“This color reminds me of a “barn find”, something that has a developed patina that once looked like this when it was new,” Chris Marino of Century West BMW says. “I hope it will end up cared for and without a patina!” Another month gone-by and yet another amazingly-beautiful BMW Individual build produced by Chris Marino at Century West BMW.
Over and over, Marino has gone (in some cases very-deep) into the BMW Individual paint-palette and come away with countless design variations. “When I first saw this on an E92, I wasn’t crazy about it—but I was seeing it washed-out on a computer. I wrestled with the decision before asking the factory to apply this to an F80 M3,” Marino added.
Leap of faith? Probably not. Unique? Unequivocally.
While statistics are very difficult to come by, BMWBLOG believes this to be the only F80 M3 Mint Green on the planet. And even if that weren’t the case, what Marino did next certainly would make it a one-off.
“There are some schools of thought on how to equip certain vehicles. You can make a case for stripped variants or ones that have everything. I prefer the latter.”
Marino threw everything that the BMW Performance Parts catalog had to offer, at this M3. Carbon Fiber Everywhere: front aero splitter, rear diffuser, rear trunk-lid spoiler, exhaust tips, mirror covers and interior trim. M-Performance exhaust, stainless pedals, Performance Analyzer (IOS & Android), LED door projectors—in short the proverbial “kitchen sink”. All of these performance goodies and individual paint sit on top of the factory Competition Package with the Style 666 20” wheels, M-DCT transmission, Executive Package, Drivers Assistance Package, Lighting Package, Apple Car-Play Compatibility and a plethora of other options and standard features.
The price? $117,455. High? Yes! But Marino says it’s “the price is the cost of having the only one like it on the planet.” “Someone buying this car will want exactly this car”, says Marino. “We are in Los Angeles—a town renown for persons wanting to stand-out. Call it narcissism, call it the just-rewards for whatever it is you do, but this M3 is a statement car. The customer could have gotten a white one or a black one, or the typical grey one, but this customer will avoid doing exactly that in hopes of having something like this.”
Back to the cost: Marino is absolutely unapologetic when it comes to this point. “I’ll never apologize for the price of BMW ownership. Ever. A car like this isn’t inexpensive nor should it come with the expectations of being discounted and being singular comes with a price.”
Acquiring a BMW Individual build is not for the patient. “The lead-time from the factory will take a minimum of three months no matter what,” Marino tells BMWBLOG. “In some cases, I may not see what I’ve ordered for five to seven months on an extreme.” Worth it? “You bet.” “Look at it this way, this car was built with the intent of it being driven at triple digit speeds, every day of its life, on The Autobahn.”
Mint green with 444hp? Marino has it in store for us.
