What's My Color?

[macfly]

There was a Carbon Black Metallic car at the big gathering in Munich, the one with the chrome rims and red/white plate.

Though my eye picked up on it''s slightly inky bluer blackness the camera doesn't show the difference at all in the dull cloudy light. I suspect it's deep metal flake luster would really sparkle in the bright sunlight, as I know that color from a friends M3 here, and it is glorious in bright sunlight, though the all black interior rather wastes the potential of the Individual Division's magic.

J?rgen has said that the Carbon Black Metallic with full Saddle interior is one of the prettiest color combos he has seen so far, but sadly that car is in deep storage and has never been to a Z8 Club event.

[thegunguy]

I'd love to see the Carbon/Saddle car one day. The E39 M5 in Carbon and Caramel leather is simply stunning. I had a Carbon/Cinnamon M3 Cab on order back in 2001 before I fell to the temptation of a 540i sport 6spd that was on the showroom floor every time I visited the dealer. It remains my favorite BMW of all time.

If you haven't seen it, it's still available on the current 550 and the new 7. It's a wonderful black with a purple ink metal flake. Think mimeograph ink.

I'm not sure if it was part of the Individual pallet, but I'd be very curious to see a Ruby Black and Saddle. Remember the M6 at the M division on the Mille Miglia trip?

[zed8]

I noticed that the first car (Stratus with black/red interior) has a pair of very nice rubber-nubby floor mats. I would love to know where I might be able to get a pair just like them. Please let me know if they are available and if so, how might I get a pair. Thanks.

I noticed that one as well. As far as I know Z8 did not have rubber mats and that one seems like another BMW rubber mat since the contour is different.

By the way, the white car in the post#75 and the orange in the post#36 might be the same cars with different colored films covered. Because both cars have the same black alpina wheels, black mirrors, door handles etc. But the white looks great.

[zilver8]

A copper wrap or respray in France . It doesn't look like red to me.

[zilver8]

Spotted on google search... flat black (wrap I assume) with Alpina wheels. Call me old fashioned, but I prefer gloss paint.

[Norcal]

Yet still a glossy dash! Perhaps do a matte grey wrap...a real "primer" look!

[evilol]

Some pix of mine...

[gutMD]

Me Too.

[Norcal]

Nice pics!

[Z8doc]

I think my favorite Topaz is honestly with the Black. The Creme' is a close second and the Red, third. But, honestly, I like them all !!

[zilver8]

An Alpina in Alpina Blue with red/black interior in a Tokyo showroom. Similar to the topaz/red a few posts above.

[macfly]

Wow, nice find, very unusual, but not as beautiful as it is rare.

[thegunguy]

Hmmmmm...Z8 seats in an Alpina. Odd.

I have always preferred Alpina blau to Topaz. I like its warmth.

[Z8Mania]

BEAUTIFUL!!!!

[gutMD]

Midnight Blue/Arizona Sun still the most beautiful of all.
Topaz close second.
Alpina Blue distant third.

[macfly]

It's a hard call to name the most beautiful of all as they're all stunning in their own way, but having seen them all in the flesh, if I could have had any color I'd take the Stratus/Red.

[thegunguy]

Honestly, I was very excited about the Midnight/Arizona car, but after seeing it varying light, I was less impressed. I felt that the blue read too flat, and there are some odd bits in the interior that just weren't right. I also wish the leather were a bit less orange. For an Individual car, it seems a bit less than thought through.

Regardless, it is a beautiful and unique combination that will no doubt be one of the most collectible versions of the car, but it wasn't the knockout I originally thought it would be. I'd gladly own one.

What's interesting is that there really is not "ultimate" color for the Z8. Each combo brings a unique personality to the car. From the beginning I knew that I wanted my classic black/red after falling in love with a 507 in the same color, but I've yet to see a combination that I wouldn't love to own.

I recently picked up a beautiful CPO 2006 X5 in sterling grey with truffle brown/black interior. The "flannel-ness" of the grey and the brown interior really work together, and I remember talking with NorCal at the Quail about how great it would be to have a Z8 in grey and brown. I might have to create a stratus/truffle one day.

[Norcal]

I might have to create a stratus/truffle one day.

That would look sweet! I gotta see the X5.

[macfly]

I might have to create a stratus/truffle one day.

Just send me the truffles! :-) That sounds like a really nice combo, if I win the lotto, and decide to get a Z8 fully restored, I'd send it to Munich and have them do the full works to it, and do something along those lines, or maybe just ask them to duplicate the 507 in the museum there. It is the single most beautiful car I've ever seen.

[gutMD]

Honestly, I was very excited about the Midnight/Arizona car, but after seeing it varying light, I was less impressed. I felt that the blue read too flat, and there are some odd bits in the interior that just weren't right. I also wish the leather were a bit less orange. For an Individual car, it seems a bit less than thought through.

Interesting to hear as it certainly looks great in all the photos.

In the final analysis though, color, like wheel choices, are so individual.

[zilver8]

Saw this advertised for sale on mobile.de It's different than the other individual 2 tone cars in that the 2 tone is only on the side and not the front end as the others. I don't know if it's from the factory or just an owner's idea. It's interesting so I posted the pictures here.

[redz8]

Perhaps the front was repainted. It looks incomplete to me.

[macfly]

I actually like it better than the full wrap around, but I think this must be a customer ordered car, because the Individuals that were released were either Stratus/Ivory or Black/Silver, while this is a unique Black/Ivory.

[Norcal]

Looks like Crema...no?

[macfly]

Interior is Crema, but for some reason the official name for that body paint color is Ivory. You'd think they'd call it Crema too, but that would be too easy!

[Norcal]

I don't think this is an individual "Shamu" paint job, but is a knock-off. The curve runs too close to the door handle, and the flat spot down the door is too pronounced as a result.

[zilver8]

How about a flat red wrap? The car is in the 2010 Gumball 3000.

[macfly]

It is the same car that I photographed last year in the Gumball rally, shown in post 58. I contacted the owner on Facebook, and asked him to give us a story on doing the event, he said he would, but I never heard from him again. Seems he likes the Gumball events if he's back at it again this year.

[zilver8]

It is the same car that I photographed last year in the Gumball rally, shown in post 58. I contacted the owner on Facebook, and asked him to give us a story on doing the event, he said he would, but I never heard from him again. Seems he likes the Gumball events if he's back at it again this year.

It's a shame the owner never wrote to you. It would have been very interesting to hear how the car performed and any issues he might have had.

[zilver8]

I sort of like the lower part of the front air dam in black but personally I would have stopped there...

[macfly]

Wow thats an ugly wrap if ever there was one! I have to confess I've been toying with the idea of doing an all chrome wrap just for the sake of taking some great shots of the car. This is one of my favorite car pictures I've taken, and I always though this would make for a great finish for the Z8, for a few sets of photos anyway.

[vzben]

I think this is the first European Silver // Crema (or Silver // Crema-Black) I've ever seen! More pics here.

[zilver8]

Two-tone Alpina in Germany. I have no idea if this is factory or repainted. Looks like stratus gray and silver.

[zilver8]

How about some stripes? Hopefully they are the vinyl removable type and not painted.

The colors remind me of the old AC Cobra's.

[redz8]

I kind of like it

[Norcal]

Looks pretty cool. I've often wondered what stripes would look like.

[macfly]

Ohh, I rather like it too, I think it really adds some sparkle to the Topaz.

[Norcal]

I think more subtle may suit the car better.... PS time??

[macfly]

Tricky on black, but maybe you could pull it off. On silver a pair of black stripes would be cool, very Shelby style, but I'm still harboring a curious desire to see if I can get a chrome wrap done! It would be great to have for a couple of years worth of pictures, and it would protect the paint at the same time.

[thegunguy]

I'd love to see a chrome wrap, but I'd rather not put up with potentially incessant moaning about continually needing to PS the photographer out of the mirror!

I knew a guy with a track prepared Cayman back in TX. It was a black car, and he had matte black stripes added to it. I loved the look of using finish to set apart the stripes rather than a contrasting color. I'm not sure I'd do it on a Z8, but it was a nice effect.

[Norcal]

Wasn't that the ""Tech edition" or some such... matte graphics (black on black)? Had one around here too.

[zilver8]

Found these shots online. A lot of customization both inside and out...seats, stereo, speakers, a carbon fiber type of material on the dash, colored steering wheel. The one that is way over the top are the parking sensors!

[Z8doc]

Wow..... I like my silver / red but that is TOO MUCH. I have often wondered what it would look like with matching Titanium Silver accents on the interior but now that I have seen it, I am GLAD mine is graphite gray accents as this is way over the top in my opinion (Never mind that red accent for the exterior -- aauugh!!)

The idea of Recaro seats is good as for doing serious twisties, the Z8 seat is lacking support but.... Ok for what I need. Anyone know how much a set of Recaro seats would cost?

My wife says this is an Oxymoron -- Ugly Z8! Never thought I would ever utter those words.

[Norcal]

As a tall driver, I really think I would like the seatbelt through the back of the seat. The stock position is very low.

These might be my seats of choice, Porsches GT2 seats
? Fold forward
? Carbon fiber backs (I have a black car so might be cool)
? Passthrough for harnesses/belt
? Massive support

[Z8doc]

Ohh, I rather like it too, I think it really adds some sparkle to the Topaz.

On Silver / Red would you put Black strips (with red accent or just plain black or maybe graphite gray to match the interior accent?)

[Norcal]

Graphite grey stripes on your silver car would be awesome.

[macfly]

I really like those Recaro seats, in black I think they'd work well in my car, but I wonder if they'd come with the heating stuff in them? I do like my toasty chair for open top motoring, it is an absolute must have that I'd really miss.

[Norcal]

probably getting heated Recarros would be easy. I don't like the seat stitching/row pattern though.

How about these seats?

[macfly]

Wonder if we could get a special Z8 edition made up that comes really close to stock, but is lighter and more comfy?

[vzben]

Is this an Individual Z8? Anyway, those brown leather seats look really nice!
http://www.autogespot.com/nl/viewima...29102010213805

[macfly]

See if you can find any more pix, as all I could see was a black car in the links, and a corner of a dash. It looks like it could be one of the fabled Carbon Black/Saddle Individual cars that I've long heard about, but never seen, so I'd love to get some shots of it where we can really tell what it is.

[Z8doc]

could be one of those Carbon Black w/ saddle tan but I remember when I first saw the Aztec leather in a picture, it looked brown too but was actually that orange brown and you could just not tell from the digital photo.

[vzben]

I also noticed the interior of this one, strange color too!

[Norcal]

Not crema? With matte black wrap?

[thegunguy]

Looks like jet to me...not carbon, which has a noticeable blue flake in the sun.

[Norcal]

It's a matte black wrap... to protect the paint during the event? Notice the gloss black hardtop.

[thegunguy]

Sorry for the confusion. I was referring to the one in 126.

[macfly]

Oddly enough I think that the carbon is pretty hard to catch in a digi-cam, there was a carbon black at the 10th anniversary meet in Munich last year, and although the eye could tell the difference, the camera couldn't no matter which angle I tried. That one just had a black interior, which didn't seem to make the best of the car or the color.

[thegunguy]

With sun, carbon is a deep navy blue. It's noticeable enough that I don't think it would be unrecognizable in the photos you posted from the ad since they do have good sun. Certainly, the blue park lines and the neighboring Audi wagon don't help.

As I recall, that day in Munich was a bit dreary. With diffused light, carbon goes black (like what you experienced), and with city lights at night it has purple accents. It's really a beauty of a color, but black is wrong for the inside with it. The carbon and caramel M5s were stunning in their richness.

Here's a quick shot I borrowed from the M5 board. Hope the owner doesn't mind.

[Z8Mania]

I miss my CB/Caramel E39 M5 2003.... That might be the best BMW sedan ever.

[thegunguy]

I miss my CB/Caramel E39 M5 2003.... That might be the best BMW sedan ever.

It's got my vote.

[macfly]

Yep, mine too, but the funny thing is the same era 7 Series is really aging well, it looks so long, low and elegant.

[thegunguy]

Yep, mine too, but the funny thing is the same era 7 Series is really aging well, it looks so long, low and elegant.

That's probably my #2 - in sport variant in 2000 or so when they went to the body color lower moldings.

[zilver8]

There is a picture missing from post #126 that shows the color of the interior better. Here it is. It sure is a nice color.

[Norcal]

That is a super nice interior color

[macfly]

That is a good color, it would have been a great in the Topaz and the Red cars too.

[Norcal]

Not so sure about that with red... but Topaz would be stunning for sure!

[zilver8]

Here's a color combo I've never seen before. An Alpina in Alpina Blue with a blue/black interior in Japan. I think the colors look great although I'm not a big fan of the alcantara. I would have preferred traditional leather.

[vzben]

Amazing combo!

[Norcal]

Notice how, in this light, the alcantara color doesn't really match the paint hue. Probably just a trick of the lense. Or perhaps, it really as bad as it appears? Looks like the color would match Topaz (less purple in the blue)

[macfly]

It is a bit of an awkward mis-match, I like the Alpina Blue with the Crema much better.

[thegunguy]

Car 554, which was Andreas Bovensiepen's car, is this combo. I remember seeing it on the Villa d'Este trip, and it works pretty well in natural light. Surely, this isn't that car. I believe Alpina sold it to one of the Club members in Germany by the time the Mille Miglia trip rolled around.

Like Andrew, I prefer the crema version, which was on car 555, Burkhardt Bovensiepen's car. I've posted photos of it somewhere in this thread.

[Z8doc]

That color combo is a trick of the lens, like Norcal stated. I have pics of Z8 555 with my Sony camera and it has a funny color chip in it and the interior looks purple like this one with the same light blue seats.

[zilver8]

Wasn't sure where to post this but thought this would be a good spot. Saw this on the Alpina section of the m5board.com site. Lots of extras with this particular car. I think many of the extras in the pictures can be bought directly from Alpina.

[macfly]

I just found it on mobile.de, they want EU200,000 for this 30,000 kilometer car. I had a look at the other 51 cars over there, including a few of the BMW Individual cars and a couple of interesting specials, a white one and a full AC Schitzer special. Big price ranges from EU200,000 for this one down to EU79,000 for a 93,000k '00 car.

What is interesting about this car is it appears to have a blue leather interior, look at the center console. It also looks like something of a clash of blues, because leather doesn't color shift the way Alcantera can, and you can see the Alpina Blue plastic on the horn and door sill. Overall I'd give it a thumbs down in the taste and style dept.