BMW M3 Gets E36 And E46 Iconic Paints For 2026

BMW has just updated its configurator tool for the M3 sedan for 2026. That means we get official pricing and options, though nothing has really changed. That is, almost nothing. Perusing BMW’s paint color options for 2026, we definitely see some changes there. The selection changes depending on which of the M3 models you want, but each one includes some of the German performance brand’s most iconic heritage colors. The new selection of Individual paint options even includes a brand-new choice.

The changes were first spotted by BMW Blog, and some classic colors are the highlights. Go for the basic M3 sedan with the six-speed manual, and you get two free colors: White and Sao Paulo Yellow. There are a handful of entry-priced standard paints, including Toronto Red and Isle of Man Green. Keep scrolling, though, and you get to the really good ones.

Some E36 Classics Are On The List This Year

Dakar Yellow II and Technoviolet Metallic are some excellent colors that look back to the E36 M3 era. Dakar Yellow II is a slightly modernized version of the E36’s signature color, while Technoviolet Metallic does the same to the classic Techno Violet. Some E46-era colors are also represented, including Oxford Green Metallic II, Laguna Seca Blue, and Imola Red II. Each of the Individual paint options, aside from three carry-over frozen matte colors, adds $4,500 to the price. More frustratingly, they also add 10-14 weeks from order to delivery.

If you want either the M3 Competition or M3 Competition xDrive, you get some different choices. Dakar Yellow carries over, but you can get the Cinnabar Red that was the signature of the E30 M3. You can also get Avus Blue Metallic, and the Daytona Violet Metallic which will start fights as to whether or not it’s Technoviolet or Daytona. Goodwood Green is a new one for BMW, though there are other brands that use that same name. Once again, they’re $4,500, and add a massive amount of time before you get your car. They’re probably worth it, though.

M4 Shoppers Can Get Fire Choices Too

M4 coupe buyers get a few other variations. Miami Blue is a late 2010s offering that is quite uncommon and lovely. It was also voted the greatest Porsche color ever. Fire Orange III is another M classic. Interlagos Blue and Manhattan Metallic are on the list, as well as Cinnabar. M4 Competition buyers don’t get the variety M4 buyers do, with just Miami Blue, Fire Orange III, Cinnabar, and Interlagos Blue, with Brass Metallic the only one that’s M4 Competition-exclusive.

BMW’s recommended “popular combination” is a strange one. It combines Isle of Man Green with black M-dual-spoke wheels on the outside. On the inside, it suggests Fjord Blue and black Merino leather. That’s certainly a choice.

Related

Here’s What Makes Every Generation Of BMW M3 Special

If you were to create a single M3 with the best traits from every generation that’s ever existed, what would it look like?

The 2026 BMW M3 starts from $78,400 and gives you 473 horsepower. A Competition boosts that to 503 horsepower and takes the price up to $82,600. If you need even more, you get 523 horsepower with the M3 Competition xDrive, along with a price tag of $87,700. Plus your choice of paint color, of course.

Source: BMW Blog