I’ve been shouting about BMW Individual colors forever and it seems like I might be yelling into a void. However, I’m going to keep doing it because we keep getting excellent photo galleries of M cars with Individual colors and the gospel needs to spread. This latest gallery features a G80 BMW M3 in Individual Purple Silk, with Fiona Red interior. The BMW M3 looks best in darker colors and, as I recently learned, it seems to specifically work best with purples. This Purple Silk (sounds like a long-lost Prince album) proves that right, as it looks killer.

A BMW Individual Color

As I think many of us can agree, the G80 M3 isn’t among the best looking M3s of all time. Its grille obviously has a lot to do with that but it’s far from the only issue. It isn’t muscular enough and its weird rear fender flare abruptly ends before the rear door, as if BMW was too cheap to design a new rear door panel to gracefully blend the flare out. However, all is forgiven if the right color is spec’d and I think Purple Silk does the trick.

There’s a moody darkness to it that will make it look good at night but it’s also vibrant enough to feel fun and special. In sunlight, it really pops and looks lovely. Admittedly, I’m not sure Fiona Red interior works with the purple (although, I do love a good red interior) but I like that this customer had some fun with the color spec. Also, the 50th anniversary emblems are a nice touch.

Six-Speed Manual

This specific M3 is a standard car, which means it uses the 473 horsepower version of the twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six engine. It also gets a six-speed manual and rear-wheel drive. I like how this customer wanted the entry-level model specifically, to get the manual transmission, as all of the upgrades—Purple Silk paint and M Performance add-ons—easily bump its price past Competition spec. So this customer got the exact car they wanted, they didn’t just go to a dealer lot and pick one out, and I love seeing that.

[Photos: Salil Saxena]