Purple has a pretty impressive resume at BMW. It’s helped define one of the most recognizable M3 generations, given newer cars some much-needed personality, and made the Individual catalog an even more tempting place to spend money. But there’s more than one way to paint a BMW purple. Some shades lean blue, others look almost black until the sun comes out, and a few are difficult to describe without walking around the car. Continuing our look at BMW’s best paint colors, these are our five favorite purples, counting down to the best.
Thundernight Metallic
Thundernight Metallic made a strong first impression on the G42 2 Series Coupe, appearing in the launch imagery for the M240i in 2021. It was a welcome choice for a compact BMW with a big six-cylinder engine and some rather unconventional styling. I was still working at a dealership when the car debuted, and Thundernight caused an immediate buzz. The deep metallic purple gives the car plenty of personality, capable of great depth but never so dark that you forget it’s purple. BMW subsequently offered it on the facelifted Z4, where it looks equally at home. Perhaps the best thing about Thundernight, though, is that you didn’t need to dive into the Individual program to get it on either car. A purple BMW straight off the regular options list? More of that, please!
Velvet Orchid
Velvet Orchid brings a warmer, almost plum-colored look to the BMW purple palette. There’s a reddish quality to it—it inches toward pink—that separates it from some of the deeper purples here. Meanwhile, the metallic finish keeps it from looking flat across larger body panels. It’s also a bit less saturated than the other choices. It’s a good choice for someone who wants an unusual BMW color with a little more warmth and a little less ’90s nostalgia. We’ve seen it on several very different models; pictured is the M4 Convertible, but we’ve also seen it on cars as demanding as the BMW 7 Series.
Twilight Purple
Twilight Purple’s rich appearance makes it one of the more theatrical choices in BMW’s Individual palette, and it’s particularly effective on a car with big fenders and plenty of attitude. Twilight’s pearl-effect finish adds depth, and the color can darken dramatically as the lighting changes. In brighter conditions, though, there’s very little subtle about it. It really makes sense when you consider the color’s origins. Twilight Purple first appeared on the Rolls-Royce Ghost back in 2010. Does that exclude it from being a “BMW purple?” We don’t think so.
Sepia Metallic
Sepia Metallic is the oddball, and that’s a big part of why it ranks so highly. We’re talking about the violet-toned finish here, rather than Sepia Brown—a nice color, but certainly not a purple. Sepia moves between violet and greenish/greyish metallic tones depending on the light and viewing angle. That gives it something the more straightforward purples can’t quite replicate: you can appreciate the car from one angle, walk a few steps, and find another color entirely. Twilight Purple grabs your attention immediately. Sepia makes you stick around for a closer look. That’s enough to put it in second. The long-term G90 M5 we borrowed came wearing this incredibly unique paint color, and certainly divided opinions. No question about it: we’re fans.
Techno Violet
The E36 M3 made Techno Violet (or Technoviolett) famous, and rightly so. The metallic purple manages to feel unmistakably ’90s without looking like a novelty, and it gives the E36’s relatively restrained bodywork exactly the right amount of flair. BMW itself clearly understands the connection: when it created the 2023 M3 Edition 50 Jahre BMW M, Techno Violet was the color chosen to represent the E36 generation. Even M guy and clothing magnate Ronnie Fieg acknowledged the color; his one-of-one Techno Violet M1 says it all.
As for the color itself, Techno Violet bounces between a dark, nearly-black purple to a brilliant true purple in the sun. There are hints of blue in there at times, but one of the magics of Techno Violet is that it truly stays purple in almost any lighting. Between its unmistakable presence and its indisputable heritage, it’s no wonder Techno Violet is our favorite BMW purple. Which one did we forget?
First published by https://www.bmwblog.com
