Feeler: 2013 135i Limited Edition 6spd - 29k miles

[SicEm]

Originally Posted by Chamberlin

Wow, what a neat spec - I hadn't even heard of the Limited Editions until today. I sold my N55/DCT Marrakesh Brown 135i a few years ago and it's one of the top most regretful BMW sales I've made (along with my 2000 M Coupe!). Custom ordered a new 2021 MINI JCW Hardtop last year, but just sold that off as it wasn't the experience I was hoping for. Been poking around for another BMW to pamper and take to our club meets; this one checks a lot of boxes. I have an uncle in Denver who's going to sell me his LeMans/Coral (Superman) 2011 135i 6 speed down the road which is also a unique spec, but man I'm really intrigued by this Mineral White Lifestyle Edition. Nothing wrong with having both blue and white BMWs in the garage is there?

I love that ya'll are keeping the 135i's in the family! This car (and I!) lived in Denver for a few years, so maybe we saw your uncle in traffic. I know the 'regret' feeling - I'm still kicking myself for not saving the phone # of the couple I sold my 318ti to years ago. Selling that car felt like selling the family dog!

I'm interested - why didn't the Mini JCW meet your expectations?

[Chamberlin]

Thanks for your response! Interesting coincidence that you brought the car from Denver, although I doubt you saw the superman 135i driving around Columbine, as he has had it tucked away for about 4 or 5 years now, maybe only a couple tanks of gas through it during that time! I think it is a 30-35K mile car as well.

BTW, I love 318ti's, especially with the 'E36 M3 conversion' done to them! I almost bought a Mora green one a few years ago, but it was a beater. But yea, I know what you mean about selling the family dog...the car is getting loaded up on the trailer and saying like, 'why are you getting rid of me?!?!?' LOL

I have a huge thread on the MINI forum about my F56 MINI adventure (although I haven't even told those guys over there that Carvana just picked it up a few days ago!). But the bottom line is that for the money, I expected pops and burbles from the JCW exhaust and I wasn't getting it (DINAN tune was coming soon to fix that). I also couldn't stand the rev hang - it's atrocious on these new cars! Like really bad, but DINAN would fix that too. Plus the wheels were hideous, and I was about to go down an expensive path to mod the car, and just lost the stomach for it. There's a lot more to it than that, but that's the short version, as not to take away from your feeler thread.

So now I'm back on track with BMW, and casually looking for my next long term project/show car. Although I do 90% my own work (see my Marrakesh for sale thread) my mechanic has a beautiful LeMans blue 6 speed, which makes me happy - he's a total E82 fanatic and whatever 135i I get would be in excellent hands, if I couldn't do the work myself.

I say 'casually looking' though, because we're in the process of building a house and it's taking an agonizing 12 months, where it should have only taken 6-9 months (thanks to crazy 2020-2021). We're expecting to be getting keys by October, and I've got a whole separate garage/workshop ready to go for a special car. But now's obviously not the time to be buying $30K cars, and that's another reason I let the MINI go ($43K go-kart!). But then you had to post your feeler on this beauty! For this price range, I know there is a huge following for the 135is as well, but I actually like the added exclusivity of the Lifestyle Edition, and yours in particular. Given all the choices available for the LE model, I would have spec'd it out exactly the same as this car. I even think it's cool that it has the white grill fins match the Mineral White paint, whereas the black and grey versions were 'stuck' with the white grills (which seems odd). First one made, press car, or company car, only one with active steering, etc... cherries on top.

[CharsadehBEAST]

I test drove a 135i with active steering and 4 without. Main reason I'm even considering a 135i is the hydraulic steering, "active steering" kills steering feel.

Very nice specimen, should do nicely on BaT or C&B

[SicEm]

Originally Posted by Chamberlin

Thanks for your response! Interesting coincidence that you brought the car from Denver, although I doubt you saw the superman 135i driving around Columbine, as he has had it tucked away for about 4 or 5 years now, maybe only a couple tanks of gas through it during that time! I think it is a 30-35K mile car as well.

BTW, I love 318ti's, especially with the 'E36 M3 conversion' done to them! I almost bought a Mora green one a few years ago, but it was a beater. But yea, I know what you mean about selling the family dog...the car is getting loaded up on the trailer and saying like, 'why are you getting rid of me?!?!?' LOL

I have a huge thread on the MINI forum about my F56 MINI adventure (although I haven't even told those guys over there that Carvana just picked it up a few days ago!). But the bottom line is that for the money, I expected pops and burbles from the JCW exhaust and I wasn't getting it (DINAN tune was coming soon to fix that). I also couldn't stand the rev hang - it's atrocious on these new cars! Like really bad, but DINAN would fix that too. Plus the wheels were hideous, and I was about to go down an expensive path to mod the car, and just lost the stomach for it. There's a lot more to it than that, but that's the short version, as not to take away from your feeler thread.

So now I'm back on track with BMW, and casually looking for my next long term project/show car. Although I do 90% my own work (see my Marrakesh for sale thread) my mechanic has a beautiful LeMans blue 6 speed, which makes me happy - he's a total E82 fanatic and whatever 135i I get would be in excellent hands, if I couldn't do the work myself.

I say 'casually looking' though, because we're in the process of building a house and it's taking an agonizing 12 months, where it should have only taken 6-9 months (thanks to crazy 2020-2021). We're expecting to be getting keys by October, and I've got a whole separate garage/workshop ready to go for a special car. But now's obviously not the time to be buying $30K cars, and that's another reason I let the MINI go ($43K go-kart!). But then you had to post your feeler on this beauty! For this price range, I know there is a huge following for the 135is as well, but I actually like the added exclusivity of the Lifestyle Edition, and yours in particular. Given all the choices available for the LE model, I would have spec'd it out exactly the same as this car. I even think it's cool that it has the white grill fins match the Mineral White paint, whereas the black and grey versions were 'stuck' with the white grills (which seems odd). First one made, press car, or company car, only one with active steering, etc... cherries on top.

Thanks for the detailed response!!

My ti was Morea green! Man... I miss that car!

That makes sense re: the JCW; it's a shame they didn't get that right from the factory. Sounds like you made a rational choice!!

[SicEm]

Originally Posted by CharsadehBEAST

I test drove a 135i with active steering and 4 without. Main reason I'm even considering a 135i is the hydraulic steering, "active steering" kills steering feel.

Very nice specimen, should do nicely on BaT or C&B

Thanks for stating that, CharsadehBEAST! I didn't realize you could option active steering - but after researching more, it looks like you could!

I know what you mean about the steering feel - it's doesn't feel the same as other 135i's. That said, I've grown to really like it; in my opinion it's much more responsive and livable without sacrificing too much in the way of feel. To each his own, I guess!

[dtla1]

Just noticed this person was offering up their Lifestyle edition a few months ago, no pictures to check out the brown convertible top though : https://www.1addicts.com/forums/show...7&postcount=24

[SicEm]

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2013-bmw-135is-22/

[CharsadehBEAST]

Good luck!

How long ago did you submit it?

[SicEm]

Thank you! Wanna bid?

I just looked through my message history with BaT; I submitted it on July 16th. I drug my feet for a little bit. The detailer I was working with had around a 2 week wait, which slowed things down. The listing process was fairly straightforward, but not as efficient or white-glove as I had hoped. Then again, I think being such a BaT fanboy for the past 6-7 years probably set my expectations sky high.

[CharsadehBEAST]

I picked up a 135i about 2-3 weeks back

Looks like you are off to a strong start and actively following the auction which is key. I submitted a mint M5 to BaT I owned previously a few years ago but they rejected it and never gave a reason. There's a BaT thread on another car forum I follow, I recall a few folks commented it took 4-6 weeks from submission to the auction going live. Did anyone at BaT reach out to you before it went live letting you know ETA or did you find out moments after it went live?

I think an auction ending on Friday is ideal vs the weekend. I'm rooting for you, I hope you sell it for top dollar. It appears to be in mint condition, low miles, desirable color combo, and a manual.

[SicEm]

Originally Posted by CharsadehBEAST

I picked up a 135i about 2-3 weeks back

Looks like you are off to a strong start and actively following the auction which is key. I submitted a mint M5 to BaT I owned previously a few years ago but they rejected it and never gave a reason. There's a BaT thread on another car forum I follow, I recall a few folks commented it took 4-6 weeks from submission to the auction going live. Did anyone at BaT reach out to you before it went live letting you know ETA or did you find out moments after it went live?

I think an auction ending on Friday is ideal vs the weekend. I'm rooting for you, I hope you sell it for top dollar. It appears to be in mint condition, low miles, desirable color combo, and a manual.

I'm glad you found one! Hopefully you're having a blast.

From submission to acceptance was ~7 weeks, but 2 of those weeks were delayed on my part. The detailer I opted to use couldn't get me in for ~2 weeks and I had to time the photographer to be same day. Once we agreed on the auction listing write-up, it took around 30 minutes to be told that they were listing same day! That was a plus for me, as I had originally expressed that I wanted to be listed on a Friday.

I get the impression that BaT is at such a large scale now, that you have to play within the confines of their process. For example, they wouldn't write the auction listing until they had the professional photos from the photographer I hired through them (via Snapper); despite the full suite of photos I sent them. When I pressed them on it, they're reply was "Sorry, it's our process". Some of the process might make sense (e.g.: what if they spent the resources to write the auction listing but then I pulled out?) but it felt a bit thoughtless. The writing of the listing of itself is also bound by the 'structure' of BaT listings - 'we talk about XYZ during paragraph 3'. This made it difficult to convey the special things about my particular car. It also seemed like they were using some software automation to populate much of the listing (it would mindlessly list features that weren't always on the car). They also keep weird hours (they'd consistently reply at midnight) which makes me think the writer is not in the US or it's a side hustle. Errors would sometime switch between drafts of the listing, (e.g.: they referenced this car as an E87, it took a couple iterations to get it removed).

Like I said before, I probably had way too high of expectations considering the scale of what BaT has built. The strength in BaT is the large audience, engaged community (somewhat more mature than Cars and Bids), and the selectiveness of what they list. Cars and Bids seems to be more 'experience' focused. If they continue to improve the quality of cars they list, exhibit a high sell-thru rate, and high post-auction satisfaction, I would consider listing with them next time around.

[CharsadehBEAST]

I remember seeing help wanted ads for writers on BaT so some might be a full time staff member at their HQ (in SF) others might be doing it freelance as you suggested. I didn't like it when they went with a 7 day auction schedule, I used to scan the newest listings every day but once they went to a 7 day format the amount of content just got too much to keep up with. 13 hours left, fingers crossed there's a bidding war at the end.

[CharsadehBEAST]

Final hammer at $28k and change, congrats! Did it meet or come close to your expectation?