Old Member, First M Car...introducing Frau Grau - MGM M4

[Fugly M3]

Hi All,

So after 4 prior BMWs and lots of haggling with probably 20 dealers...I finally got my M car! I'm not one to name cars...but she's either Lady Gray or more likely Frau Grau.

The Car:

2018 M4
Mineral Gray
Black/carbonstructure (love this interior)
DCT
Black 437M Wheels (couldn't get them to swap the contis on mine for another that had the Michelins)
Head-up Display
Apple CarPlay
Heated Steering Wheel (this was very important)
Black Grills
Wheel Locks
M Performance Floor Mats (who would like to buy these - they are sitting in the trunk unused)

The Story:

I've always wanted an M...and I thought it would be an LCI M2 after the comp comes out...thought I'd get a deal. Well, long story short, deals weren't good enough. So, I then looked at M3s...deals were insane a few months back but as cars and residuals dwindled, they got worse. Inventory is way back up with the final production surge, but dealers haven't reacted yet. I always thought with the low residuals the M4 was out.

Inserted in all this, two weeks ago I was at the Nurburgring driving M4s for BMW's Expert Training Nordschleife and I was totally hooked and convinced it was going to be M3/4. Details on that incredible experience: https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1520295 Alas, the pricing and the residuals!

So, I'm back in town with about 13 days before I'm off to Tahoe for vacation followed by a work trip to the midwest...this will have to wait. Mid-last week I get an email from a dealer...still interested in anything?

I look at the inventory, no M3s, but one gray M4 that has the options I want and a reasonable $75,185 (June 2017 build) sticker. I think to myself this f**ker has been sitting and they want it gone...probably so much so that BMW is giving them an undisclosed kicker to get it out. I didn't want gray, but on the M4 I think it's better than on M2/3. So, I reply back with the deal I need them to get to...which is effectively $2500 drive off, $850/mo incl. 9.5% CA sales tax for 15k miles. This translates to roughly $8500 off sticker before the $4500 in BMW incentives I have. A tall ask, even for a year-old car. I acknowledged when I told them this that it was a tall order.

They came back at about $800 above me or $874/mo. I said no and they came down to about $300 above me at $859.75...I said done be there this weekend as long as car is good...they say it's perfect. Well last Sunday I Uber across all of LA to get there and they bring it out...all of 3 secs into me seeing her...there's a slight door ding on the passenger door! Then a tiny one on the driver door! Then a tiny ding on the passenger front fender...this actually looked more like a factory issue as it wasn't really a ding.

SA says we can PDR it and get them all out. I knew they could, but I couldn't take the car, so I walked...well Ubered 2 hours back across LA in beach traffic. By now I'm exhausted and almost ready to order a Tesla Model 3 Perf. I told the SA let me see pics when you get it done. I didn't think I'd ever hear from him again.

Come Tuesday, late morning between client and internal meetings, I get an email with pics. SA also drives M cars and claims to be very particular (full disclosure, I am crazy). So, after a crazy hectic work day I get home and pull out the MacBook to look at the pics...because I need to change the contrast/exposure/color etc. to be sure! I can't see anything dent/ding-wise. I say to SA...deliver it and I'll take the leap of faith.

Lot's of back and forth he can/can't come, timing etc. SA wants to meet at my office in Downtown, I say I can't leave my other car there for a week and a half while I'm gone. By yesterday morning I am resolved this isn't happening (I leave for Tahoe late today). Go to work thinking oh well. I get an email at 12:19 pm and SA says I'll drive to your office, you sign, I'll then drive car to your house, park it and Uber back to dealership. I say fine, sounds great! So, he brings it Downtown and the rest is basically history! I sign all the docs in a loading/unloading zone on the roof of the car (yes, yes I had a card stock folder underneath the paper, no damaging the CF) Had a coworker with an M4 comp come out to look, car looks perfect, I really am in disbelief at the whole PDR thing. I always thought the before/afters were too good to be true...but it's incredible. Anyway, very very happy with the service provided by Marc Medrano of Bob Smith BMW in Calabasas! Pics below...all I have so far.

[swagon]

Frau Grau, I like that. Congrats!

[itrocks4u]

Solid story.

[MPoweRo]

Congrats. Good story. There's always some give and take in a car purchase - your story is far more interesting than mine though!

[m3rxn]

Congrats bud- beautiful

[PshhhhhMW]

Nice! When I was shopping for my car last November i reached out to their internet manager for a quote on one of their M3s. The response I got was "do you even know what an M3 is? Nobody is going below sticker on these cars!"

Needless to say, I kept shopping and Long Beach gave me $7K off and the rest was history.

Glad you got a better response from them.

[vladberca]

Cool story and a happy end

[shay2nak]

Congrats! Too bad frau grau won't fit on a license plate. lol

[Fugly M3]

Originally Posted by shay2nak

Congrats! Too bad frau grau won't fit on a license plate. lol

I know! I've been trying to come up with work arounds and there really aren't any...only one is the abbreviation of frau... FR GRAU but no dumb Americans will get that! Also, every iteration of Lady Gray is taken too!

[shay2nak]

Originally Posted by E46M54325Ci

I know! I've been trying to come up with work arounds and there really aren't any...only one is the abbreviation of frau... FR GRAU but no dumb Americans will get that! Also, every iteration of Lady Gray is taken too!

Well, I think NY allows up to 8 characters on their plates.

Wow! I wouldn't think so. Bummer.

[dzvero]

I still see the dings, just kidding Congrats and wecome to the ///M club

[dzvero]

OP you might want to add ///M4 to your nick

[Fugly M3]

Finally, some more pics...also got the black side gills done.



First wash (I know, I should do it myself...coming soon)



First fill-up



Driveway dreaming...my two and buddy's M2 up top!

[sharkbite]

Nice ! welcome to the M4 family Matt and thanks again for the deal on the M mats !

Mike

[SunnyD]

Looks like PV in the first couple pics - grew up there. Congrats on the purchase!

[F80Dreamer]

Very nice! I’m picking up my M4 in a week, pretty excited.

[BMW M Power Mexico]

Gorgeous.

[questM]

Still wanna sell the mats?

[Fugly M3]

Originally Posted by questM

Still wanna sell the mats?

They're gone, thanks though!

[satin_m2c]

Great write up. Thanks for sharing!

Originally Posted by E46M54325Ci

This translates to roughly $8500 off sticker before the $4500 in BMW incentives I have.

Curious how you got $4500 in incentives or what the break down is? All I am aware of currently is $1000 towards BMW Loyalty. They got rid of most corporate discounts.

[Fugly M3]

Originally Posted by f30snickers

Great write up. Thanks for sharing!

Curious how you got $4500 in incentives or what the break down is? All I am aware of currently is $1000 towards BMW Loyalty. They got rid of most corporate discounts.

It was back in August...$3k lease, $1k loyalty, $500 fleet.

[Powerbeast]

Originally Posted by swagon

Frau Grau, I like that. Congrats!

Yeah buddy, I second that.