If you’re going to buy a BMW XM, I see no point in picking one of its normal colors. Forget that. If you’re going to spend well over six figures for an SUV with the sort of bulbous, overly brash looks of the XM, go for an overly brash color. Plus, as controversial as it is, the XM is a pretty special car, so get it in a special color, such as Sao Paulo Yellow.

For those who aren’t die-hard purists among us, Sao Paulo Yellow was first introduced on the G82 BMW M4 just a couple of years ago. It’s a bright, non-metallic, highlighter yellow that gives any car it touches some much needed pop. Few colors on earth will attract more attention, for better or worse, than Sao Paulo Yellow.

Flashy Color

When it first launched on the BMW M4, fans were split on the almost absurdly bright yellow. It made the already outlandish M4 stick out even further. Fans of the M4’s design were into it but BMW enthusiasts that didn’t love the knew design felt colors like Sao Paulo Yellow exacerbated it. So how does it work on the BMW XM? Well, shockingly, it actually works pretty well.

I’m no big fan of the XM’s design (shocker, I know), as it’s just a bit too frumpy and odd looking from most angles. Its proportions seem off and its giant metal slab of a tailgate just feels wrong. However, it is very interesting looking, as it looks like nothing else from BMW, or any brand for that matter. So adding a vibrant, exciting color like Sao Paulo Yellow takes a bit of the XM’s seriousness away and makes it a bit more fun. That cheeky fun makes the XM’s strange design a bit more palatable.

738 horsepower

Being a normal BMW XM, this car uses an S68 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 and an electric motor to make 650 horsepower. It isn’t the new Label Red version, which makes an astonishing 738 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque. However, 650 horsepower should be more than fine, even if BMW does rate it at 4.1 seconds from 0-60 mph , which is a bit slow by modern performance car standards. Especially when said performance cars make 650 horsepower.

If you’re looking to get into a BMW XM, you should very much consider getting a special color like this. It isn’t often you get to buy a truly new car from BMW, one that isn’t based on any existing model, so if you can get one, paint it the right way.