10-03-2023, 12:32 PM | #1 |
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Thermal Car
So a couple of days ago, my buddy found out that his '16 M2 (just like mine but different color) was a "Thermal" Car. Meaning that it was one of the first production cars and was sent to the track for "BMW Driving School". I didn't think that they would actually put these cars back into circulation to sell. He's a little concerned in case he decides to sell it, but on the other hand, he's had NO issues with the car and that motor is STRONG. He was told by our Indy that it's definitely underrated in terms of power & torque.
BMW ALSO said that if BMW wanted to sell it (I.E he decides to trade it in), they would have to tell prospective buyers that it was a "Thermal Car", but since he didn't buy it from BMW when he got it (private purchase), that would explain why he didn't know. Is this something he should be concerned with (aside from BMW resell value), especially since only BMW knows about it since it doesn't even show up on the KBB or Carfax?
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10-03-2023, 02:20 PM | #3 |
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That is how I look at it, but since this kind of caught him off guard (myself included since I did not know about this), I had to ask since this is my "Phone a Friend" Lifeline and some of you know a lot more about these cars than I do.
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10-03-2023, 11:59 PM | #4 | |
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These cars get re-sold just like "brass hat" (BMW NA employee special company loan/lease vehicles) do. I personally wouldn't buy one because they get beat on pretty hard (and I've done that myself going to their programs), but if it's at a pretty significant mileage (which it should being a MY16), then at this point it should be solid. BMW driving school cars usually have wear on the door storage bins where they clip the radios on/off every day. There's no legal requirement for BMW NA or anybody else to disclose if it was used as a BMW driving school car. The best way to tell a driving school car is if they're fairly low mileage (usually around 10k when BMW sells them), well priced, owned by BMW NA (Woodcliff Lake, NJ registered), and pics show the wear on the driver's door bin.
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10-11-2023, 02:08 PM | #6 | |
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10-11-2023, 06:39 PM | #7 |
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They definitely do not get broken in by the book or follow ideal cold oil operations, not to mention they sit in the scorching sun all day so they wouldn't be my first pick.
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10-11-2023, 10:03 PM | #8 | |
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Side note, but I have a personal theory that some of the drive cars are actually tweaked a bit because there can be definite differences between cars even on the same day/course. Maybe in this case they have been lucky and got one of the good ones also maybe with a bit more fruit |
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10-12-2023, 12:26 AM | #9 | |
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BMW does take care of their cars
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10-12-2023, 10:55 AM | #10 | |
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10-12-2023, 11:16 AM | #11 |
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No issues with buying one, these cars are built to be driven hard. If anyone is concerned or just wants to avoid a PC Car the key things when buying ANY car is be aware of its history. BMWs that have their first registration in New Jersey usually is an indicator of being a corporate car.
Also low mile cars that are cheaply priced are another potential indicator since I understand they go to auction from the Performance Centers, but then reseller also could be greedy and mark as a normal used car to make more profit. PC Cars are always covered in front with PPF so they are protected, and usually they are DCT cars so everyone can drive them at Thermal and Greer so no concerns about burnt clutches. If he is concerned AFTER the fact on resale value he just needed to be more on top of researching before buying. I personally wouldn't be concerned.
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10-12-2023, 12:54 PM | #12 | |
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Personally, I'd never buy such a car. I don't think it so much about the engine, as I've never seen any absolutely conclusive data on easy break-in vs hard-break in, but the trans and other bits that take a beating with these types of cars leave them completely out. Shame on BMW and any other manufacturer that would put them into the purchasing pool. |
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10-12-2023, 04:23 PM | #13 | |
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I typically recommend buying sports cars new for that matter, I know here in LA lots of young kids lease M cars and thrash them.
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10-12-2023, 05:28 PM | #14 | |
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I wouldn’t buy one
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10-21-2023, 04:55 PM | #15 |
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Having driven the M2/M3/M4 at Thermal during my M School day, I would never buy one - I really, really beat on that car(s). Does that mean something will break? Who knows....but between two cars (with similar miles and what not) and one being used at the PC, I would never buy a car used by the PC (just like I'd never buy a rental car)
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