Imperial Blue owners

So do you guys have any regrets/Second opinions ? I am about to pull the trigger and cannot conclude on the color ... every day a different color looks good and M Sport is making it even harder

Originally Posted by DreamCar

So do you guys have any regrets/Second opinions ? I am about to pull the trigger and cannot conclude on the color ... every day a different color looks good and M Sport is making it even harder

Almost every single day someone tells me that they love the color, especially how it changes from med blue to dark blue depending on the sun brightness so no, NO REGRETS.

I have an imperial blue F10--it seems to be the most swirl-attractive car that i've ever had. i've had BMW's, Porsche,s MB, and Audi and it is the hardest in my experience to keep looking good. If i keep it, will do an entire paint correction with a sealant. If I did it again it would be space gray or silver. BMW clear-coat is soft. And I've had a ton of german cars.

If your are buying, I'd pay extra special attention. If it's a lease, I wouldn't worry. Right now if I had a choice (no cost) to change colors it would be space gray or silver.

good luck!

I have the same dilemma as OP. I am just having such a hard time deciding on the color. I went to a dealer lot today to look at carbon black, imperial blue, dark graphite and space grey. To me the best looking rank as follows: 1) CB 2) IB 3) SG 4) DG II

Here is what i noticed though. The cars were under direct hot Texas sun and it seemed like both CB and IB had the clear coat that was kind of soft, just touching the paint my hand wasn't gliding. I don't know if what i am saying makes sence or if it is even possible, but that is what i felt. There were also a lot of swirl marks and hairline scratches on both CB and IB. They both are beautiful but i just felt like keeping it good for 6-7 years of planned ownership would just be impossible. The SG and DGII clear coat felt very solid (i know weird)

So, for me even though DG II and SG aren't as good looking (imo) I am going to choose between these two.

Any thoughts on how DG II and SG will last for 5-6 years with normal wear and decent average care (no washes every three days, etc)

My reservation about SG is that it is too common for 3-series and i am afraid it may be the case in the future for F10 as well.

As for DG II it is too close to black and i am afraid it will be harder to maintain. Although it seemed that the cars on the lot didn't show the swirl marks.

Actually all BMW 5 Series and 7 series models use the same clearcoat which is a ceramic clearcoat. It is pretty hard. This makes it difficult to correct, but less likely to mar then a Lexus clearcoat (I know believe me).

That said even the hardest clearcoats will scratch if you slide a dirty mitt across the surface or use an unclean microfiber. All the darker colors will show up these imperfections.

I think IB is the best of all the dark colors in appearance. No regrets. I get a lot of compliments. People say the car looks really expensive and ask if the paint was a special order. Imperial Blue cars are rare, and a nicely waxed Imperial Blue car is a stunner.

Will the paint protectant help to reduce the swirls ? What's the best way to protect the car from swirls?

The only other color i liked is alpine white and it is a very common color

Have you checked out Deep Sea Blue? Rare but really stunning. Gorgeous.
Just a thought if you like blue.

Originally Posted by BobRBob

Have you checked out Deep Sea Blue? Rare but really stunning. Gorgeous.
Just a thought if you like blue.

I know but it's not available in M sport

We've had our Imperial Blue F10 for two weeks now and live the color. Looks blue in the sun, black on. Cloudy day. We did get the Xzilon protectant, which does seem to make it easier to wash and keep looking good.

Stealth pilot, BMW uses
Powder clearcoat not ceramic clear coat. Only Mercedes uses the ceramic clear coat.

Originally Posted by AlBoston

Stealth pilot, BMW uses
Powder clearcoat not ceramic clear coat. Only Mercedes uses the ceramic clear coat.

Maybe it is PPGs scratch resistant power clearcoat then. If you google the BMW clearcoat, many detailers are saying it is ceramic. They are probably wrong if what you say is correct, but there is a perception among the detailing community that the clearcoat is hard and a pain to correct. They usually use a Menzerna compound designed for ceramic clears to polish German manufactured BMWs. Apparently the US produced models have a softer finish.

http://www.autodetailingnetwork.com/...clear-cut.html

Eitherway I would put Opticoat on it. Opticoat is harder than the Mercedes/PPG Cerami-clear.

Originally Posted by Stealth.Pilot

Eitherway I would put Opticoat on it. Opticoat is harder than the Mercedes/PPG Cerami-clear.

in reading the Opticoat website, it states that it does not prevent swirls. I suspect it must help. Do you have experience with Opticoat and its performance with regard to swirls?

Nothing prevents swirls, but the harder the finish the less prone it is to swirls. Older BMWs would swirl even if you washed it carefully. Newer ones swirl if they are machine washed, washed with dirty mitts, or otherwise not handled carefully.

Most people I know who self wash their cars carefully with the 2 bucket method, grit guard, and Optimum No Rinse for lubrication, and who also have Opticoat or CQuartz have no problems.

Also I don't have experience with Opticoat. I have experience with CQuartz on a black Lexus and that definitely helped a lot. I have heard that Opticoat is better though from many people.

I ordered my Imperial Blue 550 X Drive with M Sport option back in February and have not regretted it for a moment. It is an outstanding color as it changes from a dark metallic blue in bright sun to an inky black under lights at night. I wash it by hand using soft terry cloth towel. Waxing I use foam applicators by hand and microfiber towels to remove residue. So far little evidence of swirling. I used the same process but different wax/polish combo's on my 1996 LT4 torch Red Vette and after 15 years only have minimal swirling. Proper polishing/waxing and not overdoing it are just as important as the proper towels. Stay away from commercial car washes and decline even the free dealer wash. They are not as careful as you might think. In my opinion Imperial Blue, like black, is probably more susceptible to swirling than a white or silver car, however, my personal preference is for the blue albeit some additional care required.

Originally Posted by Stealth.Pilot

Maybe it is PPGs scratch resistant power clearcoat then. If you google the BMW clearcoat, many detailers are saying it is ceramic. They are probably wrong if what you say is correct, but there is a perception among the detailing community that the clearcoat is hard and a pain to correct. They usually use a Menzerna compound designed for ceramic clears to polish German manufactured BMWs. Apparently the US produced models have a softer finish.

http://www.autodetailingnetwork.com/...clear-cut.html

Mercedes-Benz uses liquid clear (ceramiclear) and this is the "hardest" clear on the market. PPG's new standard is for all of their clears to meet the ceramiclear toughness but this just isn't the case. BMW uses powdercoat for the clearcoat and it is PPG or DuPont or a mix... so it really all depends on what is running when your car was built. They are fully compatible and supposedly have the same properties.

Originally Posted by Stealth.Pilot

Actually all BMW 5 Series and 7 series models use the same clearcoat which is a ceramic clearcoat. It is pretty hard. This makes it difficult to correct, but less likely to mar then a Lexus clearcoat (I know believe me).

People like to claim this, but I have to disagree. My 3 BMW's, 2005, 2008, 2011, are all very soft clears, very susceptible to surface swirls even using "proper" washing/drying techniques. My '02 MB was just as bad. Touch them the wrong way and you have a scratch. Compared to Japanese and American, they are way softer, regardless of what they call the clear technology. The glass used for the windshields is just as bad -- the worst glass I've ever experienced.

I have an IB f10 about a year old. It's probably been through a mechanical car wash 30-40 times. No problems with the paint, no swirls. It's beautiful in the bright sun.

Originally Posted by ManUTD_36

I have the same dilemma as OP. I am just having such a hard time deciding on the color. I went to a dealer lot today to look at carbon black, imperial blue, dark graphite and space grey. To me the best looking rank as follows: 1) CB 2) IB 3) SG 4) DG II

Here is what i noticed though. The cars were under direct hot Texas sun and it seemed like both CB and IB had the clear coat that was kind of soft, just touching the paint my hand wasn't gliding. I don't know if what i am saying makes sence or if it is even possible, but that is what i felt. There were also a lot of swirl marks and hairline scratches on both CB and IB. They both are beautiful but i just felt like keeping it good for 6-7 years of planned ownership would just be impossible. The SG and DGII clear coat felt very solid (i know weird)

So, for me even though DG II and SG aren't as good looking (imo) I am going to choose between these two.

Any thoughts on how DG II and SG will last for 5-6 years with normal wear and decent average care (no washes every three days, etc)

My reservation about SG is that it is too common for 3-series and i am afraid it may be the case in the future for F10 as well.

As for DG II it is too close to black and i am afraid it will be harder to maintain. Although it seemed that the cars on the lot didn't show the swirl marks.

Have a look at Tasman. I am ordering one.

Originally Posted by Stealth.Pilot

Actually all BMW 5 Series and 7 series models use the same clearcoat which is a ceramic clearcoat. It is pretty hard. This makes it difficult to correct, but less likely to mar then a Lexus clearcoat (I know believe me).

That said even the hardest clearcoats will scratch if you slide a dirty mitt across the surface or use an unclean microfiber. All the darker colors will show up these imperfections.

I think IB is the best of all the dark colors in appearance. No regrets. I get a lot of compliments. People say the car looks really expensive and ask if the paint was a special order. Imperial Blue cars are rare, and a nicely waxed Imperial Blue car is a stunner.

Just for the sake of saying what I saw. Saturday, took a clean imperial 550 for a drive in NYC. When I disembarked after 20 minutes, I could not recognise the car - it was all gray, it has just attracted all dust from the neighborhood, it seemed to me. The dealer said the same happens with carbon and any dark color.

Originally Posted by markl53

People like to claim this, but I have to disagree. My 3 BMW's, 2005, 2008, 2011, are all very soft clears, very susceptible to surface swirls even using "proper" washing/drying techniques. My '02 MB was just as bad. Touch them the wrong way and you have a scratch. Compared to Japanese and American, they are way softer, regardless of what they call the clear technology. The glass used for the windshields is just as bad -- the worst glass I've ever experienced.

Your 02 MB did not have the CeramiClear paint so I would agree with your observations.

Does anyone have the IB with Cinnamon Brown interior. I like both colors a lot and thought the combo could be great. But I am not terrific with color combos.
What do you think?

Originally Posted by willbedone

Does anyone have the IB with Cinnamon Brown interior. I like both colors a lot and thought the combo could be great. But I am not terrific with color combos.
What do you think?

Check Oyster interior with IB it really looks stunning... i feel cinnamon look good with black shades but again its completely personal choice

Originally Posted by BobRBob

Have you checked out Deep Sea Blue? Rare but really stunning. Gorgeous.
Just a thought if you like blue.

Absolutely correct!!! I have gotten many.many compliments on the "special color" of my car. RE the care of any BMW paint use a good product like Zaino and the swirls will be minimized.