[Green82]

Hi all, I'm in the lucky position to choose a new company car this January.
I'm pretty sure it will be a 118d 5door automatic with M-package.
But I have 1 question that seems to be very difficult to answer (BMW Netherlands is sending me to a local dealer, and the dealer is taking forever to give me a clear answer): since there is no official BMW Individual color programm for the 1 series, is it possible to order a new 1 serie in the Individual color 'Tanzanite Blue'? It would make my new BMW even cooler than with a 'standard' color.. Thanks and greets from the Netherlands!!

[No one]

Originally Posted by Green82

I have 1 question that seems to be very difficult to answer (BMW Netherlands is sending me to a local dealer, and the dealer is taking forever to give me a clear answer): since there is no official BMW Individual color programm for the 1 series, is it possible to order a new 1 serie in the Individual color 'Tanzanite Blue'?

Well, if you want an unofficial answer/opinion, the clear (and easy: I'm not a dealer to "never say no") answer is "of course, not". I'm sorry.

Imagine the car is not built by hand in a garage: it's a highly automated sequence with all the supply logistics, etc. I heard they (BMW) even grouped configurations to assemble: a bunch of cars with the same interior trim (for instance) is built at once (and therefore if you want an unpopular trim it delays), FWIW. They won't interfere with their production procedure for you despite all the respect and appreciation. If that were possible they would make the public offer, most certainly. Look at the M2, for example: people are quite unhappy with the restrictions while it's a more "individual" car in fact. (I wish the ugliness of the "Lone Bitch Blue" were my only concern, though. )

I saw a custom-painted F20 on the road once, but I'm most sure it had been re-painted. Note the value degradation if you go that way.

[ovekvam]

At the production line, each colour is optimized and approved for each car. This is a very tedious procedure that takes weeks/months. I know, since I work with paint robots. Each brush stroke must be tested and measured and tuned until it gives the right thickness and colour match. You would perhaps think that if you have a paint in the right colour, the car will be the same colour, but that is not the case. The way it is applied has a huge impact, particularly on metallic colours.

For low volume models like the M-cars, it would be very expensive to approve many colours. The sub suppliers of bumpers and other body parts will of course have to do the same.

I think the individual colour cars are mostly hand painted in the factories.

[Weiman]

Originally Posted by ovekvam

At the production line, each colour is optimized and approved for each car. This is a very tedious procedure that takes weeks/months. I know, since I work with paint robots.

So you work for ABB! Cheers from Robotics Göteborg

[ovekvam]

Originally Posted by Weiman

So you work for ABB! Cheers from Robotics Göteborg

Yes, I work for ABB. I just spent two weeks at the Volvo plant in Göteborg.

[neilwilliams]

I'd say it's very unlikely they'll do an individual colour on the 1 series. An alternative might be to have it wrapped which someone did in this post: http://f20.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1085454