Buying advice - 2018 M3

[aps]

hi everyone. I am looking into purchasing this M3, but Carfax shows it as a corporate vehicle.

https://www.carfax.com/VehicleHistor...8M9C51J5J78693

I've been conditioned to be weary of these cars, but given its history, I am having trouble telling whether or not this was one of the M school cars that would have been tracked or just some executive lease. Can anyone help or share their thoughts looking at the carfax?

[ENDL3SS]

You could give the originating dealership a call and ask.

[aps]

Originally Posted by ENDL3SS

You could give the originating dealership a call and ask.

Yeah I should have mentioned that I tried that and have not heard back from anyone there. I also spoke to BMWNA and the person I spoke to was unwilling to give me any details beyond how long the mfg warranty is active.

[J-Pizzle]

One way to tell is to see the vehicle in person and check out the paint on the front bumper. Typical M school cars are pitted heavily in the front. Also, is it optioned in M-school guise? CCBs and the like? Those would be some clues.

[aps]

Originally Posted by J-Pizzle

One way to tell is to see the vehicle in person and check out the paint on the front bumper. Typical M school cars are pitted heavily in the front. Also, is it optioned in M-school guise? CCBs and the like? Those would be some clues.

car is across the country unfortunately, but it's sold by Carvana so I would have 7 days to return it. planning to get a PPI immediately upon delivery.

no CCBs which makes me hopeful that it's not an M school car. also has the extended leather, which, I believe, is normally not optioned for the track cars. I also feel like most M school cars get offered up for sale with even lower mileage (5-10k) but this one has 17k miles and has been with "1 owner" for 3 years.

[spidy512]

Interesting.

Short of the "M School" cars, I have always thought the opposite.

In my experience, corp cars are well kept. This is of course directly proportional to how savvy the driver was. Have worked for the government, the Chiefs car was always clean and exceptionally maintained. Oil changed on a schedule that does not involve miles. I can remember changing the oil on one of out water tenders and the rig had 45 miles since the oil change three months earlier.

I get BMW is not the government. But you would be surprised how well these things are maintained when an important person is "leasing". My car had ~10k as a corp car as well. The second owner had the remaining, and now me. And it seems to be fine so far. I did do a PPI, and the tech said the car was bone stock, and had to have been its entire life. OEM paint marks on the threads and heads, etc.

Good luck either way! I am absolutely smitten with mine...

Cheers!

josh

[Nativetexan]

Take the VIN to a local BMW service center and ask someone very politely if they'd be willing to tell you of the VIN is in someone's name or a company, or BMW itself.

I bet you could find someone willing to do that and not disclose any personal information to you.

[HyeM3]

My guess would be it was an actual corporate vehicle and not an M school car. Maybe it's some random California corporations car? Usually the M school cars that I've seen are registered in NJ and have 0 maintenance records throughout its track life. This car was registered in San Clemente and to my knowledge, but I could be wrong, there's no M schools out there. The closest one is Palm Springs I believe? And I don't think they would take the car to dealerships to service. I feel like that's something they would do at the school, hence why the M school cars I've seen have had 0 maintenance records. Also if it was an M school car I don't think it would just be bought from a dealership like the carfax says?

[IVM3]

Yeah I think that everyone else is right in that a corporation owned the vehicle. It could be as simple as an individual who bought the car under their small business license and expensed it as part of their business expenses. Or it could be a larger corporation that bought it for one of their executives.

[cheez80]

i copped a car from carmax that was a former M driving school car, and it had leather everywhere -- they took the car back, no questions asked. had CCBs, originally registered to a corporate owner in NJ, no service history on carfax, all the signals. replaced it with one in much better condition

[aps]

appreciate everyone's inputs. i am picking the car up on Tuesday! will have a 7 day return period and PPI scheduled on wednesday.

given its Carfax history (had the 1500 mile service and every ~5k after, the lack of CCB's, no Woodlake NJ registration) i'm hoping it is NOT an M school car and will try to confirm with the PPI. can't wait to see it next week!

[nickl630]

Not sure why you would we "weary" of corporate vehicles. Could have been put under an LLC, business or just a small business owner writing it off.

Another reason why Carfax does more harm then good with consumers.

[aps]

Well I brought the car home on Tuesday. Car was super clean, no signs of abuse, and PPI came back totally clean on Wednesday, so I'm the proud new owner of this 2018 Azurite Black M3!

[TopJimmy]

Congrats! Get some pix posted of the new baby.

[aps]

😍

[aps]

golden brown interior!!

[clutchdj]

Looks good from here. azurite?

[aps]

Originally Posted by clutchdj

Looks good from here. azurite?

yep! loving the color so far, but need to polish and ceramic asap