JeffNNJ

I am back to colors again. Just wondering how many of you have owned a series of BMWs all with the same above mentioned colors. In the new 550i alone, 4 out of the 11 available colors are some derivative of silver or gray. Personally, I have owned an Arctic Silver 328i convertible, a Titanium Silver M3 convertible and a Silver Gray 550i. Why do they do this?? Why not a couple of red or burgundy based colors?? The red on the new M5 is, IMO, by far the definitive color. Recently I have seen a few Lexus' and a Maserati Quattroporte in burgundy and the color was gorgeous. The E60 would also look incredible in a deep chestnut brown or beige. I cannot, for the life of me, figure out why their color palate is so limited.

bauska

I have Olivin Green. Not a very popular color, but I like it.

sol

Jeff,

Check the post, but I believe I read somewhere recently, that for the 2009 550 with M sport, (Imola?) red would be offered.

kscarrol

All you have to do is look in the mirror, you alone have bought three of them. They sell!!! They are relatively easy to keep clean compared to other colors and while you and others find brighter colors appealing many do not. I can't recall where I saw this (maybe here!) but I seem to recall a survey of resale values in the UK where silver brought the highest resale value as it appealed to the most buyers. More obscure colors like reds brought less resale as there were fewer folks who liked it.

GT Premi

Having a small options list makes for higher resale also. Look at the cars with high resale and look at the options lists. BMW - high resale, few options. Honda - high resale, very few options. The Chrysler 300 comes with 2 interior color options, light gray or dark gray, and maybe 5 exterior colors. Even it has a high resale value.

But, yeah, it would be nice if BMW had a larger color palette. I'd LOVE to have my car in Jet Black with a Crimson Red/Black interior!

Hawkwing

Here's a couple of web pages that no doubt are replicated elsewhere, contentious? Certainly!

Colour 'rules' driver behaviour - White = 'agressive' according to the article! (IMO the e60 appeals in White, I guess I'm must be agressive then?)

http://icmidlands.icnetwork.co.uk/motors/n...mp;siteid=63127


Which colour? Resale value etc. - Silver = 'safe' according to the artile here! (Ummm........)

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/car-b...cbg_colour.html

westcoast550

I personally think lighter colors highlight the body contours of the e 60 ,as well as being much better at hiding dirt.I have never owned a white car before but I'm sold on them now .........remember white is the new black !!

JSpira

I like Titansilber myself but I don't think that the E60 looks as good in lighter colors as dark - plus I've had 3 Titansilber cars recently plus Sparkling Graphite.

So I opted for Carbonschwarz metallic, which I really like and is possibly one of the best colors for the car.

tuco

I have had over time a total of 6 5Series cars - current E60 is Alpine White and I love it...previous 5s colors included Verona Red on a 1976, Baltic Blue on a '82, Black on a '83, some kind of Beige on a '81, and Bahama Beige (really a dark brown) on a '85.

My favorite is my current 535xi in AW - white just really suits the current car.

CWS530

I have 354 Silver and I do see myself coming and going quite a bit. I really like the color, so it doesn't really bother me to not stick out too much. I know that BMW, Audi, MB, etc. have been putting a lot of silver variations out there, but nonetheless, I would choose it even if it weren't popular. Usually, I tend to like things the majority do not, but I guess in this case I'm a conformist.

Actually, since my e46 also was Titanium Metallic, I was hoping to get the slightly darker shade--Silver Gray Metallic or even Space Gray (might have been too dark)--just for something a little different. However, necessity forced me to move quickly and the 530 with the features I wanted that was available at the right price happened to be the exact same color. At least I went from light gray to black interior, so I got a little change. Although, that light grey carpet & interior was so easy to keep clean compared to black.

I'm one of those super picky "not a spot" kind of guys, so black or dark blue paint are out for me. I think they look gorgeous clean, and I really hand it to those guys who have them for their dedication, but I would be so OCD over dust, spots, etc., I'd drive myself nuts. I had an older black on black 911 a few years back, and had the time at that stage of my life to stay on top of it to my satisfaction. The other issue was that on hot summer days, I felt like I was melting into the seats. I haven't found that to be the case with my two white and two silver cars, all of which have had different color interiors: dark blue, tan, gray, and now black.

The other issue, of course, is desirability in the marketplace. Silver, white, and black variations are fairly "neutral" and generally will appeal to (or at least not repel) a broader resale market, which is a concern for some of us. One of the local dealers had a dark green on tan e60 on the lot long before and long after I bought mine. They kept lowering the price, but still it sat. It was a beautiful car, but waited a long time for the right purchaser to come along.

I do agree that a red variation would look great. I had a red car once, and found it somewhat easy to keep clean, plus it was just a very attractive color. I think enough BMW guys enjoy the sportiness aspect of the e60 to support a bright color in the red family. I also think burgundy with a tan interior would look classy.