Most cars you see on the road are devoid of color. The most popular car "colors" in the US for 2023 were various shades of black, silver, and white – inoffensive but hardly eye-catching. But most automakers offer adventurous shades for buyers wanting something a bit extra.
By our count, more than 30 new paint colors debuted this past year. The hues range from verdant greens to eye-searing oranges, with lots of other vibrant hues in between. So next time you go new-car shopping, skip the dull shades and go for one of these flashier options instead.
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Acura
Gotham Gray
The Acura TLX Type S PMC Edition debuted in Gotham Gray with a matte finish. This color was available on the modern NSX first, but eventually made its way to the TLX sedan. The automaker mixed the shade with black trim on the vehicle’s front splitter, door handles, side sills, and exhaust tips. Acura limited this TLX to just 50 units.
Audi
Goodwood Green
The Audi TT is about to retire, but it’s going out with a bang. The Final Edition model features a shade Goodwood Green Pearl that evokes a similar green that was available on the first-generation model. Audi matches this color with a gray roof and matte gray bumpers.
Bentley
Wasabi Green, Sunbeam Orange, Daybright Blue, Fine Brodgar Silver
Bentley’s Mulliner division created a limited run of specially colored Baturs. Customers could spec the $2.1-million coupe in shades of Wasabi Green, Sunbeam Orange, Daybright Blue, or Fine Brodgar Silver. It looks brilliant in all of them.
BMW
Urban Green,Anglesey Green,Petrol Mica, Sepia Metallic
BMW debuted a few new shades this year, particularly on the XM SUV. Urban Green was one of them, evoking the same olive drab that appears on military vehicles. Fitting for the tank-like SUV. Alongside Urban Green was a lighter shade called Anglesey Green Metallic. Petrol Mica Metallic was also new for the XM – it’s dark blue but with some green hues that create a teal shade – andSepia Metallic is the last of the BMW Individual shades for the XM. It’s a vaguely purple color that mixes blue and gray tones.
Cadillac
Cyber Yellow
The Cadillac CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwing models celebrated 20 years of performance in 2023. And with that, the automaker rolled out some new trim options and a special color never before seen in the Cadillac lineup: Cyber Yellow. It's available on both the CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwing.
Chevrolet
Panther Black Matte
The Chevrolet Camaro is prepping for retirement. As a swan song, Chevy is producing a limited run of Collector’s Edition models. The ZL1 specifically is limited to 350 units and comes in Panther Black Matte, which is the first matte paint shade available from the factory for the Camaro.
Ferrari
Gold Mercury
Ferrari introduced the one-off KC23 track car during this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. And it only makes sense for a unique model to have a special color. The Gold Mercury shade features a liquid-metal effect in four layers of paint, creating a mirror-like finish.
Ford
Polymimetic Gray
Speaking of a liquid-metal effect, the Ford Mustang GTD’s paint receives a similar finish. Ford named the shade Polymimetic Gray as a reference to the watery form of the T-1000 android from the movieTerminator 2: Judgement Day.
Infiniti
Black Opal Metallic
Infiniti debuted a special edition Q50 this year in a special color called Black Opal Metallic. According to the automaker, the shade can have blue, green, or purple hues depending on the angle or the way the light hits it. But all of the official photos make the hue appear closer to dark brown or black.
Jeep
Punk’n, Bikini
Jeep had two new colors in 2023. The color Punk’n orange returned to the Jeep Gladiator lineup this year after being absent from the options list since 2020, and as the name implies, the color looks like a… pumpkin. The second color is more unique; the new Bikini color is a dark shade of teal that appears to be inspired by the ocean.
Maserati
Night Interaction Blue, Verde Royale, Notte Black
The Maserati Grecale and MC20 are now available in a new Night Interaction paint. It’s a grayish-blue shade with a satin finish. It takes inspiration from a hue from the 1967 Ghibli coupe. Alongside Night Interaction is a shade called Verde Royale that has a light green color. This hue comes from a color that was available for the 1986 Maserati Quattroporte. But if you want a more sinister MC20, Maserati offers a Notte Black special edition limited to just 50 examples.
McLaren
Cerulean Blue, XP Green,Sarigan Quartz, Cyber Yellow
Similar to what the BMW Individual offers for the XM, the McLaren Special Operations team debuted a bunch of special shades for the GT this year (prior to the updated GTS). Cerulean Blue revived a color originally available for the P1, and it looks teal depending on how light hits the body.
XP Green, originally from the iconic F1 supercar, is also available on the GT. And Sarigan Quartz – a fairly basic silver color – debuted on the Speedtail XP2 prototype. But if you’d prefer a more brilliant color for your GT, check out Cyber Yellow. It’s a newly created color for that adds a pearlescent finish to the existing Volcano Yellow color.
Mercedes-Benz
Orange Flame Metallic
Orange Flame Metallic is the special color for the California-inspired Mercedes-AMG SL63 Big Sur edition. It’s a shade that evokes the sunset. The interior is a mix of Mystic Red and Black hand-stitched Nappa leather.
Porsche
Leblon Violet Metallic,Essmanngreen
Porsche’s Sonderwunsch customization division created a one-off color for the new Panamera called Leblon Violet Metallic. The hue is a dark purple shade with chestnut accents, and the clearcoat includes pieces of vaporized gold to add luster to the body.
But if you pay Porsche enough money, the automaker will create a custom color for you through its Paint-To-Sample Plus program. Michael Essmann did exactly that, and Essmanngreen was the result. It's a vibrant shade that gave us 1970's vibes.
Ram
Baja Yellow
Ram debuted the special Baja Yellow color for the 1500 Rebel Havoc Edition. And it looks awesome. Black trim adds a dark contrast to the bright shade, which offers a nice contrast for the off-road pickup.
Rolls-Royce
Stardust Blue,Pearl Rose,La Rose Noire
Rolls-Royce clients want to feel special, obviously, and that means the automaker is often coming up with new colors. This year, there were multiple. The Cullinan Blue Shadow Edition offers a dark cerulean shade called Stardust Blue. Rolls-Royce also showed off a unique SUV in Pearl Rose this year. As the name suggests, it’s a light shade with a pinkish hue.
If you want a truly special shade, La Rose Noire for the Droptail model evokes the color of a glass of red wine. To make this car even more special, it has a watch in the cabin from the luxury timepiece maker Audemars Piguet.
Tesla
If you want your Tesla Model S or X in a crimson shade, the EV brand introduced Ultra Red for its two most popular models this year. The deep red color that accentuates the sleek lines of these aerodynamic EVs.
Toyota
Blue Flame, Plasma Orange, Terra
Toyota introduced the bright Blue Flame color for the 2024 GR Corolla. With the car’s black trim, it accentuates the machine's motorsport-inspired angles and it looks fantastic.For the Supra, Plasma Orange is a particularly eye-catching shade that Toyota introduced on limited-run models around the world. Japan got 100 of them while a multi-colored version of this shade showed up on GT4 Special Edition in Europe. The 45th Anniversary Edition brought another variant to the United States.
On the new Tacoma, meanwhile, the TRD Pro trim is available in the exclusive color Terra. It’s a deep shade of orange with an earthy hue that should fit nicely if an owner goes off-roading in the desert.
Tell us what your favorite color is in the comments below.
Best Car Colors Of 2023:
- Acura:Gotham Gray
- Audi:Goodwood Green Pearl
- Bentley:Wasabi Green
- Bentley: Sunbeam Orange
- Bentley: Daybright Blue
- Bentley: Fine Brodgar Silver
- BMW:Urban Green
- BMW: Anglesey Green
- BMW: Petrol Mica
- BMW: Sepia Metallic
- Cadillac: Cyber Yellow
- Chevrolet:Panther Black Matte
- Ferrari:Gold Mercury
- Ford:Polymimetic Gray
- Infiniti:Black Opal Metallic
- Jeep:Punk’n
- Jeep: Bikini
- Maserati: Night Interaction Blue
- Maserati: Verde Royale
- Maserati: Notte Black
- Mclaren:Cerulean Blue
- McLaren: XP Green
- McLaren: Sarigan Quartz
- McLaren: Cyber Yellow
- Mercedes-Benz:Orange Flame Metallic
- Porsche:Leblon Violet Metallic
- Porsche:Essmanngreen
- Ram: Baja Yellow
- Rolls-Royce:Stardust Blue
- Rolls-Royce: Pearl Rose
- Rolls-Royce: La Rose Noire
- Tesla: Ultra Red
- Toyota: Blue Flame
- Toyota: Plasma Orange
- Toyota: Terra
