Quote:
Originally Posted by champignon
Somewhat tangential to this discussion, in the two+ years I have owned my 1M, it has been noticed only a couple of times by random people, none of whom had any idea what it was. I think the somewhat outrageous VO color was a large part of why these people came up to me (once at a gas station and once in a parking lot). BMW has been recycling this color (or very similar ones) on unremarkable cars lately, which will diminish the color-based interest in the future.
A couple of days ago someone admired my 135i Coupe, and wanted to know how powerful it was (~320HP with the PPK flash).
Last year someone followed me into a Trader Joes to compliment me and ask about my 2000 Z3M Coupe; he's the only person (other than a laughable experience with my Golf R) to ever approach me about a car who knew what the car actually was.
Very frequently, too frequently, when I drive my 2003 Porsche 996 TT, it gets noticed, I think probably because of the aftermarket GT2 spoiler that the previous owner installed on it. This has started to make me cautious about where and when I park it.
Bottom line, other than for the body color, hardly anyone out there has a clue what these cars are when they see them, only the owners and wannabe owners. That can be both a plus and a minus to collectability. Those looking for status should probably buy something else. Those looking for discretion might be attracted to it, especially if they get one in the white or black colors.
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Champignon, I am in south Florida (North Miami Beach) where the excess of "luxury" sports cars is unbelievable. My experience is the opposite of yours in that when I drive the 1M - yes, it's VO - I always get comments, looks, conversation and people taking pictures of the car. I am also surprised at how knowledgeable the younger "tuners" are about the car. We have an abundance of single turbo 135i conversions that make 500 hp plus but they all give the 1m respect and recognition as a rare model. It goes without saying that unlike the Ferrari and Lambo crowd that most of these young crowd also like seeing three pedals on the floor instead of two ..... ride on!