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BMW M5 Touring in Iconic Porsche Colours: A Subtle Provocation from Dingolfing?
BMW Sometimes Chooses Subtlety. Not This Time.
The new BMW M5 Touring (G99) appears in three striking BMW Individual colours that immediately remind car enthusiasts of one specific rival: Porsche.
Ruby Star Neo.
Speed Yellow.
Daytona Beach Blue (formerly Mexico Blue).
Anyone with a bit of car history knowledge knows these are not random shades. These are colours that have been a fixed value within the Porsche universe for decades. Coincidence? Unlikely.
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Colour as a Statement
The M5 Touring is already a statement in itself. A super estate with more than 700hp, hybrid technology and the weight of a small planet, wrapped in a practical body.
But in these colours, it becomes something else.
Something more outspoken. Something bolder. Ruby Star and Speed Yellow are among the most recognisable Porsche shades ever. Not subtle, not metallic-refined, but loud, pure and iconic. Mexico Blue (now Daytona Beach Blue at BMW) is perhaps the colour that defined generations of 911s.
By putting these shades on the M5 Touring, BMW is playing with references. It is not a copy, but a clear nod.
Does It Work on an M5?
That is the real question. Colour is not a simple marketing tool. There is psychology, proportion and balance behind it. Not every bold shade works on every body. A 911 is compact, rounded and visually light. The M5 Touring is wide, heavy and muscular.
At first glance, these Porsche-like colours feel less organic on the M5, especially in combination with dark wheels. The car looks more massive, and the vivid non-metallic shades emphasise that weight rather than hide it. But we will reserve final judgement until we see them in person.
More Than Just Paint
BMW offers up to 150 different shades for the current M5 (G90 saloon and G99 Touring) through the Individual programme. The choice is enormous, and that is no coincidence. In the premium segment, personalisation is today just as important as performance.
With a facelift expected around 2027, the colour palette is expected to expand even further. Should an M5 CS Touring follow, an exclusive colour is virtually guaranteed. BMW understands that colour sells emotion.
BMW and Porsche: An Old Rivalry
The link between BMW and Porsche is older than many people think. In the 1990s, there was even talk of a possible takeover of Porsche by BMW. That deal ultimately did not go through, but it shows how close the two brands once were.
Today, they stand side by side again, as rivals in the performance segment. And sometimes that happens not through horsepower or lap times, but through colour.
AutoNext Take
We understand the strategy. Colours attract attention. They generate discussion. They make a car visually memorable. But not every iconic shade automatically translates to every model.
The M5 Touring is a brutal performance machine. A colour like Isle of Man Green Metallic, for example, feels more in harmony with its character: powerful, mature and confident.
These Porsche-inspired shades? Interesting. Bold. But not yet a given. What is certain: the premium performance war keeps getting more creative. And we love it.
