What is it with red leather interior!

[biggles330d]

Was there a special BMW promotion on at some time resulting in so many 3 and 4 series fitted with red leather interior?

I've lost count of the number I've looked at that are just the spec I'd like but would never buy because I couldn't bare to sit in it all day.

[swanny71]

biggles330d said:

Was there a special BMW promotion on at some time resulting in so many 3 and 4 series fitted with red leather interior?

I've lost count of the number I've looked at that are just the spec I'd like but would never buy because I couldn't bare to sit in it all day.

I've noticed the same with M135i's, many cars with a lovely spec shame the interior looks like a baboons arse.

[335d]

biggles330d said:

Was there a special BMW promotion on at some time resulting in so many 3 and 4 series fitted with red leather interior?

I've lost count of the number I've looked at that are just the spec I'd like but would never buy because I couldn't bare to sit in it all day.

I don't get it either. I think BMW just recognised the growing size of the mid-life crisis market and offered it as standard on quite a few models. I assume it's aimed at those who want to make a statement, but are sane enough to keep running a practical saloon.

The worst combination to me is the 'Superman spec' 3 Series - Red leather and bright blue (Estoril) paint, which looks simply hideous together.

[LocoBlade]

If all you've seen is advert photos, don't judge it until you've seen it in the flesh. In virtually every single photo I've seen, the coral red leather either comes out quite a dark ruby red or a really bright orangey red due to the way the cameras interpret the colour but in reality it's more of an clay/terracotta colour bordering on brown. This is one of the more accurate photos I've seen:


I specced it on my M240 with Mineral Grey exterior because I don't like light coloured leather ("oyster" / cream etc) and because everything else inside is black, black leather made it feel a bit dreary. What I would say though is I dont understand having a 3/4 series with anything other than a black lower dash colour, with the 2 series it's just seats and door cards but if I was shopping for a 3 or 4 series, a coral red dash would put me off straight away!

Edited by LocoBlade on Sunday 12th February 15:58

[mon the fish]

I'm the opposite - I can't abide black seats, the interior becomes far too dark and dreary for me. I would agree with the blue/red combo though - two strong colours like that don't go IMO.

Our Z4 is grey with red leather - perfect in my eyes.

[Mike335i]

Red looks good in reality, but black hides blemishes brought on by the passage of time better. All black interior works for me as it's more 'snug', for want of a better way of describing it!

Edited by Mike335i on Sunday 12th February 16:06

[CrgT16]

Had a z4 space grey with red leather seats, looked rather lovely. Black leather can make interior look too bland or sombre. My current Estoril blue car with saddle brown seats looks very nice imo.

[HoHoHo]

I had Sakhir in my M5 and it looked great and as good as new after 3 years, more than can be said about black which has a tendency to go a bit shined and ages quite quickly.

Unfortunately whilst I like light leather I don't think it wears well and due to the lack of dark red I had no choice but to go with black in my new X5.

Shame, looks great but I would have been happier with a good stronger colour.

[335d]

CrgT16 said:

Had a z4 space grey with red leather seats, looked rather lovely. Black leather can make interior look too bland or sombre. My current Estoril blue car with saddle brown seats looks very nice imo.

I find saddle a bit too orange:



although admittedly it looks a little darker in reality. It is not so far away from the plastic seats in my old Austin Princess, which may explain why I stick with black. I really dislike the orange or red plastic dash that sometimes comes with Saddle or Coral. As has been said before - the black dash just looks better.

Saddle with Estoril is a 'brave choice' as Sir Humphrey might have said...

[craigjm]

Red leather never photographs very well and quite often looks really bright and pinkish when its not at all. I would much rather have a coloured leather of some sort in my cars to contrast with the outside because I find black leather just so ZZzzzz

[roofer]

Been looking at this recently;

http://usedcars.bmw.co.uk/M/4.4-M-Station-Wagon/Ne...

Ideally, it would be grey outside. Any other colour looks dire, and black is just boredom central.

[HoHoHo]

roofer said:

Been looking at this recently;

http://usedcars.bmw.co.uk/M/4.4-M-Station-Wagon/Ne...

Ideally, it would be grey outside. Any other colour looks dire, and black is just boredom central.

Lovely

I would have had red interior in my Space Grey 50d but sadly not an option

My old M5, 3 years old and still looking good IMO

Edited by HoHoHo on Sunday 12th February 18:34

[Helicopter123]

Red leather acceptable on M cars and Z cars IMO.

Otherwise screams "mid life crisis"...

Still, could be worse, you should see the state that Porsche's leave the factory...

[CrgT16]

335d said:

Saddle with Estoril is a 'brave choice' as Sir Humphrey might have said...

Mine has black dash only saddle leather on seat leather and doors. Also with a nice wood veneer with pearl chrome finisher looks really good. Much better than in your photo. But again it's a personal opinion. I am very happy and wouldn't change to black or oyster

[turbobloke]

swanny71 said:

biggles330d said:

Was there a special BMW promotion on at some time resulting in so many 3 and 4 series fitted with red leather interior?

I've lost count of the number I've looked at that are just the spec I'd like but would never buy because I couldn't bare to sit in it all day.

I've noticed the same with M135i's, many cars with a lovely spec shame the interior looks like a baboons arse.

Not my cup of tea either, but one person's hideous baboon's ass is another person's delightful tart's boudoir.

[craigjm]

Red leather looks good on black, white, grey cars and a few others. Never looks good as spiderman special edition though....

[XMT]

if you don't like it then you don't like it, I love it, have had it on 4 cars so far.

You stick to your exciting black interior

[Mr Tidy]

Maybe it's the latest BMW marketing plan (mind you I like red leather - it gives some colour to black/silver/white cars, which most of them are these days)!

It doesn't really work with blue or Valencia Orange but I'm not sure you could spec that anyway!

Sadly a few years ago I had the misery of working in Bracknell (while BMW UK were still there) and all I seemed to see was white with beige/cream interior - what a washed-out miserable combination!

It felt like they had given/sold them cheap to all their staff - I certainly wouldn't have bought one of those!

Actually it is refreshing to see a manufacturer offering a choice of colour for the leather - when I had a Leon Cupra in 2003 the only colour for leather was black and as the one I bought was painted Black Magic it felt like driving around in a hearse!

I like a bit of contrast - hence my Z4 Coupe in Ruby Black had Pearl Grey leather and my current Montego Blue one has the same. Given that they have a black headlining (standard on Sport models) the lighter leather just lifts the interior!

Anyway OP, the solution is to buy a new one - then you choose the colours.

[Evolved]

Some like red heads, some like blonde and some brunettes.

I happen to think the red interiors are the nicest BMW do, black is just so boring.

[mike74]

Worse than a red leather interior is a two tone red and black, usually red seats with black bolsters... now that really does look cheap and nasty.