I actually like the Dakar Yellow and think that it's a great sports car color, but it's also one of those colors that can be seen from outer space which is a double-edged sword. Great from a safety perspective, bad for attracting cops and every other type of unwanted attention.

I generally prefer my fast cars in stealthier colors, I like to roll under the radar sometimes. My favorite M3 color, (and most other car color), is the charcoal grey metallic.:cool:

Is Phoenix yellow a metallic? In that picture the front looks like it but not the back. Any other pictures of it?

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1376010139.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1376010172.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1376010198.jpg

I approve. I like yellow, and am waiting on an orange BMW. Silver is boring...

I LOVE yellow................on other people's cars!! Seriously, when I see a yellow GT3, or a yellow F430, or a yellow BMW, I think they look fantastic!! Maybe even "right".

But man, I don't know if I could ever buy one. Isn't that crazy?!

Thom, how similar is the red one to your old car? How many miles on these cars that you are looking at? What site are you finding these on?

This is definitely on my list of great cars for the money. I think I would want a low mileage cream-puff, and would be willing to pay a premium for it. Not sure I am ready to buy, but would like to browse where you are finding these listings.

Thanks,

JA

Your chariot awaits

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1376012042.jpg

Duplicate Post

I went and looked at the Imola Red 6MT today. Prima facie, it's a very clean car. It has 82k miles. It had an aftermarket exhaust and a short-shift kit and ran like a bat out of hell. Took it up and down Highway 1 for the test drive. However, this guy is the 4th owner, and there are no service records to speak of. The front control arm bushings need to be replaced, stat. The rubber around the bottom of front windshield and the quarter windows is deteriorating - a common problem, which my old one had. I got the feeling that this car has been wrung out a few times on the open road.

Humorous anecdote: we took off on the test drive, and I noticed we were low on gas, but he had forgotten his wallet. Traffic back the other direction was locked up due to construction, so I had to put some gas in it.

The Dakar Yellow with 78k miles had been cared for much better. The rubber was perfect. Every single interior surface was perfect. It's a one-owner car with a stack of receipts all the way back to Day One. However, I won't be able to garage it, so that perfect rubber might be all for naught.

The 2005 Imola Red 6MT is $19.5k (firm) and the 2003 Dakar Yellow is $25k (firm)

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1376012830.jpg

That's sweet.

I'd say go yellow - you're buying the previous owner.

My orange beast will be kind of a super-sized clown shoe.

I periodically buy cars with no history, but usually only take the gamble for a good deal. That doesn't seem like a fantastic price, and at 80k you are coming up on a bunch of potential maintenance and repairs if not otherwise addressed. I would personally keep keep looking, the E46 M3 isn't super rare.

How 'bout a car cover, Thom?

Actually I have one of these for the summer months Car Covers, Car Sun Shades - California PopTop

I'm thinking a complete cover for year round use.

I could live with Phoenix Yellow as long as it had dark wheels, and a black interior. My son brought home pics from Mont Tremblant of a Phoenix Yellow with a brown interior . . . yikes.

My silver M3 is pretty anonymous . . .

I ran the respective CarFaxes. The red one is on owner # 5, although CarFax says the number of owners is estimated. It had an accident in the right-front @ 19k miles, no other details.

The yellow one shows owner #1, and has no accidents and a ton of maintenance entries, all at the same dealer.

This seems like a no-brainer to me. But I've been accused of being a no-brainer sometimes...

But, if you hate then color then don't get it. You want to have the feeling of wanting to turn back and look at your car when you walk away. It shouldn't make you throw up a little in your mouth when you do...

A five-thousand dollar price difference, a colour you prefer, and a 6MT would make up for the lack of maintenance records on my end for a toy or fun car. But perhaps not for a DD.

And cut out holes where the windows are? That way you could drive it and the color question becomes moot.

I could never even buy a work truck in a color I didn't like, much less a sports car. That's a non-starter for me.

The problem is, I love the color; everyone else seems to hate it.