[cloudz7]

Thanks u guys for the responses I have to admit u guys have steered me more towards sapphire black I will update everyone with pics when I get the car. I totally agree with the person that said u can't buy a color expecting what it would look like dirty , I am buying a bmw not a pickup truck so most of the time I expect to keep it clean. For black car owners can u guys get by with washing car once a week.

[Ben2k9]

even less. if you don't let it get too dirty you can keep it clean with just a wipedown with a damp microfiber cloth

[The X Men]

Originally Posted by cloudz7

Thanks u guys for the responses I have to admit u guys have steered me more towards sapphire black I will update everyone with pics when I get the car. I totally agree with the person that said u can't buy a color expecting what it would look like dirty , I am buying a bmw not a pickup truck so most of the time I expect to keep it clean. For black car owners can u guys get by with washing car once a week.

I just bought a sapphire black, depending on how clean you like to keep your car, you can probably get by with a car wash every week or two. Sapphire black is an amazing color, pops and sparkles when the sun hits it and easier to keep clean than jet black.

[493263]

Black and Dark Graphite looks really good 5% of the time.

The other 95% of the time when it's dirty, Alpine White looks much better.

If it's a daily driver, I normally go with white.

[Hobbe74]

Originally Posted by 493263

Black and Dark Graphite looks really good 5% of the time.

The other 95% of the time when it's dirty, Alpine White looks much better.

If it's a daily driver, I normally go with white.

Ive had two white daily drivers recently and i think they get dirty at once. Before that i had a black car and that one seemed to stay clean for a few more miles
Its probably in the eyes of the beholder.
So i agree to disagree.
I just ordered an AW F10 but changed to Jet black the other day. This is a serious matter.

[Noggie]

I guess its down to where you live.
If you live in mid west of the U.S. where it hardly ever rains, and never drops below freezing. The only dirt you will see on regular basis is some dust or pollen.

If you live in Scandinavia, like Hobbe74 and myself, where it rains at least one a week, and sometimes it rains for a week....... Or even longer.
Where we have winters with rain, then frost, then sleet and rain and all the road dust is mixed with salty water and spread all over your car like a thin coat of concrete. Certain shades of gray will hide that very well and pretty much just lose some of its gloss. While most colors will not.

I don't think we will ever agree, simply because I have a very small idea how it is to keep a car in some parts of the U.S. I can only relate that to what it is like here if we for some stroke of good fortune dont have a drop of rain in two weeks.
I do know all to well what it's like to spend hours cleaning the car, just to drive to the grocery store down street the next day and come back with a car that looks like it had a mud bath. Something some of you can not relate to.

Having visited NYC where OP lives, I believe they actually have cold winters, sometimes even snow, and it rains on regular basis.
So in a way, choosing a color that does not mean taking it to the car wash every other day to keep it looking nice could be worth a thought.

[cloudz7]

Thank everyone for the replies. Will keep posted

[Gilgorm]

I've owned two Black Sapphire cars. Clean=Very nice. Dirty=Very not-nice.
My current F10 is Space Grey. I rarely wash it, especially in the winter, and it has never been to a car wash. I like the colour and I like the fact it always looks the same. The two black cars looked amazing for about a day, then they started to accumulate dust.
Being lazy, I prefer a car that doesn't need to be hand-washed regularly.
Black and White are probably the most common colours. Stand out, be different.
Space Grey all the way. IMO, the F10 side view looks longer and lower in Space Grey.

[RSBro]

Even though I initially wanted my 550 to be in AW, in retrospect I'm glad it's a darker color. On the huge F10 chassis, it's almost "too much white". IMO it's better suited to the smaller 4-doors or the coupes, like the 435i or the older 3's. I'd go with black on an F10. Much more presence.

[Mr Clean]

Here's what you have to ask yourself:

(Place the following in order from agree the most to agree the least and I'll give you an 'answer key' so to speak for your responses)


A- I want a car with a showroom like dazzle when clean

B- I want a car that looks clean despite going for a couple days without washing it

C- I want a car that hides imperfections such as swirls and light scratches

1- I am OK with seeing swirls, fingerprints, grease stains/smudges and other minor imperfections in my paint

2- I am OK with seeing carbon dust, brake dust, rust and iron deposits on my paint

3- I am OK with spending time with my car at least every 2 weeks to maintain my paint (more if its daily driven and sits outside)

I- I like to spend time detailing my car

II- I would like to detail my car but have limited time

III- I want a car color that takes well to mods and has the greatest contrast


Answer Key

Specific to your question
If you picked A1I or A3I then Jet Black would be ideal

If you picked C2III or C3III the Alpine White would be ideal

*Note: Since black reflects the most light, its shine is deeper, more concentrated and richer than white, so naturally it should be expected that more time goes into maintaining it since imperfections are not easily concealed. Jet Black is one of the softest paints and contains no metallic flakes such as sapphire and carbon blacks. If you are committed to employing proper washing techniques, have 2 hours a week of spare time or 4 hours every 2 weeks, have prior knowledge/experience or are willing to learn how to use a rotary polisher (having mastered or experienced an orbital enough) and want your car to impress others every where you go, I'd say go for the Jet Black. Unfortunately, some people do not know how to properly maintain a black car and end up running into trouble really quickly. Its important to know that certain detailing products which may be suitable for lighter colors may be not be as friendly on darker colored cars, specifically Jet Black. I found out through much trial and error that many products which served as a final polishing step before my wax/sealant (or protection stage) simply left too much micro marring behind, necessitating another superfine polish to finish the paint down (Don't ask me how challenging that was when I had to prep the car before applying Gtechniq C1 and the panel wipe would leave micro marring behind. I since perfected my technique and applied another coat 2 months ago having applied it first in late September.) but I'm digressing. The last point I want to state is that darker colors bring out more of the 'curves' or body lines of the F10 design.

If you see nothing wrong with having light swirls and scratches but want a bright color that looks clean and conceals them, attained enough detailing experience to know how to remove airborne contaminants that may become embedded to the paint such as iron deposits, brake dust and rust among others, wish to mod the car in the future and can appreciate the greatest 'natural' contrast of black, go for the Alpine White. (I stated "natural contrast" in the forementioned sentence because although it is possible to contrast other colors with black, white provides the greatest or "cleanest" match. Anything else that somewhat matches or requires a complimentary mod to pull it off can be referred to a "forced contrasting"). For ex: A stock Alpine white M sport F10 with gloss black grills (which happen to be purchased aftermarket) would look excellent even without any other mod. A tasman green F10 *might* need another complimentary mod/s such as a black roof, black wheels or black front bumper lip. Of course this is all subjective but you get the point. Make sure you make a decision based on what your needs and current situation are. If you have a garage and live in a place that doesn't have bad fallout and enjoy spending time with your car but want the deepest shine go Black/darker colors. If you still enjoy the occasion time with your car but need it to serve more as a "place getter" or "person mover" get light colors such as Alpine white/ silvers ect.

General colors

If you picked either B3II or C3II then neutral colors such as Sophisto Gray,Titanium silver, Space Gray and Cashmere Silver would be ideal

If you picked A1I or A3I then darker colors such as carbon black, black sapphire metallic, imperial blue and deep sea blue would be ideal

Hope this helps..

[cdmulders]

Mr. Clean - excellent analysis, and thank you. I find myself to be an A3I and it's therefore fortuitous that I have a carbon black F10.

Cheers.

[f10inSD]

I would say if you're going to get M-Sport you should probably get Alpine White.

I have a jet black non M... if I had a non M white it would really bother me I think.

[RPLB530]

All of your choices are also my favorite f10 colors......I have black sapphire metallic but would have chosen carbon had it been available to me when I got my car.....and I have a friend w/ jet black and a friend w/ space grey.....all are gorgeous as is Alpine.

You can't lose w/ those colors, in my opinion....

[Ace333]

Alpine White is the color I liked. However when I recently found a 528XI and went to look it had the beige interior. I was hoping to find one with the charcoal/ black interior but was not able to. I then decided on a 535XI in Dark Graphite Metallic which was an upgrade from the 528 but definitely glad I did. My previous 528XI was silver and usually looked good in our Michigan Winters. This car will be more of a challenge but when clean looks great!

[EmArAsOnS]

Would go for Carbon black since AW is all over.
Here is a recent pic of my Imperial blue after some heavy rain and snow storm then rain... worst case scenario
I think carbon black is darker/blacker but still it's beautiful when sun is out and/or car is clean.

[jakartakid]

I went with white, as much as I like how a darker colour shows all the reflections etc, they are too much maintenance. The also tend to look best with a contrasting (light) coloured interior, which again is high maintenance.
Not being a fan of black leather even though is is low maintenance, I went with cinnamon leather and happy with the choice. The only down side is that silver wheels don't stand out as much against the white. I am contemplating painting my wheels to either black or graphite colour. I saw a white M3 and M4 in my local dealers with black wheels just before I took delivery of mine and would have had the dealer to paint them had they not wanted far too much money off me.

[duncanh]

I bought a white one last week.

Black shows every mark, especially as I am in a hard water area, and after washing a black car is covered in streaks.

White looks great even after a quick wash, AND the F10 looks better in white!

[The X Men]

Originally Posted by duncanh

Black shows every mark, especially as I am in a hard water area, and after washing a black car is covered in streaks.

You are suppose to dry the car after you wash it

[BajandoDuro]

Here's a pic of my Carbon Black

[BajandoDuro]

Let me try that again

[duncanh]

Originally Posted by The X Men

You are suppose to dry the car after you wash it

Why?

I thought it was optional.

I am a lazy git.

[valbmw]

Originally Posted by BajandoDuro

Here's a pic of my Carbon Black

Wow this is a perfection!