Holy Appreciation Batman - 2011 BMW 1M prices???

I was day-dreaming today about a new-to-me car... and thought, "hmm... a 1M might be cool. Something a bit unique... fun to drive... and 4 years old so the prices should be reasonable. Sort of like trying to buy an E30 M3 before the prices went stupid..."

Should.

So I get on Autotrader and do a nationwide search. Now I know it was a fairly rare car, so I didn't expect to find many for sale - and there isn't - but I was NOT prepared for the asking prices.

Mind you, according to a Car&Driver article from 2011, the MSRP on the car started at $47K and their test example was about $51K.

The cheapest car posted on Autotrader right now has an asking price of $50K. The most expensive one is almost $75K. Holy ca ca. I wasn't expecting such a new car to appreciate in value like that.

Wow, you can get 2 135i's for that money.

I believe the term is "instant classic". By the time the word got out about the car, it was already nearing the end of a very short production run. High demand, limited supply.

I'm pretty sure my M5 is worth twice as much as a 525

Everyone also thought it was ugly and "top heavy" looking.

I loved them. Dont know if they are worthy of the M badge though

I think 1Ms never sold for MSRP. The demand was there from the get go.

There's an orange one I see all the time in a shopping center parking lot I eat lunch at occasionally. It's always there, so probably a store owner, otherwise I rarely see one even in the BMW-heavy Princeton area. Makes me think about one now and then, but never really paid much attention to them other than reading reviews about them. It does make me think looking for a 135 may be more practical.

1M's are very rare and cool, but honestly you can build a 135 to be just as good as a 1M and it's not that difficult. The hardest part is putting in a real Limited Slip diff. The engines are basically the same, the 1M just came with a bigger hairdryer.

Slippery wrote: I think 1Ms never sold for MSRP. The demand was there from the get go.

I read somewhere that the standard markup for a 1M was somewhere between 10k and 20k, and people willingly paid it .

I've always wondered why BMW didn't continue to make them or at least import them to the US.

A buddy has been griping about this for a year now. He had the notion of ownership after a few years of depreciation, but before everything needed replacing as so many BMW parts do with age.

I like them too- similar surprise at asking prices. Too bad. Why do I like all the cult cars that are sorta ugly but expensive (I'm looking at you, 2001 S54 M Coupe).

Is the M235i a better bargain than a modified 135i?

It's weird, I've got a friend who managed to get one of these. Canadian spec, in orange of course. Hell of an icon, and he spent some time chasing it. He sold it after about a year to buy something else - a new M3, I think. Can't figure out why.

There's a local 135i with low miles selling for <$20k, with the M-package so it says. Probably sold, but there are others.

So is it worth the huge premium for a true M?

I got my '08 135i M-sport for 18k with under 50k miles on it. It's not in perfect condition and has a california buyback title though.

The M235i basically gives you a little more power, a little more weight, and a little more tire.

Keith Tanner wrote: It's weird, I've got a friend who managed to get one of these. Canadian spec, in orange of course. Hell of an icon, and he spent some time chasing it. He sold it after about a year to buy something else - a new M3, I think. Can't figure out why.

Space/size perhaps? From what I've read, the interior of the M3 is a fair bit larger/more comfortable.

Such a sweet little car.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSDYvUkclFM

The problem with niche enthusiast vehicles is that there are far more enthusiasts than you think and many of us have been waiting patiently for prices to drop. Economics takes over and we see what OP and others have experienced. For my money though m235i is good enough.

bastomatic wrote: There's a local 135i with low miles selling for <$20k, with the M-package so it says. Probably sold, but there are others. So is it worth the huge premium for a true M?

To have one of the 1000 or so ever produced, to enjoy without devaluing it, yea....those with the money should. Only BMW building a real M2 would reduce their value. Don't take that as a dis on the 135/235, as both would be a bargain version that could hold its own for less than a 1M. The thing is though, people will continue to pay for the 1M, and the lesser 1 series will continue to depriciate. I would love to get a 128/135i eventually, but I'd like them to depriciate a bit more yet. I want the brown/copper with red interior.

I too had thoughts of buying one a few years after depreciation did its thing. So much for that plan.

I really liked them as the 24 hours of Daytona pace car.

bastomatic wrote: There's a local 135i with low miles selling for <$20k, with the M-package so it says. Probably sold, but there are others. So is it worth the huge premium for a true M?

My friend has a lovely 135. It has a different tune, and it is incredibly powerful, although I find the turbo hard to predict (of course, I am sure I could learn to with practice). It is faster ithan my E46 M3.

But, and this is huge to my needs, tire size is limited by the fenders up front, unlike the 1M with its flared front fenders. He can't run a square set up effectively, and that creates a ton of compromises in an autox and HPDE car.

The torque, though . . . Wow.

This thread had me up on Autotrader again. Yep, 1M prices are freakin' high. You could buy an E46 M3 for similar power/weight and better sound quality yet spend half as much.

All wheel drive 335s are cheap, though. Relatively speaking, at least. $15-20k. Need to drive one to see if the automatic is unobtrusive or annoying.

Perfect example of a car that's not worth it, lmao.

They were upmarked $20,000 over MSRP where I was. I planned on buying one but wouldn't

I am pleasantly surprised by how many I see at track events in Canada. I think fewer than 200 came to Canada, and I know of at least 10 different ones that attend the track events I go to in the Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec area.

It's a super rare M car that was supposed yo be the successor to the 2002 Turbo cars. "Worth it"? IDK. Is a true 2002 Turbo "Worth it"?

My friend has a Valencia Orange example and I've mused over it's increasing value for some time. Thankfully, the trend hasn't stopped my friend from driving it as intended. Reminds me of how Boxster Spyder prices are starting to rise as well...must acquire before they get too crazy