2023 BMW M8 Competition: color me a lot of money

Nearly 80 percent of all vehicles on American roads have white, black, gray or silver exterior paint. White cars lead the parade of plainness at nearly 26 percent, a dominance related to ease of fleet maintenance and public convention. BMW has decided not to always conform.

The German automaker makes plenty of cars within the spectrum of the mundane. But three 2023 models stretch the limits.

The M8 Competition Gran Coupe includes an offering with an Urban Green exterior matched with a Black Full Merino leather interior. The X7 xDrive40i is available with a Sparkling Copper Metallic exterior and Ivory White Merino Leather. The iX M60 EV has an Oxide Grey Metallic exterior choice matched with Oyster Sensatec perforated seating.

While the least bold-colored of the trio, the EV grey is among the new exterior choices among several manufacturers that appear to change color in varying degrees of sunlight.

The M8 Competition attracts immediate attention among BMW enthusiasts as a gran coupe. Its high-end performance features, including its 4.4-liter, 32-value turbo V8 with 617 horsepower, impress. Its 0-60 miles per hour acceleration in 4.2 seconds is noteworthy. Its Urban Green exterior paint ($4,700) is polarizing. The color is reminiscent of military green. It was disliked by vocal neighbors and strangers in parking lots. It was stunningly attractive to others, including an onlooker who, grinning in approval, saluted the vehicle.

As BMW’s most expensive and largest SUV, X7 xDrive 40i can haul around seven occupants while also competent as a performance vehicle. It’s powered by a turbocharged 3.0-liter, inline-sixcylinder engine with 375 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque. Its Sparkling Copper Metallic exterior isn’t alarming. But it’s unique enough not to blend into maddening highway malaise.

As the newest BMW sibling, the IX M60 EV also stands out with its chameleon exterior paint traits. The IX features 610 horsepower and 811 lb-ft of torque. Zero-to-60 miles per hour acceleration is achieved in 3.6 seconds. Standard also is a 1-speed direct drive transmission and all-wheel drive. The estimated combined EPA mileage is 77 MPGe. The full-charge range is 288 miles.

The 2023 BMW M8 Competition Gran Coupe is big and beautiful. It’s a sports car for a family, with a sizeable