BMW‘s new paint brings a whole new dimension to calling a paint job “crappy.” This isn’t as simple as making a bad poop pun because BMW has a new shade of brown paint. BMW is now working with BASF to make a new kind of sustainable paint made from sewage. To be clear, although sewage can include various materials, we are basically talking about poop paint. 

Is BMW really making paint out of poop? 

BMW is working with the chemists over at BASF to create a new kind of paint that replaces the petroleum-based parts within paint with raw materials from organic waste, including bio-waste, which is waste from sewage treatment plants. 

The goal is to reduce the amount of fossil fuels used not only in making the paint but also in the larger context, ​​which will also cut emissions normally released in the production and transport of crude oil. 

If that doesn’t feel like enough to drive a luxury covered in poop, there are more environmental benefits. According to CarScoops, the new corrosion protection and paint process lowers CO2 emissions by a whopping 40 percent and is already set to be used at BMW’s plants in Leipzig, Germany, and Rosslyn in South Africa.

Can poop paint really reduce BMW’s carbon footprint?

“By reducing our use of fossil raw materials, we can conserve natural resources and lower CO2 emissions at the same time,” said Joachim Post, BMW’s head of purchasing and supplier network. 

The amount of petroleum products out in the world aside from fuel runs deep. Making fuel-efficient cars and EVs is a great first step. However, the example of petroleum products in paint proves how far we still have to go. 

How many paint colors does BMW offer? 

On the BMW website, the German manufacturers boast an extensive list of paint options totaling 165 unique shades. Over the years, BMW has made a long list of incredibly color schemes. Its red, violet and blue tri-stripe colors are one of the coolest in all autosport. 

It’s not only BMW’s wide color selection that shows its love of paintwork but also the BMW Art Car program. Since the first BMW Art Car in 1975, BMW has made another 18 iterations. This program pairs influential artists of the time with an important BMW model for an often one-off, or sometimes very limited run, of custom-painted cars. 

Not to lose sight of the fact that this article is about a BMW poop-based paint, I feel like it is worth mentioning that BMW has yet to show any images or any info suggesting the shade they have in mind for this new sewage-based paint. At the risk of being sophomoric, I think I can probably venture a guess at what color most of us think it should be.