What?!

[Frupal]

Stopped by sterling BMW today and saw a white 8GC. They added 15k for market adjustment. Are they insane?

[iamvanja]

BMW seems to be smoking something to think that 8GC is/will be a huge success.
I think they are going to be doing some more market adjustment on that very same car. Next year

[Frupal]

Originally Posted by iamvanja

BMW seems to be smoking something to think that 8GC is/will be a huge success.
I think they are going to be doing some more market adjustment on that very same car. Next year

Agreed! I think they drank the Kool-Aid that their upstart designer was pushing along with those gigantic beaver tooth grills they put on this year. I just saw the Mercedes AMG GT four door today as well. It completely kicks the 8GC’s ass, inside and out. 123k. 8k Les than that falsely inflated 8GC. Two years from now we can buy either one of those cars with under 20k miles for less than half of the original price. The interior on that Benz was amazing.

[doggboy]

Originally Posted by iamvanja

BMW seems to be smoking something to think that 8GC is/will be a huge success.
I think they are going to be doing some more market adjustment on that very same car. Next year

A buddy of mine has been trying to get his for well over a year, pretty much as soon as it was announced. He was told they had already sold all of the for the first 6 months and wouldnt promise delivery. I havent spoken to him in a couple of months, but last i heard he was still waiting. I dont care for thr new 8series, but they will probably get that 15k mark up for a year or two.

[thebmw]

Frupal, it's SoCal. It's like a little bubble down there, oblivious (for better or worse) to the rest of the country. I have a ton of family there and have heard crazy stories that the BMW dealerships have put them through.

Anyway, they may sell it for a markup there because in SoCal, there is a status in overpaying! Craziness! Good thing is, anyone can buy a car from anywhere in the country so a smart buyer would contact someone outside of SoCal and get MSRP or in 6 months, 20k below MSRP. Either way, it will be a $50k car in 4 years assuming 40-50k miles.

[Derekz4]

Unfortunately, you can not bring in a "new" car from out of state into California.

[thebmw]

Originally Posted by Derekz4

Unfortunately, you can not bring in a "new" car from out of state into California.

Damn, it's worse than I thought over there! So much for a free country, right?

[ezmaass]

Originally Posted by Derekz4

Unfortunately, you can not bring in a "new" car from out of state into California.

Are you kidding me?? Is it still called California, or has the name changed to East Berlin yet?

On a related note, though, I had a voice mail today from my dealer. They were calling to let me know they had 850s and M8's at the lot to come see. My sales guy there is actually quite good, and he's just doing his job (he does it well)... but I honestly can't bring myself to even consider it. Sad... so wanted to like it... and DID when the concept (coupe) came out. Then the production version... ugh.

[Derekz4]

Mind you, I’m going off memory here.
You can register what they call a used “49 state” car in California but it needs to have 3500 miles on the odometer to be considered “used”.

Ok, I was off on the miles, it’s 7500.

Any type of smog station can inspect and certify your out of state vehicle (smog check & repair center, smog test only center, or any STAR certified smog station) so long as it's a used vehicle with at least 7,500 miles. New vehicles can not be registered in California unless they are 50-State Emissions certified.

[thebmw]

Originally Posted by ezmaass

Are you kidding me?? Is it still called California, or has the name changed to East Berlin yet?

Or maybe Shanghai.

"Dream of Chinafornication"
The Red Hot Chili Peppers next song.

[Derekz4]

In al fairness, growing up in the LA area in the 70s was quite bad on the lungs. You couldn’t play outside in the summer without your lungs burning from the smog.
I can’t remember when I heard the words “smog alert” last, so the emission laws have helped some.

[thebmw]

It's great that they have such strict emission standards but incredibly hypocritical, don't you think? They don't allow new cars to be bought out off state but if it's barely used, then you can buy it from another state? Doesn't make any sense.

It's just another way to squeeze more money out of buyers and force them to buy through CA new car dealerships. It's all organized crime and has nothing to do with emissions. If it did, they wouldn't allow any car from any state in at any time.

[MichaelInChicago]

Just read someone comparing California to East Berlin (which doesn't exist any longer, by the way) just so they can buy whatever car they want without any consideration for the environment and our children's future.

Sad.

[Frupal]

Originally Posted by Derekz4

In al fairness, growing up in the LA area in the 70s was quite bad on the lungs. You couldn’t play outside in the summer without your lungs burning from the smog.
I can’t remember when I heard the words “smog alert” last, so the emission laws have helped some.

I moved here (To LA) in 1993 into a condo with a great view of DTLA. When I first moved here we called it ‘Browntown’ because of the hideous haze that ringed it. Now I look at it through almost clear air. The strict emissions laws are obviously working.

[iamvanja]

Most polluted cities in the country are however in California. LA-Long Beach being #1 by ozone pollution.
Regulations are certainly helping as it be far worse, but the driving culture is still there. California is not a very walkable place (like most US, granted, but most US has far less population too).

[Derekz4]

I know we’ve gone way off topic but there’s nothing like being in Downtown LA at The Biltmore Hotel sipping down an Old Fashioned or cognac in the Gallery Bar.
It sure makes you forget about anything bad.

[thebmw]

Kind of off topic and kind of on topic. That's what makes this a great thread!

[shagler]

For what it is worth, I dropped by one of the dealers in Dallas and was told that they would make me a great deal. I did not go into any details as I am not in the market right now. Sales guy said that they had plenty of inventory and they were not moving as quickly as expected.

I don't have a relationship with this particular sales guy, so that info might be questionable. No reason to doubt it, but I didn't test the theory to see how good a deal they would offer.

S

[thebmw]

Originally Posted by shagler

For what it is worth, I dropped by one of the dealers in Dallas and was told that they would make me a great deal. I did not go into any details as I am not in the market right now. Sales guy said that they had plenty of inventory and they were not moving as quickly as expected.

I don't have a relationship with this particular sales guy, so that info might be questionable. No reason to doubt it, but I didn't test the theory to see how good a deal they would offer.

S

I've already seen 20K off sticker brand new without even stepping into the showroom or haggling over price. Anyone who buys that car in California is literally paying 35k more out the door and that depreciates another 15K the minute that goes out the door. 50k loss after the first minute is just plain stupidity in my mind for a mass-produced car that will be worth 50K in four years.

[Frupal]

Originally Posted by thebmw

I've already seen 20K off sticker brand new without even stepping into the showroom or haggling over price. Anyone who buys that car in California is literally paying 35k more out the door and that depreciates another 15K the minute that goes out the door. 50k loss after the first minute is just plain stupidity in my mind for a mass-produced car that will be worth 50K in four years.

I remember the hysteria over the Acura NSX. When the ‘Japanese Ferrari’ first came out it was listed at 60k, but the demand was such that dealers doubled the price.

Two years after it came out, I bought one from a guy who had paid 120k for 48k. Lesson learned. Added dealer markup does NOT equal added resale value. Lol!

I expect the same will happen with the new Corvette (which I am very interested in) and I will wait.

[thebmw]

Originally Posted by Frupal

I remember the hysteria over the Acura NSX. When the ‘Japanese Ferrari’ first came out it was listed at 60k, but the demand was such that dealers doubled the price.

Two years after it came out, I bought one from a guy who had paid 120k for 48k. Lesson learned. Added dealer markup does NOT equal added resale value. Lol!

I expect the same will happen with the new Corvette (which I am very interested in) and I will wait.

I actually think the C8 will hold it's value reasonably well, as historically Vettes have. Even C7's have done okay in residuals. The bang for the buck is nuts for the new Vette. Even used mid-engine "supercars" don't sell for what the C8 goes for new. I don't think it will depreciate more than 40% in 3 years, assuming 36k miles total. Most will have less mileage, thus less depreciation.

Either way, C8 will have better depreciation numbers than any BMW!

[ezmaass]

Originally Posted by MichaelInChicago

Just read someone comparing California to East Berlin (which doesn't exist any longer, by the way) just so they can buy whatever car they want without any consideration for the environment and our children's future.

Sad.

Michael, be careful up there - don't want you to fall off your high horse.

1. We all know East Berlin doesn't exist anymore. Thanks.

2. The comment was not about the environment but rather commentary on how "well" it typically works when a government decides to trap their citizens, often using a righteous cause as the cover. As "thebmw" pointed out, China is another great example of this... that closed Internet is definitely there to keep the poor citizens from contending with toxic, valueless westerners.... has NOTHING to do with the government maintaining power and control of messaging, news, and media. Similarly, I'm SURE there's zero economic motivation for CA, including any number of hordes of corporate lobbyists, to keep citizens from buying cars outside of the state... especially in light of Ford, BMW, Honda, VAG and others, no small group there, all producing 50-state compliant vehicles that meet CA CARB.

3. You live in Chicago and drive a 4,400lb+ car with a twin turbo V8 that gets 17mpg in the city. Yes, I see you're quite the environmentalist.

4. If you truly believe that cars sold outside the borders of CA are robbing our children of their futures (as you so emotionally proclaim), then you're again a hypocrite - why aren't you buying all of your cars new in CA? The other 49 states are selling baby killers, after all. Why are you buying a car with a TTV8 to drive around in Chicago?

I thoroughly enjoy the hypocrisy - thanks for a good laugh. Oh, and the definition below might come in handy for you.