Autoblog: 2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe now more expensive than when new

[discoboy1]

The only time I would consider selling my 1M is if I get offers over 100k! Its paid for an going to stay in my garage.

[b33g33]

I've seen a few comments that the 1M will be *readily available* and/or *will become commonplace* once the F8x M3 or the M2 drops, what you also need to consider is that most 1M owners (especially in the US) bought (not leased) this car and see no reason to get another one as a replacement. Contrary to popular belief, 1Ms were mostly bought by enthusiasts on their 2nd or 3rd M car. Most of us knew what we were getting into and worked our asses off to get an allocation. It wasn't a consolation price for someone who "couldn't afford an M3". In fact, a contemporary M3 was cheaper to purchase because of lower financing and incentives. The 1Ms either came at MSRP or with a hefty markup (except for a few very lucky, foresightful owners who put deposits down very early)


Even if I am completely wrong and the market is *flooded* with 300 of these, don't expect prices to be that much lower.

[hellrotm]

Once these cars are past their 4yr/50,000 warranties, no doubt values will drop. That is also when you see more for sale and traded in.

[cc3]

Originally Posted by BlackJetE90

Once these cars are past their 4yr/50,000 warranties, no doubt values will drop. That is also when you see more for sale and traded in.

Don't understand your logic here. I bought mine for cash have no intention of selling. I can extend the 3 warranty if I want to but it's not much of a consideration. Like lots of owners it's not my main car. If I add a car to my small collection I buy something that I enjoy and has rarity. I not really interested if it goes up in value but know it's not ever going to cost me a packet of depreciation.

The post above makes a very good point in that there is not a whole load of cars coming to the end of their lease. Values will not fall. Ask any dealer.

[Amnizu]

I'm pretty certain the rising costs of coca leaves in Columbia will cause a dramatic increase in street crack prices thus forcing disbelievers in the current used market price for 1Ms back to sobriety.

[hellrotm]

Originally Posted by cc3

Don't understand your logic here. I bought mine for cash have no intention of selling.

I never own BMW's out of warranty. Other BMW owners have the same logic. With some of the 740 units sold, certain owners will sell them as they approach the end of the factory warranty. Some might extend their warranties. Some might trade them in on a new BMW. Not all (apparently that includes you), but some. A year from now I see more for sale. That is just my logic...

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by BlackJetE90

Once these cars are past their 4yr/50,000 warranties, no doubt values will drop. That is also when you see more for sale and traded in.

warranty has no bearing on value as a collectible...

Sure.. some may trade theirs in... but again... most cars were not leased... and many owners are WELL under the average mileage that a typical car sees ... 12-15K per year. The typical 1M has FAR lower than 10K per year. Check some of the threads where people have posted their mileage. Many cars 2 years old are well under 20K miles. So... it's not like owners will be pressed to get back into a car with a warranty when they own a low mileage collectible that is going to continue to retain it's value better than the NEW car they purchase...

Originally Posted by BlackJetE90

I never own BMW's out of warranty. Other BMW owners have the same logic. With some of the 740 units sold, certain owners will sell them as they approach the end of the factory warranty. Some might extend their warranties. Some might trade them in on a new BMW. Not all (apparently that includes you), but some. A year from now I see more for sale. That is just my logic...

the 1M is my THIRD M car... and the FIRST under warranty. Newer BMWs are expensive to maintain out of warranty.. but it's not like they are Porsches with a seriously high expense for repairs. If you prefer a car under warranty.. sure.. there are lots of reasons to own cars under warranty... and perhaps you lease from car to car.... which would make a certain amount of sense on a common model... leasing did NOT make sense for most owners for the 1M.


Even still.... let's give you "" .. more for sale..." next year than today... but that still = " more " of a fraction of 740 which is still a very small number.

[STARSKI]

What people don't understand, is that the press this car has and the story behind it will be a big part of what makes it so "collectible". Sure there are other cars that have low production numbers, but how many of them have such a great story behind them and such inspired reviews and press? Also having both an e92 M3 and a 1M I'll tell you as a car to drive on the street, you get a lot more satisfaction out of the 1M without having to wring it out. Who's gonna push their cars to 8k rpm when just zipping around town regularly? I'm by no means saying the e90/92 M3's aren't great cars as I love mine as well, but to think that 1M is not more special and collectible and will drop a huge amount in value is beyond silly.

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by M3 Adjuster

warranty has no bearing on value as a collectible...

+1

Some cars keep attracting aficionados who are prepared to pay good money for it.

Take the Porsche 993 as example: nineties technology and materials, and out of warranty, that much is true, but generally still a better resale value than its successor, the Porsche 996.

Why the difference in desirability ? Apart from the car's mere qualities (design, performance, reputation/accolades, etc.), sometimes nostalgia of the owner is also involved (the prospective owner was charmed by the car in the past, eventually as a kid).

If it's a damn good car, then there will always be a market for it.

[Dee Pee]

My hope and expectation (and it is reasonable) is that the value will continue to be above what I paid for it. I have no plans for selling the car unless I can get a redonkulous premium. It's just that perfect for me.

My only other experience with a "limited" M car is my 2002 Roadster. Right now I have an offer at KBB for it from a guy that's owned two S54's. My only caveat for selling that car is that it would go to a home that would love it as much as I do. I'm still heavily on the fence. He's willing to let me drive it all summer and sell it then.

Not that my case is the metric by which we should expect prices to go, but at 12 years out, there are THREE M Roadsters (2001 and 2002 versions) on eBay from one dealer asking $36,000, versus KBB which is $26,000. Will they get what they are asking? Probably not, but the point is that they can, and will get above market value because the bottom line is that they aren't that many around (only 1200 made in 2001 and 600 made in 2002).

Limited numbers often command a premium price, is all I'm sayin'.

[Amnizu]

Originally Posted by Dee Pee

My hope and expectation (and it is reasonable) is that the value will continue to be above what I paid for it. I have no plans for selling the car unless I can get a redonkulous premium. It's just that perfect for me.

Limited numbers often command a premium price, is all I'm sayin'.

Above are classic examples of the subjective theory of value and artificial scarcity which, which unfortunately are not required study areas to graduate college.

The result is a bunch of college graduates who received a C in econ 101 that think they can explain everything with a basic demand graph. AKA prices will drop due to XYZ factor driving demand down.

[Dee Pee]

Originally Posted by Amnizu

Above are classic examples of the subjective theory of value and artificial scarcity which, which unfortunately are not required study areas to graduate college.

The result is a bunch of college graduates who received a C in econ 101 that think they can explain everything with a basic demand graph. AKA prices will drop due to XYZ factor driving demand down.

Hey what can I say? I got a medical degree, not an MBA.

Anyway, I didn't speak in absolutes there. I said it was wishful thinking.

As Publilius Syrus said "Everything is worth what its purchaser will pay for it."

Right now, they're willing to pay a premium at 3 years out. Will this change? Heck yes. This car is a weird one. For a lot of us in the forum, the market value will never correlate with the subjective value we put on the car.

As for artificial scarcity, I'd submit that there is a real scarcity of these things. That will be alleviated partially by the M235 (drove it...meh) and the M2.

[1M SUSI]

Take the Porsche 993 as example: nineties technology and materials, and out of warranty, that much is true, but generally still a better resale value than its successor, the Porsche 996

Man did I make the right purchasing decisions. I fell in love with the looks of the car in the 90's. Now today I understand that its not only looks. The 1M was not quite the same but it took some luck to get an allocation. I'm sure that there are allot of stories to be told where 1M owners almost didn't get one. And some people tried and couldn't get one.

Feeling lucky right now, I should buy a lottery ticket.

[ozinaldo]

I already decided that I am not gonna sell this car ever for making a profit which I could till now. I am only gonna sell it if/when I learn that if I don't sell it I will loose a hurting amount of money (from what I've paid).

[IndyMike]

I've never once inquired via KBB or any other authoritive site regarding the value of the E82 M Coupe as I really don't anticipate ever letting it slip through my grateful hands.

What I can't believe is that two other individuals allowed it to fall down to me, and I was blessed enough to snag it with only 1858 miles on her body, and at what I considered a fair price at the time (which now looks like a bargain).

As a prior 135 owner the E82 M addressed all of the relatively minor issues that I had with that variant, while retaining its compactness, 2+2 and flickable demeanor, in a package that I find is just so cool and gnarly looking. But the poster I sport on my dining room wall (is my wife cool or what) eloquently and succinctly states what I dig about this buggy.

As far as the M2 is concerned I'm excited to see what the boys from M will deliver, but while the performance numbers will surpass the E82, and it may be as light if not lighter, it certainly will not be as compact or as scalpel like.

At the time when I bought it I promised my wife that this would be the last car I would ever purchase for myself, because I knew it ticked all of the boxes that my ideal car had to meet.

Well, only the good Lord knows, but maybe, just maybe this is one promise I really do keep.

[bradleyland]

Originally Posted by Artemis

+1

Some cars keep attracting aficionados who are prepared to pay good money for it.

Take the Porsche 993 as example: nineties technology and materials, and out of warranty, that much is true, but generally still a better resale value than its successor, the Porsche 996.

Why the difference in desirability ? Apart from the car's mere qualities (design, performance, reputation/accolades, etc.), sometimes nostalgia of the owner is also involved (the prospective owner was charmed by the car in the past, eventually as a kid).

If it's a damn good car, then there will always be a market for it.

The 993 vs 996 isn't a particularly good example of value derived from nostalgia and emotional connection because there are a ton of objective reasons the 996 is so poorly valued. Exploding engines, poor interior quality, poorly-aging appearance. The 996 isn't valued less because people are nostalgic about the 993; it's valued less because it was never as good a car as the 993.

The 1M is a different animal altogether. Its value comes from the fact that it was a great car to begin with, and there were very few of them made. It's also rare in a broader sense. In terms of size, power, engine configuration, and exclusiveness, there are virtually zero matches... until the M2 arrives. We don't know if the chassis dynamics will match the 1M, but the M235i is a pretty good indication that they're on-track to deliver. The M2 will have the same power (or more) and engine configuration.

The only area the M2 won't match the 1M is in exclusivity. The question is whether there exists a sufficient population of 1M buyers available who are interested solely in exclusivity to the point that they'll continue paying current asking prices, versus going out and buying an M2. I wouldn't make that bet, personally.

[Papethova]

I might buy an M3, or I might buy an M2, maybe wait for an M4GC, but you know what I wont do? Trade in the 1M for it. In fact Id park the new M outside and drive it daily. Eventually trading it in for a new car while the 1 sits in the garage and gets driven for pleasure on the weekends. Its not because the 1 is a collectible or worth xyz dollars. Its simply because its so enjoyable to drive. Its classified as one of my toys... for fun.. not purpose.

My 1M has 12k miles, 3k of which were delivery miles in Europe and PCD. Out the door with tax it cost me less than US MSRP base which was 47k but I wouldnt sell it today for 150k. Mostly because I wouldnt know what to replace it with but mainly because I LOVE IT.

I suspect most owners have expendable incomes and can afford to make new car purchases without being forced to sell their 1M. So new M car purchases wont impact the used market as much as they do with other vehicles. Will we see more for sale? Sure. Will the prices come down? Probably, but I suspect the desirability will always be there. It will always be viewed as one of those special cars, every generation has a handful. Thats why prices, if they ever dip, will eventually rebound.

[vasmir]

I test drove a 1M yesterday and now "get it"... it's a very special, deeply impressive little car. It felt... epically more emotional than my current E89.

I've also test driven a M235i (this morning, actually... and a 6 speed no less). I can definitely believe the numbers I've read about it - it's very fast and handles excellently. The interior is substantially better than the 1M.
It too is a very impressive little car; and while some will say it's much more refined (and indeed it is in many ways), I just couldn't help think it was missing the visceral, analog feeling from the 1M. The last time I felt that (other than the 1M) was driving a friend's S54 M coupe.

So like many here I don't think prices will depreciate all that much (if at all). The M235i, new M3 and M4, and eventual M2 will definitely be better cars in a lot of ways, but perhaps the last days of a visceral, analog, small RWD BMW coupe are behind us.

I think that Jalopnik article about Why The BMW 1-Series Is The Next Great Future Classic is right on.

[SNOOPY11]

If you value Matt's opinion... he also believes the car will increase in value with time..

[abcde]

LOL this assumes dealers sold at that MSRP. From what I remember, knowing each dealership only had 1 allocation, I remember someone posted a dealership was asking $80k for their 1M.

Not saying these cars aren't valuable. I want to own one someday, but I think the value remains high given what some people probably paid for them knowing they were limited production.

[1mGator]

Originally Posted by b33g33

I've seen a few comments that the 1M will be *readily available* and/or *will become commonplace* once the F8x M3 or the M2 drops, what you also need to consider is that most 1M owners (especially in the US) bought (not leased) this car and see no reason to get another one as a replacement. Contrary to popular belief, 1Ms were mostly bought by enthusiasts on their 2nd or 3rd M car. Most of us knew what we were getting into and worked our asses off to get an allocation. It wasn't a consolation price for someone who "couldn't afford an M3". In fact, a contemporary M3 was cheaper to purchase because of lower financing and incentives. The 1Ms either came at MSRP or with a hefty markup (except for a few very lucky, foresightful owners who put deposits down very early)


Even if I am completely wrong and the market is *flooded* with 300 of these, don't expect prices to be that much lower.

I am in this camp with you! The 1 M is my third M Car and while I may own another in my life this one is staying with me. I think the fact that it is limited and a one year only production model ( what else from BMW is) makes the 1 M an instant collectable. M 2 will have at least 4 year production run. Aren't we all lucky to enjoy such great creations.

[Mdawood]

Indeed we are all very lucky and should be thankful...