on the M3/M4 is straight BULL and the interior color is garbage also. The nicer brown interior color is standard on the 3 series, the nicer exterior color is standard on the F10 M5, etc as an example. Nobody is in the business of not making as much money as they can. BMW is no different. I understand their game and I ain't mad at them for it. If I was BMW I would do the same thing.

BMW also realize hey we can make more money off these dudes by tapping into the aftermarket scene with black kidney, black side vent, exhaust, spring,etc.

btw 48Laws I feel you man.

I wonder how much the aftermarket is affected when BMW duplicates the parts when love to mod with?

[khanyam4]

Originally Posted by 48Laws

I wonder how much the aftermarket is affected when BMW duplicates the parts when love to mod with?

Don’t know not sure

[Gibson6594]

Originally Posted by 48Laws

Im not arguing from an emotional standpoint like you. This topic to me is as important as arguing whether or not pinapple should be on pizza. This topic doesnt shake my soul. That said, for BMW to create fake scarcity and sell it for $5,000 is mildly amusing because I know the game. In another thread, it was reported that nearly 70,000 M3/4s, if im not mistaken, have been sold to date! There is no complicated process to change the painting process of a common 3/4 series. This is not a Pagani. Sorry.

Wait a minute. Who the F said pinapple doesn't belong on pizza? I want names.

[sandjam]

Originally Posted by bd307

Most of these people who got extra cash to burn are trying to be the Special group and brag about the $5k paint they got. Believe it or not.

Who's bragging about anything? I have never seen one person brag on the forum about paying 5000.00 extra, lol.

Where do you people make this stuff up at?

We are getting what we enjoy. I worked hard for the M and not going to skimp out and get something I don't really like.

Really sounds more like people who don't have the money are just mad at BMW they can't get it for free. I bet if the Individual colors were 1000.00 you be signing up in a second.

No one has ever asked me how much my paint costs, just:

"What is that awesome color called?"

Hell yeah I WOULD rather have the color I wanted been a standard color for no charge, but the F82 colors are just what BMW designers decided for this generation. Its not a conspiracy.

I love the individual program. And it actually is what keeps bringing me back to BMW. I know I can get a color something close to what I want no matter what the standard ones are.

I mean my color (Avus Blue), was one of the original M3 colors. That's a 20 y/o color and I could get a 2016 painted in it. Sorry, but that's awesome.

I love Blues on BMW's and the Yas Marina just wasn't my shade personally (although in person they look incredible on that body).

Yes 5000.00 is a chunk of change, but not unreasonable for the logistics they have to go through to do 1 car in a different color.
All the parts that hang on the car (door handles, mirrors, bumper covers, etc.) are all painted by the parts suppliers, not in the factory. They all have to be coordinated with the parts suppliers for that 1 color. The color has to be tested to make sure the formulas match, etc. It's not as easy as some on here just make up in their heads.

Its a BMW, not a HONDA Accord. You already know everything is more expensive right off the bat. Not sure why its such a controversy.

If you think color is so trivial, then buy a black or white one and stop complaining.

I am so happy I got the color I did.

[48Laws]

Originally Posted by Gibson6594

Wait a minute. Who the F said pinapple doesn't belong on pizza? I want names.

[Germanauto]

Feels like a scam because it makes an already expensive decently equipped M3/M4 hit $80K+.

$80 f*ckin K+ for what's still part of the 3-series line?

Sorry, I'm looking at Porsche and the Jag F-type for that type of coin. Better driver's cars, more exotic nameplates, cooler cars.

[stooker]

Originally Posted by sandjam

This is the piece I don’t get. It’s not for other people! It’s for the owner. Who cares what other people notice.

In the end, yes this is true. But for some of the colors, nobody would care if a similar color was offered at little to no extra charge. it’s only because of the absence of an option that all the other options are suddenly obsessed over. False hype.

I can totally understand if someone wants their F8x to be the *exact* color of previous car, or if someone really wants something unique to stand out from the crowd.

So yup, speak with your wallet, as they say. That’s why I went AW.

[jasnh]

Originally Posted by bd307

Most of these people who got extra cash to burn are trying to be the Special group and brag about the $5k paint they got. Believe it or not.

Not sure where you’re getting this idea from, I haven’t seen anyone on this board “brag” about spending an extra $5K....for me, I had AY on my 2015....wasn’t sold on SO, and SSII was being discontinued so I decided to go with Atlantis Metallic. I agree that $5K is a lot of money for paint, and I didn’t come to this decision lightly, however, I was able to justify it by choosing a color I really wanted over the Exec Pkg.....and choosing manual over DCT. (Ok, that one wasn’t a hard decision)

[48Laws]

I’m unaffected by someone bragging because I’m not insecure, however, you do see more threads and pictures of those who spent extra on individual paint.

[Arcades]

I personally believe Audi RS3 has the worst current color given for stock. There are 4 different gray colors including Nardo Gray. Then 1 blue, 1 red, 1 black.

BMW F8x has 1 gray, 2 whites, 1 black, 1 yellow and 1 red/orange. Then some semi-individual colors. I'm pretty sure BMW NA can see the numbers of F8x sold in which colors and how many are in individual.

Posting about your car w/ individual color doesn't mean you are bragging, it just means you are happy with what you got. I don't understand how people think it is bragging because you didn't get Alpine White like half of the popular did.

[Nothing]

I don't want them to stop offering individual colors because later on I may want that option and I still firmly believe that OEM paint is the best. I'd never take a brand new car and strip it and repaint it.

That said, they really should offer more standard colors (some may have to cost a bit more to order) but it would be nice. M cars should have some more lively colors options. Just not Austin Yellow.

[jasnh]

Originally Posted by 48Laws

I’m unaffected by someone bragging because I’m not insecure, however, you do see more threads and pictures of those who spent extra on individual paint.

Originally Posted by Arcades

Posting about your car w/ individual color doesn't mean you are bragging, it just means you are happy with what you got. I don't understand how people think it is bragging because you didn't get Alpine White like half of the popular did.

This ^^^
I fail to see how someone posting about their new M with Individual paint is any different than someone posting about their new M with AW, MW or any of the standard colors....and those that make a post without a pic are immediately asked to post pics!
And if it bothers you enough to make the assumption they are bragging, then maybe you are insecure.

[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.

[OUGrad05]

BMW has just as many colors as other MFG's in their competitive set.