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      07-03-2017, 10:58 AM   #1
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Azurite Vs. Carbon Black...

I came across a Carbon Black X5M that is built nearly identical to what I would order and is priced substantially lower but I would build it with Azurite and Night Vision. This is most likely a personal preference question and not something others may decide for me but I am curious to see who went with one or the other and why. Carbon Black has been one of my favorite colors since the E39 M5 and I had it on a few vehicles. I love the characteristics of it especially in different lights but that being said I am drawn to Azurite but have never seen it in person. I would like to know if it is just as attractive as CB or better. It seems to have more blue and metallic fleck in photos but not sure if that translates in person and if it is worth the premium going with a special order color from the Individual line. Any information or insight would be appreciated.
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      07-05-2017, 02:51 AM   #2
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Azurite black leans more towards blue than carbon black. Plus the quality of paint on the Azurite is just so much better eg. less scratches visible.
If you'd prefer a luxurious look def go for the azurite black, otherwise if you're not a colorphile (i just made that up) you could settle for the carbon black for a significantly cheaper price.
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      07-05-2017, 07:13 AM   #3
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The maintenance on CB was very difficult and time consuming for a daily driver. If Azurite is easier to maintain then I think you just made the decision for me.
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      07-05-2017, 08:33 AM   #4
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Originally Posted by iconoclast View Post
The maintenance on CB was very difficult and time consuming for a daily driver. If Azurite is easier to maintain then I think you just made the decision for me.
It's not easier to maintain -- it's still a dark color. If you are looking for easy to maintain, go with a white or grey car.

For starters, most people would not be able to tell you the difference between CB and AB, even if the cars were side by side. I took my car to the local dealer and he mistakenly thought it was CB. It takes a really trained eye to tell them apart.

Both are blue-blacks. I agree that AB seems a bit bluer - a purer blue. I've found CB to look a bit purplish in certain lights; my AB seems to project a bit of turquoise in certain lights.

I enjoy AB because it seems like a different car, depending on the light. Sometimes it seems like a true black car, just sucking in all available light; at other times, it is a deep and lustrous blue car, casting different shades of blue depending on the angle.

I recently saw AB from a new perspective and was stunned by the color. I was driving the other car in for service and a friend drove the X5 M behind me. I have black kidney grills (which looked black in the rear view) but the rest of the car appeared like the darkest blue imaginable. Offset by the daytime running lights and the grill, it looked alive, dark and sinister, sparkling but unmistakably blue. It's an amazing color.
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      07-05-2017, 09:13 AM   #5
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Originally Posted by Luca42 View Post
It's not easier to maintain -- it's still a dark color. If you are looking for easy to maintain, go with a white or grey car.

For starters, most people would not be able to tell you the difference between CB and AB, even if the cars were side by side. I took my car to the local dealer and he mistakenly thought it was CB. It takes a really trained eye to tell them apart.

Both are blue-blacks. I agree that AB seems a bit bluer - a purer blue. I've found CB to look a bit purplish in certain lights; my AB seems to project a bit of turquoise in certain lights.

I enjoy AB because it seems like a different car, depending on the light. Sometimes it seems like a true black car, just sucking in all available light; at other times, it is a deep and lustrous blue car, casting different shades of blue depending on the angle.

I recently saw AB from a new perspective and was stunned by the color. I was driving the other car in for service and a friend drove the X5 M behind me. I have black kidney grills (which looked black in the rear view) but the rest of the car appeared like the darkest blue imaginable. Offset by the daytime running lights and the grill, it looked alive, dark and sinister, sparkling but unmistakably blue. It's an amazing color.
Luca
Thank you for your poetic prose regarding the colors and their differences. I have been considering Azurite for my upcoming X5M, but am coming from Imperial Blue which is also similar to both of the colors that you are describing above.
Have you seen this (Imperial Blue) in person and do you have any thoughts on how Azurite may differ from that?
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      07-05-2017, 11:20 AM   #6
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Originally Posted by Luca42 View Post
It's not easier to maintain -- it's still a dark color. If you are looking for easy to maintain, go with a white or grey car.
I've owned too many grey, silver and white vehicles. I am no stranger to owning solid black, metallic black or even carbon black. From your comments about most people not being able to notice would you say it is a premium option that is not necessarily worth the money or tangible since in most lights it looks similar to CB?
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      07-05-2017, 01:38 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by chillin4now View Post
Luca
Thank you for your poetic prose regarding the colors and their differences. I have been considering Azurite for my upcoming X5M, but am coming from Imperial Blue which is also similar to both of the colors that you are describing above.
Have you seen this (Imperial Blue) in person and do you have any thoughts on how Azurite may differ from that?
I had an Imperial Blue 5 Series before so know the color. It's a great color.

The best way to describe the difference is that IB is more obviously blue. It's only in rare low light situations (think nighttime with streetlights or dusk) where someone might mistake it for a black car. AB is a darker hue (think like someone has turned the background lights down).

Another difference is what I call color complexity. AB presents as a more complex color. This is apparent from both the size and color of the flake in the paint. Up close, you will see many different shades that blend together to create AB.
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      07-05-2017, 01:50 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by iconoclast View Post
I've owned too many grey, silver and white vehicles. I am no stranger to owning solid black, metallic black or even carbon black. From your comments about most people not being able to notice would you say it is a premium option that is not necessarily worth the money or tangible since in most lights it looks similar to CB?
Good question. I would get it again, but that's me.

My best analogy is that CB and AB are the same color, just viewed from behind a different lens/screen/filter. The CB "lens" seems more muddled and less clear, but a beautiful color when clean. AB is more vibrant, appears to shimmer/glimmer under more conditions. I think this is due to the special layer applied to AB - I believe it contains Xirallic.

They look exactly the same when dirty
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      07-05-2017, 08:33 PM   #9
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I think the best bet would be to try to see it in person. The dealer I have a relationship with only has the plastic swatches and they're not large enough to really get any kind of perspective between the two.
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      08-31-2017, 07:28 PM   #10
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Went with Azurite. In person it appears to be a navy blue base with long beach blue fleck along with some silver as well.
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      08-31-2017, 08:30 PM   #11
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Quote:
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Went with Azurite. In person it appears to be a navy blue base with long beach blue fleck along with some silver as well.
Excellent choice. I have Carbon Black and find it easy to maintain; that being said, I am a fan of blue, and Azurite when clean is absolutely stunning.
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      09-01-2017, 07:17 AM   #12
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Thanks. No regrets as of yet going to get it prepped and polished for some winter protection in the coming weeks. I am told that when this paint is cleaned up it really is an eye catcher.
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      09-01-2017, 11:05 AM   #13
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iconoclast , Congrats on the upgrade!!!
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      09-01-2017, 11:11 AM   #14
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Quote:
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Thanks. No regrets as of yet going to get it prepped and polished for some winter protection in the coming weeks. I am told that when this paint is cleaned up it really is an eye catcher.
Congratulations! Please post some photos when you find some time. That is my favorite color!
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      02-14-2019, 09:35 AM   #15
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Question Azurite Black vs Carbon Black!

Photos? Lol
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      02-19-2019, 04:26 PM   #16
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This thread is over a year old... there are many on my IG feed or in the photo threads.
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