2026 BMW M3’s Individual Color Palette Recalls Legendary E36 And E46 M3s
2026 BMW M3’s Individual Color Palette Recalls Legendary E36 And E46 M3s originally appeared on Autoblog.
You’ll have to wait a long time for an M3 in an Individual color, though
Buying a BMW M car like the iconic M3 is obviously dominated by the sheer breadth of performance you have access to over and above cheaper models. But another perk is access to a more adventurous color palette, and that’s evident in the amazing selection of new colors for the 2026 BMW M3. Now that BMW’s configurator for this model is live, we can see what’s new, and the selection includes a couple of heritage colors popularized by the legendary E36 and E46 M3 models.
Different Colors For M3 And M3 Competition
View the 5 images of this gallery on the original article
Interestingly, BMW mixes things up depending on whether you go for the normal manual M3 or the Competition model with its automatic transmission.
Both models have access to eight Individual colors, adding between $3,600 and $4,500 to both models. Common to both are the following Individual shades:
Frozen Brilliant White metallic
Frozen Portimao Blue metallic
Frozen Pure Grey II metallic
Dakar Yellow II
Dakar Yellow was famously used on the E36 M3, and it became one of that model’s signature colors. It suits the brash G80’s design, too, and only emphasizes the massive kidney grille of this generation of the M3. Another plus is resale value, as yellow is the color that helps cars retain the most value in the used market.
The following Individual colors are unique to the base M3:
Imola Red II
Laguna Seca Blue
Technoviolet metallic
Oxford Green II metallic
Although the E46 M3's signature color was the gold-tinged Phoenix Yellow, Imola Red is another vibrant shade that debuted on this classic version of the M3. Laguna Seca Blue is another color made famous by the E46 M3, while Technoviolet was seen on the E36. The final Individual shade that’s unique to the standard M3 is Oxford Green II, a deep shade that does a better job of lessening the impact of the grille.
View the 4 images of this gallery on the original article
The M3 Competition (pictured immediately above) gets its own versions of the normal M3's unique shades:
Cinnabar
Avus Blue metallic
Goodwood Green Pearl Effect metallic
Daytona Violet metallic
Daytona Violet is a striking choice, and continues BMW’s recent trend of purple shades for sporty models; this color isn’t too different from the Thundernight hue you can get on the M240i.Cinnabar Red is a color that was used on the original E30 M3.
Goodwood Green Pearl Effect replaces the base M3’s Oxford Green, but both are racy options that are similar to the classic British Racing Green. Avus Blue is yet another shade that was used on the classic E36 M3.
Related: BMW M celebrates 50 years with historic colors, heritage emblem
Expect To Wait Longer For Your M3 In These Colors
BMW states on its site that certain Individual colors will extend the M3’s production time by between 10 and 14 weeks from the time that the dealer registers the order. Considering that many customers already wait several months for a custom M3, and you will need to be patient for the hot sedan if it’s finished in one of these colors.
It’s nice to see BMW having some fun with the M3’s color palette, while also recalling past M models that made them popular. Although the M3 has changed a lot over the decades—the top model now makes over 500 horsepower—it still has many of the ingredients that define the nameplate. A manual gearbox, rear-wheel drive, and an inline six-cylinder engine are revered M3 qualities that BMW fans can still enjoy heading into 2026.
At least one of those elements, the straight-six engine, will be sticking around for a while longer.
Related: BMW M Will Do Anything To Keep Straight-Sixes Singing And V8s Roaring
2026 BMW M3’s Individual Color Palette Recalls Legendary E36 And E46 M3s first appeared on Autoblog on Jul 23, 2025
This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Jul 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
