SUMMARY:
This near-fully optioned 2012 BMW 128i M-Sport Convertible has less than 65k miles, no accident history, thorough maintenance, and pristine exterior and interior. This 128i M-Sport will remain garage parked (as it’s been) until sold, so mileage and condition should not change meaningfully. This 128i M-Sport’s drivetrain (engine, transmission and differential) has been well maintained, and does not consume any noticeable amount of oil/fluid/etc. The exterior, including the high-gloss “Shadowline” trim and “aero” bodywork specific to M-Sports, is in near showroom condition with virtually no noticeable scratches or other blemishes. The exterior has no known rust or dents, and the M-Sport “Style 207” wheels have no known scratches or curb rash. The non-smoker occupied interior, including its M-Sport steering wheel, seats, and factory upgraded leather package, is in like-new condition throughout.
This 128i M-Sport comes with extra equipment and records of thorough and proactive maintenance assembled during my 7-plus years of ownership. Pride-in-ownership means this 128i M-Sport comes with the following: 1. clean/clear title (in-hand), 2. all maintenance entries under my ownership (2017-2024), 3. approximately 100 pages of receipts for parts and service (2017-2024), 4. annual state emission and inspection records (2017-2024), 5. two keys, 6. custom-fitted car cover (new-in-box/never used), 7. third brake light (new-in-box/never used), 8. original grey poplar interior wood trim (replaced with glacier silver aluminum trim by preference), and 9. stock muffler (packed in BMW box from 128i M-Sport Performance Muffler that replaced it). Within the last 100 miles, BMW of Alexandria inspected and serviced this vehicle, and a professional detailer prepped the exterior, engine bay, and interior, making this 128i M-Sport ready to be the pride of a new owner.
Overall, this 128i M-Sport is a great opportunity to acquire an affordable automobile with a desirably unique set of options, interior and exterior in like-new condition, durable drivetrain, and thorough maintenance records.
CARE:
During my ownership, cosmetic and mechanical maintenance were performed well in advance of scheduled mileage intervals and ahead of any mechanical failures with OEM-level or better products. The engine oil and filter were changed less than every 1,500 miles on average. The battery, brake fluid, cabin air filter, and PCV valve have less than 100 miles on them. Tires have less than 1500 miles on them. Engine cooling system components (coolant, thermostat, water pump), serpentine belt system (drive belt, idler pulley, and tensioner pulley), ignition system (ignition coil packs and spark plugs), and engine air filter all have less than 7,500 miles on them. Drivetrain (differential and transmission) fluids have less than 9,000 miles on them. Scheduled maintenance for most aforementioned items also have time (vs mileage) service intervals, and available records provide dates of installation for reference. This 128i M-Sport was never used for autocross, track days or other aggressive driving, and my replacement of its previous tires was due to age not wear, owing to its easy and fair-weather driving history.
EXTERIOR:
The exterior of this 128i M-Sport is near-showroom condition. The exterior bodywork and paint appeared to be all original when I purchased this vehicle, and it has not been blemished during my ownership. While owning this 128i M-Sport, my wife and I have owned 2-3 other vehicles at the same time, and most work commutes have been by public transportation (train) or at home (telework), so this vehicle has seen minimal commutes and almost all sunny day weekend trips. Having rarely seen even a rainy day under my watch, this 128i M-Sport has no notable corrosion on the unibody, drivetrain, exhaust, subframe suspension components, and other underbody items. The aluminum alloy M-Sport “Style 207” wheels have no corrosion spots or curb rash. Lenses for the option xenon adaptive headlights are clear of sun damage. The front fascia is in amazing condition for this vehicle's age, and the rear fascia (possibly owing to the vehicle’s optional rear Park Distance Control) is in fantastic condition.
INTERIOR:
Its interior (including carpeting, headliner, leather seats and trim) is in overall like-new condition, and has been occupied by non-smokers during my ownership (and presumably before). The front seats feature three-stage heating, four-way lumbar support, and eight-way power adjustability. Besides bolstered sport seats, interior features of the M-Sport Package include door sills with tri-color M logo and an M-Sport steering wheel. Factory optioned assistance and convenience features include “Comfort Access” keyless entry, auto-dimming rear- and side-view mirrors, BMW Assist, universal garage-door opener, and anti-theft alarm. This 128i M-Sport features the optional iDrive in-car communications and entertainment system. Dry and sunny day usage along with the BMW fitted floormats have preserved the like-new condition of the interior carpet.
PERFORMANCE:
While not a sports car, this 128i M-Sport offers sporting features that distinguish it favorably from other convertibles in its class. While the convertible version slightly skews weight rearward, this automobile continued BMW’s hallmark of achieving near 50/50 front-to-rear weight distribution and notably lighter upfront than its 135i brethren. Hailed as BMW’s last great naturally aspirated (and possibly most reliable) engine, this 128i M-Sport’s 3.0-liter DOHC inline-6 N52 engine features Double-VANOS (variable valve timing), Valvetronic (variable valve lift), variable output oil pump, and an electric water pump. Its Getrag (GS6-17BG) manual transmission, which BMW also installed in bigger/heavier vehicles like the 3-Series (Euro-spec 323i/325i and US-spec 328i) and 5-Series (Euro-spec 523i/525i) of its era, is known for its durability and reliability. Similar to 128i M-Sport coupes, this vehicle’s suspension system is upgraded from the base model with a sport-tuned aluminum double-pivot strut front suspension with anti-roll bar paired with a five-link fully independent rear suspension with anti-roll bar connected to a staggered setup of 7x17 and 7.5x17 wheels at the front and rear respectively. The genuine BMW 128i Performance Muffler (Part# 18102208804) added during my ownership is unobtainable new and very difficult and expensive to acquire on the secondary market.
UNIQUENESS:
While clearly no exotic or specialty car, this 128i M-Sport still offers a hard-to-beat combination of individuality and uniqueness, especially for its price range. It is very hard to find a 128i M-Sport Convertible, let alone one with a manual transmission that has low miles, no accident history and so many maintenance records, which is why it took me so long and required me to travel so far (it resided in Florida since new) to acquire this vehicle over 7 years ago. According to a forum moderator who could decipher BMW VINs, BMW sold just 93 convertibles in 128i trim during the 2008-2013 model years with the same exterior (Space Grey Metallic) and interior (Oyster Boston Leather) combination, and only 2 of those 93 came with both the M-Sport Package and a manual transmission (so, this vehicle apparently 1 of 2 ever made in this spec). As part of the first, last, and only 128is BMW ever sold in the United States, this M-Sport is quite unique, and I think my particular automobile (with its low-mileage, clean history, desirable options, and meticulous records) is a great example.