[TanzM4]

I bought my f82 sight unseen but it was only like 400 miles away and it was from a
BMW dealership. I rented a car, drove up there, then drove the f82 home.

The dealership filmed a walk around video for me and I already saw the CarFax so I was confident I wasn’t getting a lemon. The CarFax showed it was regularly serviced at BMW dealerships and there were no major repairs or anything fishy that stood out. If it has extensive service history and nothing stands out (like motor replaced, tons of small things, or anything major), and the dealership has good reviews, then I would go for it.

[Westside Guy]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

Finding a 2020 M340i with the shadowline pkg in Portimao blue is going to make your pool of cars minuscule, so you should probably drop that.

PB is a very popular color which you will find on several different models. I see that color all of the time and many of those cars have the Shadowline package. It may be easier to find than you think. 😉

[tturedraider]

I was looking around for Portimao and stumbled across this. It’s Tanzanite, not Portimao. I don’t know how you feel about Tanzanite, but it is stunning!!

This car is listed quite a bit over your $35k, but it is totally loaded and it looks to be in quite good shape. It is a one owner. It’s an xDrive, but it has the adaptive suspension and it has staggered wheels and tires and it has the increased 155 mph speed limiter. It has the Executive pkg. It has adaptive cruise control, laser headlights, parking assistance, 360 degree cameras, and cold weather pkg, front and rear heated seats.

It just so happens it is in a Chicago suburb, so if you were interested I would be willing to go put eyes on it and check it out and drive it to give you a report. I’m pretty picky, so if you trusted my judgment I suppose you could skip traveling and just have it shipped. Personally, I’d fly to get it and then have a blast driving it back home. But, I realize that’s a very long trip. I considered a couple of cars in Cali, but I decided the drive home was more than I wanted to make. Though, I would have done it if I had found a real compelling car.

Just fyi, the staggered tires and increased speed limiter may not matter much to you, but just so you know, the VAST MAJORITY of xDrive M340s you find with have a square wheel/tire setup and will have the lower, 130 mph, speed limiter.

https://conwayimports.com/vdp/222221...mwood-IL-60107


According to Edmund’s they have had it listed for 16 days and haven’t done any price reductions. In my many years of experience watching how dealers price cars they initially price them at least $4,000 above the price they can sell for and still make an acceptable profit. So, this car has a lot of room for negotiation at this point. In my opinion they could sell it for $34.5k - $35.5k and still make an acceptable profit. But, I would also say with the level of equipment and the condition of the car and the fact it is a one owner it will be in fairly high demand.

[hakaveli]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

I was looking around for Portimao and stumbled across this. It’s Tanzanite, not Portimao. I don’t know how you feel about Tanzanite, but it is stunning!!

This car is listed quite a bit over your $35k, but it is totally loaded and it looks to be in quite good shape. It is a one owner. It’s an xDrive, but it has the adaptive suspension and it has staggered wheels and tires and it has the increased 155 mph speed limiter. It has the Executive pkg. It has adaptive cruise control, laser headlights, parking assistance, 360 degree cameras, and cold weather pkg, front and rear heated seats.

It just so happens it is in a Chicago suburb, so if you were interested I would be willing to go put eyes on it and check it out and drive it to give you a report. I’m pretty picky, so if you trusted my judgment I suppose you could skip traveling and just have it shipped. Personally, I’d fly to get it and then have a blast driving it back home. But, I realize that’s a very long trip. I considered a couple of cars in Cali, but I decided the drive home was more than I wanted to make. Though, I would have done it if I had found a real compelling car.

Just fyi, the staggered tires and increased speed limiter may not matter much to you, but just so you know, the VAST MAJORITY of xDrive M340s you find with have a square wheel/tire setup and will have the lower, 130 mph, speed limiter.

https://conwayimports.com/vdp/222221...mwood-IL-60107


According to Edmund’s they have had it listed for 16 days and haven’t done any price reductions. In my many years of experience watching how dealers price cars they initially price them at least $4,000 above the price they can sell for and still make an acceptable profit. So, this car has a lot of room for negotiation at this point. In my opinion they could sell it for $34.5k - $35.5k and still make an acceptable profit. But, I would also say with the level of equipment and the condition of the car and the fact it is a one owner it will be in fairly high demand.

Holy cowwww that IS stunninggg. It has all the options I want basically! I thought I wanted Portimao Blue only but that Tanzanite Blue is growing on me all of a sudden lol. I am seeing some inconsistencies that I find odd. When I run the vin through Visor.vin it shows up as a Portimao Blue vehicle and it doesn't list any options except for heated seats/steering. Were you able to tell it is fully loaded based on the photos? mdecoder confirms it has all the options I want though! Carfax shows it was exported out of Germany and imported to South Carolina and has never had any services done at a BMW dealership, is that a red flag? Carfax also says it has been for sale since Valentine's Day? And Visor.vin shows it as being listed for 76 days now? Could there be something about it that it has been sitting for 76 days now? Or it means I can probably negotiate down a lot if there's nothing wrong with it? I think I'd definitely consider 35k + taxes and fees for that build! I'm definitely interesteddddd. Thanks so much for your help and keeping me in mind btw 🥹 Should I call them to ask about the vehicle? I would definitely be down to fly over there to pick the car up and drive it home! And would definitely stop by Wrigley Field to catch a game and a beer before going home if you wanna join! Game and beers on me for your help!! 😬

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by hakaveli

Holy cowwww that IS stunninggg. It has all the options I want basically! I thought I wanted Portimao Blue only but that Tanzanite Blue is growing on me all of a sudden lol. I am seeing some inconsistencies that I find odd. When I run the vin through Visor.vin it shows up as a Portimao Blue vehicle and it doesn't list any options except for heated seats/steering. Were you able to tell it is fully loaded based on the photos? mdecoder confirms it has all the options I want though! Carfax shows it was exported out of Germany and imported to South Carolina and has never had any services done at a BMW dealership, is that a red flag? Carfax also says it has been for sale since Valentine's Day? And Visor.vin shows it as being listed for 76 days now? Could there be something about it that it has been sitting for 76 days now? Or it means I can probably negotiate down a lot if there's nothing wrong with it? I think I'd definitely consider 35k + taxes and fees for that build! I'm definitely interesteddddd. Thanks so much for your help and keeping me in mind btw �� Should I call them to ask about the vehicle?

I think you should call. I’ll do a little more research. Visor.vin probably shows Portimao because the dealer has the color listed incorrectly on their listing. Mdecoder confirms it is Tanzanite. I’ll take a look at the CarFax. I haven’t looked at it yet. South Carolina is one of the ports of entry for BMW. They have a Vehicle Distribution Center there. It’s also possible the original owner took delivery of it at the BMW Performance Center in Spartanburg.

[hakaveli]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

I think you should call. I’ll do a little more research. Visor.vin probably shows Portimao because the dealer has the color listed incorrectly on their listing. Mdecoder confirms it is Tanzanite. I’ll take a look at the CarFax. I haven’t looked at it yet. South Carolina is one of the ports of entry for BMW. They have a Vehicle Distribution Center there. It’s also possible the original owner took delivery of it at the BMW Performance Center in Spartanburg.

Should I call just to confirm it's available? NGL this is my first time buying a vehicle from a dealer, should I be asking them more questions or just letting them know that I want to have a friend come by to put eyes on it? I don't negotiate until after you put eyes on it or do I negotiate now?

[tturedraider]

Just looked at the CarFax. It does look like they have had it for sale since Valentine’s Day. Regarding the importing. Fort Bragg is located in Fayetteville, NC. With the import coming about three years after it was produced my guess is it was bought by an Army service member through the military sales program (probably there in Germany, but possibly another European country) and then brought home to the U.S. when he PCS’d to Fort Bragg. That would also explain the lack of service history on the CarFax. That would also explain the staggered tire setup. I would say there’s a good chance this car has actually seen 155 mph on the Autobahn!!

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by hakaveli

Should I call just to confirm it's available? NGL this is my first time buying a vehicle from a dealer, should I be asking them more questions or just letting them know that I want to have a friend come by to put eyes on it? I don't negotiate until after you put eyes on it or do I negotiate now?

I would go ahead and call. Just let them know you have someone in Chicago who will check it out for you first, but don’t worry about negotiating right now. I’m thinking about how to find out about its history. I have a service advisor at a local BMW dealer who I think might be willing to look up its history for me.

It looks like this dealer kind of specializes in high end German cars. They have mostly BMWs, Audis, and Mercedes. And they are all in very good condition.

[hakaveli]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

I would go ahead and call. Just let them know you have someone in Chicago who will check it out for you first, but don’t worry about negotiating right now. I’m thinking about how to find out about its history. I have a service advisor at a local BMW dealer who I think might be willing to look up its history for me.

It looks like this dealer kind of specializes in high end German cars. They have mostly BMWs, Audis, and Mercedes. And they are all in very good condition.

I called and he said it's still available! I asked him if there's anything he can tell me about the vehicle other than what is mentioned on the website and he just said it's in pristine shape and that it was imported from Germany and is euro spec with carbon fiber in the interior. I told him I would be reaching out to a friend in Chicago about putting eyes on it for me and that I would be calling him back! Would appreciate any help you can provide!! Thanks again

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by hakaveli

I called and he said it's still available! I asked him if there's anything he can tell me about the vehicle other than what is mentioned on the website and he just said it's in pristine shape and that it was imported from Germany and is euro spec with carbon fiber in the interior. I told him I would be reaching out to a friend in Chicago about putting eyes on it for me and that I would be calling him back! Would appreciate any help you can provide!! Thanks again

As is typical of car salesmen, he doesn’t 100% know what he’s talking about. It’s not German spec. It’s U.S. spec, as is shown on Mdecoder. Military sales cars that are sold in Europe to U.S. service members are U.S. spec. It’s actually too new to have been a European spec imported to the U.S. European spec cars have to be at least 25 years old before they can be imported. And the carbon fiber trim isn’t from the factory. It was added by the original owner.

Notice the sticker on the back window? It says Conway Imports. I have a very strong feeling someone from the dealership has been driving and enjoying this car for the last several months since the fall.

I’m about to be tied up for about two hours. I’ll message you later this evening.

[tturedraider]

I just PM’d you

[TanzM4]

That Tanzanite m340i looks stunning... but I would probably pass due to a few reasons.

- The lack of service history is concerning. Pretty much the only service record is from a Pep Boys at 65,971 miles. I would much rather prefer a car that has extensive service records from an actual BMW dealership. Not saying the car wasn't properly serviced, but you're taking a gamble here.
- The car has been modded. That doesn't necessarily mean it's been abused, but that increases the odds that something will go wrong in the future. Adding performance mods to this car would suggest that the previous owner wasn't babying it. I bought a modded BMW before and it had nothing but problems... but that could just be because it had an N54 motor lol.
- The dealership doesn't have the best reviews on Yelp. There are tons of reviews stating they bought a car from them and then had problems with it shortly after.

This thing does look sooo clean though, but it could be a gamble.

[Chihuahua]

Originally Posted by TanzM4

The dealership filmed a walk around video for me and I already saw the CarFax so I was confident I wasn’t getting a lemon. The CarFax showed it was regularly serviced at BMW dealerships and there were no major repairs or anything fishy that stood out. If it has extensive service history and nothing stands out (like motor replaced, tons of small things, or anything major), and the dealership has good reviews, then I would go for it.

Ditto with my B7. I had it shipped to me from Ohio, no issues with the car when it got here - was exactly as advertised.

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by TanzM4

That Tanzanite m340i looks stunning... but I would probably pass due to a few reasons.

- The lack of service history is concerning. Pretty much the only service record is from a Pep Boys at 65,971 miles. I would much rather prefer a car that has extensive service records from an actual BMW dealership. Not saying the car wasn't properly serviced, but you're taking a gamble here.
- The car has been modded. That doesn't necessarily mean it's been abused, but that increases the odds that something will go wrong in the future. Adding performance mods to this car would suggest that the previous owner wasn't babying it. I bought a modded BMW before and it had nothing but problems... but that could just be because it had an N54 motor lol.
- The dealership doesn't have the best reviews on Yelp. There are tons of reviews stating they bought a car from them and then had problems with it shortly after.

This thing does look sooo clean though, but it could be a gamble.

We spoke at length on the phone last night and close to the very end came to the conclusion to pass on it because of the mods to the motor. In large part because of him being in California and the mods could cause some pretty big issues with it passing smog in Cali. Actually, when I looked at the history of the car on the CarFax I was able to figure out the likely scenario. I’ll start off by saying I was an intelligence analyst in the Army for four years, so putting together puzzles of information comes very naturally to me. When I saw the car was imported to the U.S. in December 2022, which was right at three years after it was produced, and that it was then registered in Fayetteville, NC that told me it had belonged to a U.S. Army service member. Fayetteville is the home of Fort Bragg and the 82nd Airborne. There are a lot of paratroopers stationed in Germany and when they come home they come to Fort Bragg. So, more than likely it was purchased by a service member through BMW’s military sales program and then he had it with him in Germany (most likely, it could have been another European country, but probably Germany) and then brought it home when he PCS’d to Fort Bragg.

That explains the lack of service history on the CarFax and it also explains the staggered wheel/tire setup on an xDrive, because in the United States most xDrive cars are ordered by dealers with a square, all season setup. The car was most likely custom ordered and it has the 155 mph increased speed limiter, too, which makes sense for the Autobahn. I told the OP I think it’s very likely this car has seen 155 mph on the Autobahn.

I’m guessing the engine mods were done after it was imported back to the U.S.

[Tyga11]

I wouldn't unless you are planning on actually walking if something falls thru. But most people who would be in your situation may notice flaws on the car and feel committed since you already flew out there, paid $800.

I also would not deal with a non BMW dealership on a used car

[TanzM4]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

We spoke at length on the phone last night and close to the very end came to the conclusion to pass on it because of the mods to the motor. In large part because of him being in California and the mods could cause some pretty big issues with it passing smog in Cali. Actually, when I looked at the history of the car on the CarFax I was able to figure out the likely scenario. I’ll start off by saying I was an intelligence analyst in the Army for four years, so putting together puzzles of information comes very naturally to me. When I saw the car was imported to the U.S. in December 2022, which was right at three years after it was produced, and that it was then registered in Fayetteville, NC that told me it had belonged to a U.S. Army service member. Fayetteville is the home of Fort Bragg and the 82nd Airborne. There are a lot of paratroopers stationed in Germany and when they come home they come to Fort Bragg. So, more than likely it was purchased by a service member through BMW’s military sales program and then he had it with him in Germany (most likely, it could have been another European country, but probably Germany) and then brought it home when he PCS’d to Fort Bragg.

That explains the lack of service history on the CarFax and it also explains the staggered wheel/tire setup on an xDrive, because in the United States most xDrive cars are ordered by dealers with a square, all season setup. The car was most likely custom ordered and it has the 155 mph increased speed limiter, too, which makes sense for the Autobahn. I told the OP I think it’s very likely this car has seen 155 mph on the Autobahn.

I’m guessing the engine mods were done after it was imported back to the U.S.

Ahh interesting. Do they not add the service to CarFax outside of the US>

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by TanzM4

Ahh interesting. Do they not add the service to CarFax outside of the US>

CarFax only covers the U.S.

[chassis]

Originally Posted by hakaveli

I am in the market for a 2020 Portimao Blue m340i with specific options and specs and it seems like when I find one with specs I like it's already sold. There is one about 1,500 miles away that looks promising but the round trip flight is $800 so I'm hesitant to just blindly go.

I read about a service called Lemon Squad that does third-party inspections for people in other states. Should I consider this route? Or should I maybe even call around to BMW dealerships or Independent Auto shops that work on BMWs local to the area the car is in and askto pay someone to go and do the test drive and pre-inspection for me?

I have been searching for about a week now. Should I just stay patient and keep my eye out for one closer to me or am I right in thinking I might just have to fly somewhere to find the one I am looking for?

Any tips, feedback, and/or advice would be greatly appreciated!

I bought a Cayenne sight unseen from 2,400 miles away. Great car and great transaction.

You need to trust the other party. Ask for more photos of specific detail areas. You need to know what you want and to know the specifications in detail. Don’t physically go there before the transaction, that is the kiss of death. Ask for a written invoice by email with their bank details, and wire the money. Every financial institution in the country can send and receive wire transfers.