Duke wrote:
motomoron wrote:
- e39 Touring introduced in US in 2001 in 2 versions: 525iT available in automatic or manual and 540iT available in automatic only.
See, this is the E36 M3 I will *just never understand* from car manufacturers. They make a 540i manual in the sedan. From the rear doors forward, *it is IDENTICAL.* Zero extra engineering involved.
Why *not* make the wagon in a stick? I understand, it's not a hot-selling combination, and I would never expect dealers to stock them. But why are they completely unavailable for ordering if someone wants one?
If you were to spend more on the wagon (more profit for them) they just assume you are going to spend more for the auto (even more profit).
motomoron wrote:
It never fails.
2000 528iT manual in Colorado - $5k
That one doesn't have the Sport option, though.
motomoron wrote:
It never fails.
2000 528iT manual in Colorado - $5k
Without an interior shot, you can safely tell yourself it's mislisted, probably an Automatic.
frenchy
New Reader
10/19/12 5:47 p.m.
See, this is the E36 M3 I will *just never understand* from car manufacturers. They make a 540i manual in the sedan. From the rear doors forward, *it is IDENTICAL.* Zero extra engineering involved.
Why *not* make the wagon in a stick? I understand, it's not a hot-selling combination, and I would never expect dealers to stock them. But why are they completely unavailable for ordering if someone wants one?
I don't get it either but I suppose that the wagon could be on a different assembly line. With all the robots and things they use to build cars it might not be feasible to do.Probably a bunch of crap from the manufacturers though.
Having been involved in manufacturing engineering and manufacturing support - there's a huge amount of stuff behind another iteration of a product. I'm certain that the federal approval process has to be repeated for every model designation, there's all manner of assembly fixtures, and all the back-end documentation.
I'd guess that BMW brought in manual inline 6 tourings on the basis of "we're BMW, we're the driver's car, and we'll always make manual transmissions available for our (ever dwindling) core consumer base who started with 1800s and Bavarias 25 years ago".
I belonged to BMWCCA for a few years and their publication is the model of marque-specific literature. There are a shocking number of BMW loyalists who want to keep buying the BMWs they brought back when their deployment in Deutschland was finished.
This contingent complains bitterly and at great length about, but not limited to:
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Chris Bangle's design work.
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iDrive.
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Lack of manual transmissions.
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Absence of dipsticks.
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Run-flat tires - no spare tires.
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Tire pressure monitoring.
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Dilution of the M brand / M series X models.
...And any number of other things. And they positively LOVE to insert key German words, italicized, into their missives.
So there's a very vocal, very small minority who'd buy the cars - but it's shrinking every day. It's unlikely the 1.28 manual e39 tourings sold per week in the US throughout the model run would have covered creating a new model designation had BMW not already been making and selling the cars everywhere else.
Also - having driven mine about 400 miles I can say with confidence that for all the driving I do that's not one a race track, towing a race car to a race track, top down, or bringing a huge load to the dump; it's the perfect car.
