Consolidating? 340i AWD

[equ]

Originally Posted by Nick M3

You’re looking at the guy with four M3s and four E30s, so I don’t know that rational is really the right way to put it.

True that is far from "rational". Your issues (perfectionism? wrenching-addiction? M-addiction? M-hoarding? ) are somewhat different from mine (perfectionism, miswanting, god knows what else).

[robg]

Originally Posted by equ

I'm not used to the Macan hardly at all. But I do know 987 onward, boxsters and caymans have it (I assume 911's must as well). I actually loved that about the 340. I like it to be not so sensitive on center, but get sensitive with steering angle to reduce lock. Speed sensitive is something else entirely and that would be absolutely terrible (I think BMW experimented with that ten years ago). This was great for me. I'd need to drive a 340 without it to see how much it matters, but it was better than the f30 adaptives I've driven.

Cool. My guess is that the 18" wheels with PSS tires are what make the biggest difference in terms of steering feel vs a regular F30. For some reason, I missed that you already found a potential car (AWD with track handling) but just not optioned quite the way you want ideally.

All things considered, I'm not seeing much downside for you in moving forward. Given your back issues, an extended test drive in any F30 with sport seats (easy to find cause they made them standard after a certain point) would be wise. I remember the seat cushion seeming a bit stiff but everyone has different tastes in that regard. I'd imagine the dealer is motivated to move oddball (to them) cars like the one you found. I assume it has heated seats (might be nice for your back)?

It's a great feeling to find a car that you immediately bond with.

[equ]

Originally Posted by robg

Cool. My guess is that the 18" wheels with PSS tires are what make the biggest difference in terms of steering feel vs a regular F30. For some reason, I missed that you already found a potential car (AWD with track handling) but just not optioned quite the way you want ideally.

All things considered, I'm not seeing much downside for you in moving forward. Given your back issues, an extended test drive in any F30 with sport seats (easy to find cause they made them standard after a certain point) would be wise. I remember the seat cushion seeming a bit stiff but everyone has different tastes in that regard. I'd imagine the dealer is motivated to move oddball (to them) cars like the one you found. I assume it has heated seats (might be nice for your back)?

It's a great feeling to find a car that you immediately bond with.

No one here is shopping, right? This is the car:

https://www.bmwdarien.com/inventory/...8b7c52gk487257

White is not my #1 choice, but it's not bad. Same with the interior, given my boxster has red interior, I wasn't looking to get another red interior. But, well at least on the whole, this is a good spec in decent condition. Just missing the Nav/Tech stuff (so stickers $56k something back in 2016). Price is actually competitive upon a cursory search and I don't think it'll last too long.

[rumatt]

Originally Posted by Nick M3

You’re looking at the guy with four M3s and four E30s, so I don’t know that rational is really the right way to put it.

[robg]

Originally Posted by equ

No one here is shopping, right? This is the car:

https://www.bmwdarien.com/inventory/...8b7c52gk487257

White is not my #1 choice, but it's not bad. Same with the interior, given my boxster has red interior, I wasn't looking to get another red interior. But, well at least on the whole, this is a good spec in decent condition. Just missing the Nav/Tech stuff (so stickers $56k something back in 2016). Price is actually competitive upon a cursory search and I don't think it'll last too long.

Cool didn't realize it was CPO. Seems like a good price- you might even be able to knock it down a few k. Hard to know how long it will last - with that type of car it will be very binary (Someone like you who wouldn't consider anything else and the majority of BMW buyers who would reject it for lack of automatic and tech options). I guess there's a large enough population in the tri-state area that there could be a few more needles in a haystack. Given that the dealer doesn't seem to be playing up this cars rarity they might not really know/appreciate it which is good for you. I'd also imagine that it will have a solid floor in terms of pricing if you decide to resell it via BMWCCA or some other enthusiast venue owing to the rarity. In a few years, I could picture Jalopnik having a story about this car "Last of the manual AWD BMWs!"

I bought my e46 from that dealer back in 2001...good times.

[BahnBaum]

Originally Posted by equ

No one here is shopping, right? This is the car:

https://www.bmwdarien.com/inventory/...8b7c52gk487257

White is not my #1 choice, but it's not bad. Same with the interior, given my boxster has red interior, I wasn't looking to get another red interior. But, well at least on the whole, this is a good spec in decent condition. Just missing the Nav/Tech stuff (so stickers $56k something back in 2016). Price is actually competitive upon a cursory search and I don't think it'll last too long.

That's a nice looking car and build. Maybe we need to meet again at Matt's after you pull the trigger.

Alex

[Josh (PA)]

You know what you really want is a 2010 e61 6mt x-drive that's been kept in a bubble for the last 5 yrs. Hopefully you can find four of them, one for you, one for me, one for WDC and one for lemming.

Maybe Nick can just build us some B58 3er wagons with transmission swaps.... at group buy rates.


Edit: and the link you posted is a really nice set up. I am partial to white BMWs

[Jeff_DML]

is your wagon rwd not awd? I thought they haven't offered a rwd 5 series available in the US for a long time(e39?).

edit: or is it not a wagon?

[rumatt]

That's a pretty great looking car.

[zach]

Looks pretty great