The BMW “M” and other flagship models come in a wide range of colors. However, each color name has some kind of a history behind. Several colors provided by BMW on its cars are inspired by racetracks and BMWBLOG takes a close look at such circuit-influenced color names.
Laguna Seca Blue – Named after the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca circuit located in California, United States. It is an important place in BMW’s racing history as BMW Motorsport’s second win came here. More recently, the BMW 24 GTLM tasted success at the track in its debut year, finishing second in the 2014 USCC race.
Dakar Yellow- Taken from the Dakar endurance rally that initially took place from Paris to Dakar. The rally is now held in South America (Argentina and Chile). The 2014 winner of the rally was a BMW-powered Mini, boasting a 3.0-liter diesel engine.
Estoril Blue– Inspired by the Autodromo do Estoril, a motor racing track in Portugal, which hosted the Formula One (F1) Grand Prix (GP) from 1984 to 1996. Aryton Senna won his first race at the Estoril, while BMW launched its 4 Series coupe over here.
Le Mans Blue- Not much needs to be said here. The color owes its origin to the 24-Hour Le Mans race where BMW has been a common contender, winning the title in 1999.
Imola Red- After the Imola F1 track in San Marino, where BMW Williams won its first race, in 2001. Ralf Schumacher claimed the checkered flag and the triumph happened to be the German’s first F1 win as well. The car he drove was a Williams FW 23- although it was hugely unreliable throughout the season, it was known for its sheer pace and power.
Kalahari Beige-The color is best suited for the luxury line of cars, mostly the 7 Series. It takes inspiration from the Kalahari safari that takes place in South Africa.
Kyalami Orange- Kyalami Racing Circuit is a racing track situated in South Africa. BMW Car Club Gauteng occasionally hold track days at the circuit. Moreover, the club “chose Kyalami as the venue for its Guinness World Record Parade attempt in 2013”. A total of 446 BMW’s took the track that day.
Montreal Blue- Based on the Grand Prix track in Montreal, Canada. Robert Kubica won the F1 race for BMW Sauber over there, in 2008.
Avus Blue- Avus is the oldest “controlled-access” highway in Europe. It runs through Germany and was used for racing purposes till 1998. The Berlin Marathon (now called the BMW Berlin Marathon) initially ran parallel to the Avus highway.
Silverstone Metallic and Silverstone Jerez Black- Silverstone is the famous British racing track. BMW-powered vehicles have been victorious over here on several occasions. Famous wins include the triumph by Duller Motorsport team (driving a BMW Z4) in 2006 and 2007 at the Silverstone Britcar 24-Hour. Also, in 2014, Ryuichi Kiyonari claimed his 50th career BSB win at the Silverstone circuit, driving a BMW S1000 R bike.
Monaco Blue- We all know what Monaco Blue will be inspired by- the famed Monaco street circuit also called the “Monte Carlo”. JP Montoya came first in the 2008 Monaco GP, driving a BMW-powered car. Monte Carlo was also one of the tracks used for the BMW M1 Procar Championship that took place in 1979 and 1980. Two more tracks mentioned in this list- the Avus and the Silverstone also held races for the same championship.
Biarritz Blue- Biarritz is the end point of the classic rally that starts from Paris. It is the oldest motor race in France, lasting over five days. BMW generally take part in the event.
Valencia Orange- Named after the Valencia-Ricardo Torno Circuit, where BMW hold their Young Talent Cup. It also needs to be mentioned that on the shores of Valencia, BMW Oracle Racing team won the 33rd America’s Cup.
Sepang Bronze- Influenced by the F1 track in Malaysia. In 2002, Ralf Schumacher drove his Williams BMW car to the finish line in first place, describing his drive as “almost perfect”.
Sakhir Orange- The Bahrain International Circuit is located in Sakhir. Apart from F1 GP’s, 24-hour endurance races are also held at this track.
Melbourne Red- Melbourne is the abode of the Australian F1 racetrack. The latter is located in close proximity to central Melbourne and goes around the Albert Park Lake. BMW track days are held here.
Interlagos Blue– Interlagos is the former name of the Brazilian GP racetrack, located in Sao Paulo. JP Montoya won the F1 race over here in 2004, driving a Williams BMW.
Indianapolis Red- Inspired by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway where several motor events are held. These include the F1 GP, NASCAR series, IndyCar Series and Moto GP. BimmerWorld registered a historic “1-2 victory at the inaugural Indianapolis Motor Speedway Grand-AM Race” in 2012.
Yas Marina Blue – Inspired by the Formula 1 track in Abu Dhabi
Daytona Violet – Inspired by the famous race and race track in Daytona, Florida
