The Story Of A Wrongly Painted BMW M3, $80,000 And One Man's Quest To Get The Car He Originally Ordered

One of the programs we love to show off here on AutoSpies.com is the BMW Individual customization process. That's because it avails particularly discriminating BMW buyers the opportunity to really spec their car in a completely unique way.

BMWs can be optioned in uber rare colors that are often highly desirable and not made available for mass production.

Of course finding the right dealer willing to participate can be tricky AND there are some minor hoops to jump through. BMW can't build these unique cars only to have owners walk away at delivery. Remember, this is a business too.

Unfortunately for one gentleman looking to order his dream M3, he got the wrong color. Turns out the factory in Germany mis-painted his ordered Atlantis Blue, Atlantic Blue. As you can see from our cover image, the differentiation between the two blue hues is HUGE.

Problem is the owner is now out $80,000 cash and is awaiting a completely all-new car to be built. BUT because his car is at the very end of production, he will not get EVERYTHING he wants as originally ordered. Not to mention he will not have the chance to drive it on the Nurburgring.

So, now what?

What does BMW have to do to make this right?


Killing some time around 10:15am, I go down to the gift shop. I notice a selection of touchup paints and initially think to myself, "Oh they wont have my color". I walk up and see my color! BUT WAIT! Pulling it off the shelf I notice it's Atlantic, not Atlantis blue. Putting it back on the shelf I am SHOCKED to see that there is an Atlantis blue touchup bottle behind it! JACKPOT! What are the odds that a non-standard color in the ENTIRE BMW CATALOG would be available here in there small selection of touchup paints?

At 10:40 I find myself back in the lounge, watching all the happy people accept their new vehicles. At this point, I notice a US-spec M3 (judging by the reflectors in the bumper) and think "Wow, someone has an Atlantic blue M3 on the same day as my Atlantis Blue". Oh no no no no no..... it hits me. THAT IS MY CAR!

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skytop - 5/26/2013 1:04:15 PM

-2 Boost

Wow! BMW bent backwards working to make good on a color error. And the buyer was STILL not satisfied! Some people really delude themself into thinking there is such a thing as perfection.

Take the newly minted M3 and swap the interior. If the person thinks there will be squeaks, then they have little confidence in BMW and should not be purchasing one in the first place. If you cannot trust the FACTORY to install a set of seats, then NOTHING will satisfy the person. Reports like this make one see the impossibility of satisfying juvenile, selfish, short sighted people.

Eyecarehawaii - 6/3/2013 1:48:50 PM

+1 Boost

BMW is in the wrong here, not the customer. They either need to make it right or give him his money back.

ParadoX - 5/26/2013 2:35:59 PM

0 Boost

So he wants them to retool the factory just so he can get a certain kind of stitching in his seats? He is being unreasonable. It sounds like BMW did everything within reason to satisfy him. Keeping production on stitching going for another 2 weeks would likely cost the company hundreds of thousands of dollars, so it is not within reason that BMW would do for one pissed off customer.

MorePower - 5/26/2013 4:53:19 PM

+3 Boost

First world problems!

cidflekken - 5/26/2013 8:33:48 PM

+1 Boost

Are you people kidding me? "BMW bent backwards" "He is being unreasonable". He is the CUSTOMER. BMW made the ERROR. Period. End of story. BMW has EVERY obligation to make it right for an $80,000 car.

Agent00R - 5/26/2013 10:20:41 PM

+1 Boost

Agreed.

CactoesGe1 - 5/27/2013 1:12:31 AM

0 Boost

Agreed. People like skytop and ParadoX are the reason why customer service is not valued in certain places anymore. If you let this go, then BMW will simply think this is okay. BMW should and must correct this error. And yes, it's not unreasonable.

JRobUSC - 5/27/2013 8:39:44 AM

0 Boost

Agreed.

NeoReaper - 5/29/2013 2:41:13 PM

+1 Boost

i totally agree with cidflekken and others that BMW should right this wrong. the fact that 1 of their M3's will cost them more to manufacture does not change the fact that as a while, the M3 series has been a profitable car overall because of customers who appreciate and want it. this person clearly is such a customer and they should do whatever necessary to make him happy.

i also think there is a slight misunderstanding on what BMW offered to do for this customer. the swapping of interiors isnt done from the factory, he wants the seats to be factory installed. a interior swap implies that the vehicle would be built with a standard interior from the factory and then the seats would be swapped afterwards by someone else (most likely a dealership). if you were to check the vin number of the vehicle, the interiors probably wouldnt match any longer since it would show the standard interior pre-swapping. the headache this person is going through is something i would dread and what BMW is offering is just plain wrong.

NeoReaper - 5/29/2013 2:46:31 PM

+1 Boost

typo.... the fact that 1 of their M3's will cost them more to manufacture does not change the fact that as a whole, the M3 series has been a profitable car overall because of customers who appreciate and want it.

iamdabest1 - 5/26/2013 11:13:32 PM

+3 Boost

if i were bmw i would sell this ugly color for cost price to make the customer happy.

Soakee - 5/31/2013 8:19:09 AM

+1 Boost

What color is ugly? I don't see one.

Yonder7 - 5/27/2013 12:14:46 PM

+1 Boost

Also regarding the damaged 7 series of the other customer...I wouldn't take a repaired car...If I am buying a 7 series brand NEW....It should not be repaired.....Sorry but for my hard earned bucks I deserve the the BEST cause they are charging me for PREMIUM....I will demand Premium.

Soakee - 5/31/2013 8:20:21 AM

+1 Boost

Agreed, but the problem is that you might never know if the car was repaired if no one says anything.