Nope - they ain't selling

[moss]

A month or so after the launch in the UK and heaps of M3's are available - most just sitting on forecourts - I’ve been watching three cars (at list price or below) sit for over three weeks now. I guess the game has just moved on since the E46 launch.

New M3 - brilliant car - but no longer with the residual halo that it once had - the E92 is gonna be very expensive to own.

[lucid]

Where are these car sitting and how do you know the asking price is list or below?

[Leg]

Hey, the man knows what he is talking about. 1 year old RS4s can be had for £42K now so he speaks from experience. If the M3 is only as bad as the RS4, for those who care (not I) its a very worthwhile and helpful post indeed. Well done. Excellent contribution to the forum. Keep it up. You wont be a First Class Privates for long!!

[ChitownM3]

Originally Posted by westwest888

Well gas is a pound a liter over there (about USD$2.10 a liter as of Friday, or $7.94 a gallon). And the oppressive taxes over there probably work out to a pound for every minute you own it. But that's all another story...

It might not be by chance that BMW launches the car in the rest of the world first. They can gauge sales interest, let their economists adjust the US price to meet the volume target, and let marketing place it correctly.

Is this just technical talk for saying you hope this means they will keep the price low in the US???

[consolidated]

Originally Posted by moss

A month or so after the launch in the UK and heaps of M3's are available - most just sitting on forecourts - I’ve been watching three cars (at list price or below) sit for over three weeks now. I guess the game has just moved on since the E46 launch.

New M3 - brilliant car - but no longer with the residual halo that it once had - the E92 is gonna be very expensive to own.

pathetic, you have a nice car, why be a troll?

[Leg]

I was being sarcy of course, everyone knew that? First Class Privates is a joke too (Privates, genitals, first class dick, no? Ill get my coat...).

[mkoesel]

So there are no waitlists anywhere at all in the UK? That seems hard to believe.

[The CSL]

Could just be BMW have really misjudged the market then and I can't say I'm surprised. The M3's popularity with the main buyers lives and dies on its press reception and without the winning plaudits, it's taken a knock.

[aerisolphaln]

I also think that BMW has misjudged, mis-marketed, and mis-priced this entire generation of M cars. M5's and M6's sit around on dealer lots where I am from, as I have said many times before, with no one willing to pay the exorbitant prices BMW is asking of those 2 cars.

I also think that BMW may have totally miss fired with the new M3 and its pricing when it comes to the US as there are now many options out there for people willing to spend the kind of money on a car that BMW wants for the M3. People now have the C63, will soon have the CTS-V (which is beautiful inside and out), and Audi RS models. I think M may be expecting to cash in on badge buying and recognition when those other auto makers went out and actually made a product that equals M without paying so much for just the badge. We shall see.

[Leg]

Absolute cack. A few searches on Autotrader reveal that (cars less than 12 months old) there are equal numbers of RS4s, M5s and indeed a good deal more Caymans on there. Same goes for most other models of similar value.

You think BMW plan to sell 100,000 M3s and subsequently spend millions on developing the car and got it wrong so they'll lose a fortune? Nah.

Personally I do hope people dont buy them. As I couldnt care less about residuals (as far as Im concerned when you buy a car you say goodbye to the money, its easier to enjoy them that way) I'll be happy with the exclusivity. But it will never happen.

[Keto]

Originally Posted by moss

A month or so after the launch in the UK and heaps of M3's are available - most just sitting on forecourts - I’ve been watching three cars (at list price or below) sit for over three weeks now. I guess the game has just moved on since the E46 launch.

New M3 - brilliant car - but no longer with the residual halo that it once had - the E92 is gonna be very expensive to own.

Sweet, now you can upgrade from the RS4 for less money.

[moss]

Originally Posted by Keto

Sweet, now you can upgrade from the RS4 for less money.

That is exactly what I am thinking - I may try to chop it in over the next few months.

Why are a few members convinced that I am forever dishing the M3 - ??

So what if i have an RS4 - they are ace cars - so is the M3 as I have said on many previous occasions. Just because I also report other stuff other than just "the M3 is great, has no downsides whatsoever..." like the rubbish some quote does NOT mean I think that the M3 isn't great.

The fact that M3's are gonna drop big time will be bloody marvellous news to many who can't or don't want to pay £55k (or $120000 (or probably about $4000000 by the time you read this judging by the daily devaluation of the dollar ) and as pointed out, it should enable me to change to an M3 for sensible money.

See all the cars around at www.autotrader.co.uk

[moss]

Originally Posted by Leg

Hey, the man knows what he is talking about. 1 year old RS4s can be had for £42K now so he speaks from experience. If the M3 is only as bad as the RS4, for those who care (not I) its a very worthwhile and helpful post indeed. Well done. Excellent contribution to the forum. Keep it up. You wont be a First Class Privates for long!!

For a car in this price bracket i think a fall of £8k is about right for the RS4 in the first year. Certainly not disastorous. However I can see the M'3 being about 42 - 44 in a year, so that would be around 11-13k drop. Time will tell i guess (and as you say if you don't care it doesn't matter). Still most people do.

[sdiver68]

Originally Posted by Leg

You think BMW plan to sell 100,000 M3s and subsequently spend millions on developing the car and got it wrong so they'll lose a fortune? Nah.

Edsel

I'm not saying the M3 is an Edsel, I'm saying companies can and do miscalculate all the time.

[moss]

Originally Posted by Leg

Absolute cack. A few searches on Autotrader reveal that (cars less than 12 months old) there are equal numbers of RS4s, M5s and indeed a good deal more Caymans on there. Same goes for most other models of similar value.

You think BMW plan to sell 100,000 M3s and subsequently spend millions on developing the car and got it wrong so they'll lose a fortune? Nah.

Personally I do hope people dont buy them. As I couldnt care less about residuals (as far as Im concerned when you buy a car you say goodbye to the money, its easier to enjoy them that way) I'll be happy with the exclusivity. But it will never happen.

Equal numbers agreed - but the M3 has only been out for a few weeks!

[Just_me]

Great news!! I cant afford a brand new M3 so this suits me perfectly Now I will get a M3 sooner than expected

[abhagat]

After searching through autotrader.co.uk, you're right, there are a ton of M3s. I liked this little tidbit of information in a random listing though:


"We also have UK LAUNCH slots for the SMG, which will be releasing in March 08"

[moss]

Originally Posted by abhagat

After searching through autotrader.co.uk, you're right, there are a ton of M3s. I liked this little tidbit of information in a random listing though:


"We also have UK LAUNCH slots for the SMG, which will be releasing in March 08"

I'm thinking the DCT will be worth waiting for - i think that's when i'll rejoin the M3 owners club - here's hoping it's every bit as good as it promises

[Leg]

Originally Posted by moss

Equal numbers agreed - but the M3 has only been out for a few weeks!

and pre ordered in huge numbers by speculators and it is clear to anyone not wanting to troll that most of the ads on autotrader are from dealers (none BMW).

I'm a long time Audi fan and dont understand this need RS4 owners have to come on here trolling? I just dont get it, do you feel threatened by the M3 or something? Why? The RS4 is a great car which I would have bought if I didnt have an Audi already and wanted a change. The M3 is a great car and will probably lead me into 2-3 BMWs after which Ill probably want a change of marque again. DOnt understand the problem, Im into cars, not marques.

[lucid]

Originally Posted by moss

That is exactly what I am thinking - I may try to chop it in over the next few months.

Why are a few members convinced that I am forever dishing the M3 - ??

So what if i have an RS4 - they are ace cars - so is the M3 as I have said on many previous occasions. Just because I also report other stuff other than just "the M3 is great, has no downsides whatsoever..." like the rubbish some quote does NOT mean I think that the M3 isn't great.

The fact that M3's are gonna drop big time will be bloody marvellous news to many who can't or don't want to pay £55k (or $120000 (or probably about $4000000 by the time you read this judging by the daily devaluation of the dollar ) and as pointed out, it should enable me to change to an M3 for sensible money.

See all the cars around at www.autotrader.co.uk

So you are referencing a web site? You've been tracking 3 cars on a national database. And the title of your post is they are not selling. Nice.

I've made this point on another thread. If you search a national database with 100+ plus M3s on it, you will always find some that look cheap, but that doesn't mean much. They could have been crashed, or maybe the owner needs the money tomorrow, or maybe the owner is filthy rich--no pun intended filthy! Look at something more objective, like the mean asking price. I did that with the German database mentioned on the other thread (someone was trying to make an argument that sounded like yours). Although there were 3 M3s under 55k Euros, most of the 100 or so cars that were listed were above 65k.

And then you wonder why people are calling you a troll?

[swamp2]

I think the original post is novel and valuable information; I would not call it trolling. Although hard to believe that there are multiple new M3 sitting on lots I believe moss when he says it. Could it be that the market in this segment and for this very hot brand is simply really soft in the UK? Could be. Since I plan on buying new, I guess I hope the US market is reasonably robust but it certainly will be good for those planning or trying to afford the new M after a year or so if it is not.

aerisolphaln: I think you are not correct about the competition. As nice as the caddy may be it simply appeals to a different demographic than any of the cars C63 AMG, RS4, IS-F. And out of these four I am fairly confident the M3 will be the second least expensive, just over the IS-F.

[lucid]

Originally Posted by swamp2

Although hard to believe that there are multiple new M3 sitting on lots I believe moss when he says it.

If that is what he says he saw, multiple M3s sitting on dealer lots at list or below, then I have no issue with the OP or the thread.

However, my interpretation based on the post I replied to is that he is scanning a national database and arriving at that conclusion, which would be pointless unless a significant percentage of the listed cars are listed at similar prices. Which one is it Moss? Where exactly did you see those 3 cars?