2007 BMW Touch Up Paint (41 OEM Colors)

The 2007 BMW Vibe

Welcome to 2007, the year the "Ultimate Driving Machine" was having a bit of an identity crisis. On one hand, you had the 3 Series (E90) and the X5 (E70) clogging up every suburban driveway in America, usually in Titan Silver or Space Gray. On the other hand, BMW's mad scientists were busy stuffing V10s into the M5 and M6, giving us legendary hues like Interlagos Blue Pearl and Indianapolis Red Metallic. With 41 colors in our database for this year alone, it's clear the Bimmer boys couldn't decide if they wanted to be "Corporate Professional" or "Track Day Terrorist." It was a glorious era where Montego Blue and Barbera Red shared the lot with enough shades of silver to make a jeweler blush.

Paint Health Check

By 2007, the bean counters and factory robots had perfected the art of "Efficiency." Translated for the rest of us, that means The Thin Paint Era was in full swing. These cars left the factory with clear coats so precisely applied that a laser couldn't find a heavy spot, but that also means there's zero margin for error. If your 5 Series or Z4 has spent its life under the sun, you're likely seeing the "BMW Bloom"-that hazy, white clouding on the roof or trunk that signals the clear coat is about to give up the ghost. Because the factory coats were so thin, these cars are prone to deep stone chips that look like miniature craters, especially on the plastic bumpers of the X3 and X5 where the paint struggles to hang on during a flex.

Restoration Tip

When you're touching up a 2007 Bimmer, remember: Build, don't blob. Because the factory finish is notoriously thin, a giant "mountain" of touch-up paint will stick out like a sore thumb. Use a steady hand to apply several thin layers, allowing each to dry until the chip is filled just level with the surrounding surface. If you're working on one of the metallics-like the iconic Carbon Black or Sparkling Graphite-don't try to buff it flat the same day. Let that solvent gassing-out process finish for at least 48 hours, or you'll just pull the metallic flakes right out of your hard work.