Current US M3 CS production breakdown by color (April '18)

[doug_999]

Chatted with the dealer today...

Current color breakdown of the M3CS
128 San Marino Blue
83 Alpine White (why? people, why?)
78 BSM (see above)
103 Lime Rock
61 Frozen Blue

All status 102, so still changeable (except for Lime Rock, as that is sold out)

No production slots available past May 2018. He suspects (as rumored) that will be the EOP of the M3 and that the CS, if built after that, will get an exception from the new emissions as the production is very low.

[LOW4LYF]

Don't think we getting more LRG than Alpine white...Frozen blue and LRG is very limited.

[mpizutti]

Originally Posted by doug_999

Chatted with the dealer today...

Current color breakdown of the M3CS
128 San Marino Blue
83 Alpine White (why? people, why?)
78 BSM (see above)
103 Lime Rock
61 Frozen Blue

All status 102, so still changeable (except for Lime Rock, as that is sold out)

No current M3 production slot avail past May 2018. He suspects (as rumored) that will be the EOP of the M3 and the CS, if built after that, will get an exception from the new emissions as the production is very low.

total cars you have listed is 453..missing 97 cars?? as 550 are coming to the US.

[doug_999]

Numbers are all from the BMW system. Dealer thought 463 was total and did not know why 10 were missing. In short, the numbers are what they are. You can ask your dealer to confirm.

[MRCUR]

Definitely seems quite odd that LRG has such a high number of units.

Nevertheless, good info to see.

[SO17]

I believe that all of the cars are spec'ed by BMW and the spec isn't changeable. Info from a UK forum member who has one on order. His dealer had to search through the system to find one which was closest to the spec. he wanted.

[f82fanatic]

Originally Posted by SO17

I believe that all of the cars are spec'ed by BMW and the spec isn't changeable. Info from a UK forum member who has one on order. His dealer had to search through the system to find one which was closest to the spec. he wanted.

Anyone know if dealers in the US can see incoming cars assigned to dealerships?

[doug_999]

Originally Posted by f82fanatic

Anyone know if dealers in the US can see incoming cars assigned to dealerships?

Yes, they can.

edit: per my dealer, 36 unsold M3s for May production as of today.

[CanAutM3]

Originally Posted by MRCUR

Definitely seems quite odd that LRG has such a high number of units.

Nevertheless, good info to see.

The BMW Canada documentation indicates that LRG and FDB are both each limited to 20% of the production volume. The numbers in the OP are consistent with this.

[dezzracer]

Originally Posted by doug_999

Chatted with the dealer today...

Current color breakdown of the M3CS
128 San Marino Blue
83 Alpine White (why? people, why?)
78 BSM (see above)
103 Lime Rock
61 Frozen Blue

All status 102, so still changeable (except for Lime Rock, as that is sold out)

No production slots available past May 2018. He suspects (as rumored) that will be the EOP of the M3 and that the CS, if built after that, will get an exception from the new emissions as the production is very low.

Why people why Alpine White?? Because this car is absolutely stunning in Alpine white off set by all the CF/ black trim/dark grey wheels. I know because I have one in white. It’s hot in Nevada and white is cool. White is easy to take care of. And lastly, some of us do not want a color that screams look at me! My 2nd choice would have been LRG. I looked hard at the other colors and .... ehhh.

[dezzracer]

My first BMW and my first post

[CanAutM3]

We now have the final colour breakdown for the 607 M3cs that landed in the US:

209 SMB
125 AW
118 BSM
~81 LRG
~74 FDB

[Parabolica]

LRG is by far the best colour to pick in 2018. It may be the worst colour in a few years but time will tell.

[CanAutM3]

Originally Posted by Parabolica

LRG is by far the best colour to pick in 2018. It may be the worst colour in a few years but time will tell.

Especially for us Canadians since we get it for free

[doug_999]

Originally Posted by dezzracer

Why people why Alpine White?? Because this car is absolutely stunning in Alpine white off set by all the CF/ black trim/dark grey wheels. I know because I have one in white. It’s hot in Nevada and white is cool. White is easy to take care of. And lastly, some of us do not want a color that screams look at me! My 2nd choice would have been LRG. I looked hard at the other colors and .... ehhh.

So let me explain...
Alpine White is one of the only "Free" colors you can get on a BMW (primer if you will ). Jet Black was the other but I have not seen that for a while.

Most metallic colors in the US are a $550 up charge (from memory). So Alpine White is the most popular color on BMWs - because when you are shopping for a 320/330 $550 is a lot of money.

Now on the CS, you get the option of three colors that are known as Individual Colors. Those colors, well the San Marino Blue and Lime Rock, are normally a $5,200 up charge (by memory here) in the US. So on the CS, you can get a color that is VERY rare and normally $5,200 for free.

So that's where the why comes from.

[CanAutM3]

Originally Posted by doug_999

So let me explain...
Alpine White is one of the only "Free" colors you can get on a BMW (primer if you will ). Jet Black was the other but I have not seen that for a while.

Most metallic colors in the US are a $550 up charge (from memory). So Alpine White is the most popular color on BMWs - because when you are shopping for a 320/330 $550 is a lot of money.

Now on the CS, you get the option of three colors that are known as Individual Colors. Those colors, well the San Marino Blue and Lime Rock, are normally a $5,200 up charge (by memory here) in the US. So on the CS, you can get a color that is VERY rare and normally $5,200 for free.

So that's where the why comes from.

As a tidbit, there is indeed a particular marketing strategy in the US. San Marino Blue has been made a standard metallic colour in the rest of the world on all M3 and M4 replacing Silverstone. This is consistent with the colours offered on the CS in the US where BSM and SMB are both offered for the standard metallic colour $550 upcharge. LRG and FDB are "true" individual colours and command a $5000 premium on the CS in the US. However, BMW USA have elected to keep charging extra for SMB in the US on the other M3/4 even if it no longer is an actual individual colour.