Enthusiasts Blogging Our Favorite Classifieds
Just a few weeks ago I took a look at an M4 coupe run through BMW’s Individual department:
These wild colors have really proliferated over the last few years, and the result is that there are some pretty cool ones on the second-hand market. Case in point is today’s ’15 M4 convertible. It combines a neat color pallet (Peridot Green Metallic paint, Opal White leather, and dark red sycamore wood trim) with a manual gearbox and a convertible hardtop. Neat!
If you know me at all or even remotely follow these posts, you’ll know we’re here for two reasons. The lesser here, amazingly, is that this is an Alpina. Now, modern Alpinas may have lost some of the unique character that the company infused into them in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, but they’re still very special and very rare cars to see. But let’s get to the real reason this one caught my eye…and will catch the eye of anyone, really. This particular 2019 B7 xDrive was run through BMW’s Individual department. Now, the color isn’t disclosed in the ad, but I’m pretty sure this is one of my favorites – Java Green Metallic.
Okay, I’ve been on a run of drop-top BMWs recently, and the Alpina B3 3.0 Cabriolet had me wondering – what’s the ideal spec for an E36 convertible? I think I may have found it. This last-model-year convertible we’re looking at today is a European-specification model, which means it’s got the 321 horsepower 3.2-liter S50 with individual throttle bodies. Great! It’s also got a hardtop, the interior isn’t black, and it’s got the forged Style 24s. Wow! To top it off, though? Yeah, it was run through BMW’s Individual department and came out the other side in Violet Blue Metallic. Oh, and it’s only got 46,000 miles, and seems surprisingly affordable given all these factors. Why? Let’s check it out!
There’s no doubt that the G8x M3 and M4 are…polarizing. If the styling wasn’t enough to push you off, in order to keep up with the Joneses, BMW added all-wheel drive to the lineup as well. The results are undeniable; the M4 Competition xDrive coupe hits 60 in just 2.8 seconds thanks mostly to the system being able to channel its 503 horsepower to the ground. Remember when that was quick for a bike? Despite their nearly two-ton curb weight, they’re also capable of 1g-plus in the corners, thanks in no small part to the 19 and 20″ wheels with super-sticky Michelins that are part of the Competition Package. The all-wheel-drive system also adds a surprisingly small amount of weight, and it can be reverted to rear-drive only; quite the trick. The convertible also went from the complicated and heavy hardtop mechanism to a more traditional soft top for the first time since the E46. That meant it was about 40% lighter than the hardtop, though it does limit the color pallet.
In the convertible version, the M4 is limited to Competition and xDrive configuration. So equipped, it starts at over $87k – and this one adds in Executive package for $1,800, the M Driver’s package, $2,500, M Drive Professional package for $900, piano black trim for $1,000, neck warmers for $650, front seat ventilation for $350, and the ~$5k Individual charge for its Mint Green paintwork. I’m guessing you’re not going to be surprised by the asking price, as a result:
Of all the cars to spend the extra money on for a BMW Individual color, this was not one I would have guessed. This is a 1999 BMW 316i, better know as the ti to us Americans. It was the compact hatchback body of the E36 and generally known as the “cheap” version. For the rest of the world, not so much, as little hatchback versions of luxury brands are the norm and not looked down on in any way. They just exist. That probably explains how this car ended up finished in the very cool Fiji Green and how it seems so inexpensive today. Too bad this one needs another two years before it is welcomed to the US because it has some great equipment on it.
