A good deal?

[El Duce]

Been bitten pretty hard over the last few months to get a weekend toy/something to mod/something to work on with my retiring father (we build cars when I was growing up ... their new retirement house was built to install a lift).

I currently drive a 2016 loaded 4-door GTI with the Performance Pack and DSG plus a Cobb tune. (pound-for-pound, dollar-for-dollar, the best car I've ever owned BTW).

I've recently owned a modified 2009 335i (LSD, meth inj, etc ... 428 RWHP), a special ordered 2016 328ix M-sport wagon (traded in for the GTI), a C5 Vette (shit interior made me get rid of it), and some other cars, TL Type-S, 9-3 Turbo ...

The initial search was for a 987 Cayman S. Crazy precision weapon and a bit raw and certainly unique. I was thinking that for a weekend toy I wanted something so different than my DD, so a mid-engine would certainly do that. But then the more I thought about it, when I go out on the weekends it's very rarely to a winding road where the Cayman would really shine. It's heading down wide open 4 lane roads or the interstate to see my parents or my nieces. It wouldn't be in its habitat.

So I started looking again ... thus I'm drawn back to the E9x M3 and that fantastic engine. Part of the reason I got rid of my 2016 wagon was that I thought that BMW took a step back on the interior quality and the experience (nothing to do with the turbo 4 though, a great engine).

I've been looking far and wide and tried to initially stay in that $30k range, but at that price point compromises were being made ... a few too many miles, not the right options or color, some minor blemishes that I know will just piss me off, etc.

I found a 2013 M3 coupe, comp pkg, all the right options and basically flawless. The only #1 option that it doesn't have is that it's not silver, but gray (which is my 3rd color choice). The car has a new battery, up to date on service, good tires, 1 owner, needs nothing and only has 18k miles. The guy is asking $44,500. Add in a 3 year USAA extended warranty that I will buy (bearings, actuators, blah, blah) for $3,200 and we're almost double/month for what I pay for my GTI. That's a lot of cash for a weekend toy. Cash isn't necessarily the limiting factor, I'm just financially cautious in general.

There are some better deals out there on similar mileage M3's, but not with the right options ... am I talking myself out of a good deal? Or talking myself into a bad deal?

Sorry for the long post guys. Thanks for reading.

[basic.sportscar]

Just saw an individual paint Lime Rock E90 full Dinan 6 speed low miles here in SoCal for the same money...

[pbonsalb]

It’s not a bad deal. If it’s the car you want buy it. It’s only 1/3 depreciated so you will drive it down another 3rd assuming you enjoy it more than the first owner who did not drive it. The 3 year warranty is probably a good job idea.

[OwnAge]

Originally Posted by Sgnitsah

Just saw an individual paint Lime Rock E90 full Dinan 6 speed low miles here in SoCal for the same money...

guessing you ment to say e92

[MattM3SVT]

That is on the higher end, but if its everything you're looking for then go for it. I daily an MK6, and the VW daily and M3 weekend toy is the perfect combo in my opinion!

[El Duce]

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm still on the fence about this one. Like, should I just wait for my unicorn, a low mileage 11-13 CF roof 92 in silver with a brown interior, dct ... or do I just pull the trigger. Today I actually just curbed my Neuspeed wheels on the GTI (a car purchased with the goal of being able to shrug things off) and it is still irking me. Makes me wonder if I could deal with having a delicate flower, weekend toy.

[thkfast]

The way I see it, at $47,700 all in (PLUS tags, title, tax) you are paying absolute TOP DOLLAR for that particular E-ticket. It better be the exact car you want because you're into it deep. I always like to think I'm "stealing" the car, you know, feeling sorry for the person selling it because I got such a great deal!

I would only pull the trigger if it's the perfect car at that price and I would definitely use that as a negotiating point.

[El Duce]

Originally Posted by thkfast

The way I see it, at $47,700 all in (PLUS tags, title, tax) you are paying absolute TOP DOLLAR for that particular E-ticket. It better be the exact car you want because you're into it deep. I always like to think I'm "stealing" the car, you know, feeling sorry for the person selling it because I got such a great deal!

I would only pull the trigger if it's the perfect car at that price and I would definitely use that as a negotiating point.

Plus another $3k for the 3 year warranty ... Excellent perspective though.

Come to think of it, I don't even know if the combo I want even exist. Saddle Brown was not a popular color for the interior even in normal 3 series.

[shimmy23]

When you say silver are you referring to Tiag? Brown interior referring to saddle brown?

I believe both of this colors would be individual orders on this chassis, so truly a unicorn.

[El Duce]

Originally Posted by shimmy23

When you say silver are you referring to Tiag? Brown interior referring to saddle brown?

I believe both of this colors would be individual orders on this chassis, so truly a unicorn.

Silverstone on Saddle Brown. 2011-13 Coupe, CF roof, DCT, low mileage, loaded with every option would be THE ideal car. No idea if it even exists. Perhaps I'm that idiot waiting for a literal unicorn/yeti, which would clearly be a long wait.

[jiggz]

That would be a nice combo but correct it doesn't exist. The only brownish interior offered on the E9x M3 is bamboo beige, which is quite a bit lighter than saddle brown. And finding that with SSII, even I you liked that combo, would be a super rare find.

Rust brown was an individual interior option, but again very rare. Usually see it with a blue exterior.

[UPSROD]

Silverstone with Bamboo Beige is not even a recommended factory combination. It could have been special ordered but no dealer would have probably ever stocked that combo.

[El Duce]

Originally Posted by jiggz

That would be a nice combo but correct it doesn't exist. The only brownish interior offered on the E9x M3 is bamboo beige, which is quite a bit lighter than saddle brown. And finding that with SSII, even I you liked that combo, would be a super rare find.

Rust brown was an individual interior option, but again very rare. Usually see it with a blue exterior.

Ugh .... Right in balls ... Guess I'll to go with a black interior. Silver seems to be slim pickings outside of convertibles for some reason.

[cgoldie187]

I paid about 46k out the door for a '13 speced EXACTLY how i wanted it with 33800 miles. Peak of summer so prices were high. If you like it, just buy the damn car and start enjoying it. Time is money