When it comes to our series on awesome automotive paint offerings we've already covered one German giant, Audi. But of the big German automakers, BMW has by far the best roster of colors. How did we come to this conclusion? Well our results are inherently subjective, but another reason is that several of the automaker's colors have made our previous best paint lists. We will try not to include these colors here, but some are just too cool to leave off. Forgive us in advance for the repetition but good paint deserves bountiful praise.

The first color on our list is Fire Orange. This color was first shown in the US on the 2013 BMW M3 Limerock Park Edition. You could get this color a few years earlier on the M3 GTS, but that hardcore track edition never made it stateside. The Limerock Park Edition was released in a limited production run of just 200 units. This special edition model came with the Competition Package and a carbon fiber bodykit. What really set this car apart was the eye catching Fire Orange paint which let everyone know that you weren't driving a "normal" M3. You can special order this color on other models like the M4 and M6, which makes it slightly less special in our eyes. This color is still one of the most head-turning shades BMW offers.

The next color on our list is Phoenix Yellow. This color was first available on the E46 3 Series and people absolutely hated it! When "Top Gear" featured an M3 in this color, James May said he liked it. Clarkson and Hammond responded by telling him that if he liked the color, he should have a baby and he'll see it all of the time. Phoenix Yellow is a very polarizing color to say the least. Back when the E46 was new, not many people ordered this hue because it was a bit flashy. Now, Phoenix Yellow M3s are among some of the most valuable cars out there (although another color on our list may top it). The new M3 and M4 have Austin Yellow, which is very similar, so we couldn't put this paint too high on the list.

Our next choice is another yellow, this time from the E36 generation. While this generation didn't yield our favorite M3 we did get the excellent Dakar Yellow out of it. This pale yellow is very different than any other shade of yellow out there due to, well, its paleness. You should look up what newer BMW cars look like when finished in an individual version of this paint color. It makes us really wish that BMW offered it on newer M cars. When many E36 M3s were painted in boring colors like white or silver, Dakar Yellow really stood out. While this color may be our favorite yellow that BMW has ever offered, it isn't even our favorite color from the E36 generation. That honor belongs to any even more special color.

The most unique color on the E36 M3 was Techno Violet. Purple is not a common color on any car, and German cars are typically known for conservative colors like silver and black. That is what makes Techno Violet so unique. What makes this color even more unique is that BMW will not let you order it even through its individual program. You can order the similar Daytona Violet, but for some reason Techno Violet is off-limits. Perhaps BMW wants to maintain the color's rarity, or perhaps the company just can't make it anymore. What ever the reason, this color is extremely cool, and we love it. Thanks to Jordan Risko Photography for the pictures and Dr. Ambivero for showing off her lovely car.

Without further ado, our favorite color from BMW is Laguna Seca Blue. Are you even surprised? This color was featured on our "Colors That We Wished Automakers Would Bring Back" list as our top pick, and for good reason. This blue was extremely unique with a sort of tealish hue. An E46 M3 in this color is worth far more than any other right now due to its rarity and overall desirability. The new M3 and M4 can be ordered in Yas Marina Blue, which looks similar. However, if you see these two blues next to each other you will realize how different they really are. Laguna Seca Blue will always remain one of our favorite car colors of all time. Did you agree with our list? Let us know in the comments!