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      08-25-2019, 06:58 AM   #1
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The Risk of Buying a Used M2

Ever so often, I look up the going prices of LCI M2s to see if it's worth a trade up, maybe even snag one with a sunroof but after a few stories l've read here about user modifications and just the general demographic of the folks that purchase the M2, it makes me rethink the idea of buying a model like this used.

A good example is I found a "2018" M2 for sale with 'no modifications,' which should be the LCI with the LED taillights and headlights but check out the photo below and you'll notice it's apparently retrofitted with pre-LCI taillights, incandescent bulbs.

It's not a big deal that it has old taillights, as they are cheap to replace but it makes you wonder what other secrets this vehicle might be holding..

Due to these discoveries, I've decided that I'm either buying new or nothing at all.
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      08-25-2019, 09:46 AM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Poochie View Post
Ever so often, I look up the going prices of LCI M2s to see if it's worth a trade up, maybe even snag one with a sunroof but after a few stories l've read here about user modifications and just the general demographic of the folks that purchase the M2, it makes me rethink the idea of buying a model like this used.

A good example is I found a "2018" M2 for sale with 'no modifications,' which should be the LCI with the LED taillights and headlights but check out the photo below and you'll notice it's apparently retrofitted with pre-LCI taillights, incandescent bulbs.

It's not a big deal that it has old taillights, as they are cheap to replace but it makes you wonder what other secrets this vehicle might be holding..

Due to these discoveries, I've decided that I'm either buying new or nothing at all.
That's really risk of buying any used car. You can't have perfect information about an accident or mods or how the car was treated.

Even on a new car there is risk it was damaged on it's way to the dealership, or at the dealership, and not disclosed to you.
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      08-25-2019, 09:54 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by akkando View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Poochie View Post
Ever so often, I look up the going prices of LCI M2s to see if it's worth a trade up, maybe even snag one with a sunroof but after a few stories l've read here about user modifications and just the general demographic of the folks that purchase the M2, it makes me rethink the idea of buying a model like this used.

A good example is I found a "2018" M2 for sale with 'no modifications,' which should be the LCI with the LED taillights and headlights but check out the photo below and you'll notice it's apparently retrofitted with pre-LCI taillights, incandescent bulbs.

It's not a big deal that it has old taillights, as they are cheap to replace but it makes you wonder what other secrets this vehicle might be holding..

Due to these discoveries, I've decided that I'm either buying new or nothing at all.
That's really risk of buying any used car. You can't have perfect information about an accident or mods or how the car was treated.

Even on a new car there is risk it was damaged on it's way to the dealership, or at the dealership, and not disclosed to you.
I agree, some new car dealerships do touch-up work before the sale of brand new vehicles that might of gotten damaged in transit. I used to work for a bodyshop as a porter and I brought in vehicles with the manufacture's sticker still on them, for repainting of major panels or whatnot. So I get your point.

However, the chances of buying a molested vehicle goes up exponentially when you're dealing with a private party sale, on a vehicle that appeals to the enthusiast crowd, one would assume.
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      08-25-2019, 09:58 AM   #4
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What the others said. No such thing as perfect. New or used. More so used.
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      08-25-2019, 10:57 AM   #5
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There’s nothing wrong buying used if the price is right and the car checks out good to go. My first BMW a 335is was purchased used with low mileage and cosmetically super clean. The car was nothing but flawless and ultimately reliable during the time of ownership. I have zero regrets buying used.
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      08-25-2019, 01:16 PM   #6
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My car had right at 3500 miles on the clock - 45,000 miles - just a couple of very minor things not worth mentioning. I'd do it again in a second. Saved a lot of $.

just be smart and careful - obviously.
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      08-25-2019, 01:24 PM   #7
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Values are dropping like a stone. I had intended to keep mine as a summer driver but since it's gonna be worth nothing in a few years I'm just gonna put winters on it and drive it hard all year round.

I mid km/mile car is starting look like a very good buy.
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      08-26-2019, 11:37 AM   #8
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as others said no car is perfect. CPO helps but you still have to look carefully. But that goes with any product you buy.
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      08-26-2019, 02:10 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by TemjinX2 View Post
as others said no car is perfect. CPO helps but you still have to look carefully. But that goes with any product you buy.
I don't expect perfection when purchasing used but it's kind of alarming to see someone list a vehicle with "no modifications" 5,000 miles, then you notice the tail lights where changed to that of a older model and a European spec light, at that.

Replacing the taillights involves rewiring the harness and some coding, God and the original owner only know what else wasn't "modified" or what other secrets it's harboring.

I hear stories here of folks interfering with the clutch-stop, flashing with aftermarket tunes and generally tracking the vehicle, it makes you wonder about its history. I bet if I was looking for a 7 series used, the chances of it being modified in any way, goes down substantially, in comparison to a lower tier vehicle that appealing to a "do-it-yourself" folks that the M2 attracts.

The M2 is just a vehicle that appeals to the crowd that more than likely to tinker with it, that kind of gives me chills at the prospects of buying one used, hence my point..
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      08-26-2019, 04:09 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Poochie View Post
I don't expect perfection when purchasing used but it's kind of alarming to see someone list a vehicle with "no modifications" 5,000 miles, then you notice the tail lights where changed to that of a older model and a European spec light, at that.

Replacing the taillights involves rewiring the harness and some coding, God and the original owner only know what else wasn't "modified" or what other secrets it's harboring.

I hear stories here of folks interfering with the clutch-stop, flashing with aftermarket tunes and generally tracking the vehicle, it makes you wonder about its history. I bet if I was looking for a 7 series used, the chances of it being modified in any way, goes down substantially, in comparison to a lower tier vehicle that appealing to a "do-it-yourself" folks that the M2 attracts.

The M2 is just a vehicle that appeals to the crowd that more than likely to tinker with it, that kind of gives me chills at the prospects of buying one used, hence my point..

well it was a 60k car new with a garbage leases..so i doubt many 20 somethings with fart can civics can buy these cars new or afford a $900 lease payment.

more then likely the demographic is a bit older so hopefully more mature...but no gurantees in life.

i bought my 2017 m2 with 3500 miles two months ago...doesnt seem to have any issues. the original owner added ceramic tint, red push start button, weather tech floor mats and clear bra. those were all mods i was probably going to do myself so saved me the trouble.
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      08-26-2019, 06:58 PM   #11
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Possible the year on that car is wrong? I'm just wondering who is swapping tail lights to make a buck?
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      08-26-2019, 07:04 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by pz619 View Post
Possible the year on that car is wrong? I'm just wondering who is swapping tail lights to make a buck?
I thought about that but it has the LCI headlights and interior trim :

If you notice, it has amber rear turn signals, the US version is red.. Go figure.
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      08-26-2019, 10:09 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Poochie View Post
I don't expect perfection when purchasing used but it's kind of alarming to see someone list a vehicle with "no modifications" 5,000 miles, then you notice the tail lights where changed to that of a older model and a European spec light, at that.

Replacing the taillights involves rewiring the harness and some coding, God and the original owner only know what else wasn't "modified" or what other secrets it's harboring.

I hear stories here of folks interfering with the clutch-stop, flashing with aftermarket tunes and generally tracking the vehicle, it makes you wonder about its history. I bet if I was looking for a 7 series used, the chances of it being modified in any way, goes down substantially, in comparison to a lower tier vehicle that appealing to a "do-it-yourself" folks that the M2 attracts.

The M2 is just a vehicle that appeals to the crowd that more than likely to tinker with it, that kind of gives me chills at the prospects of buying one used, hence my point..
Don't write off a car just because it has some mods...most owners will keep the stock parts to sell with the car, as I have done with mine. If you are buying a used M2 its actually nice to meet the owner and see how the car is treated, as opposed to buying off a lot where you really dont know the history of the car. My car has been lightly modded and whoever gets this car after me will get a meticulously maintained car, that has been tastefully and effectively modded and never beaten or tracked. I modded my car because after a year of ownership the base M2 just lacked that midrange punch that I really wanted. I went with a fairly conservative stage 2 tune with VF engineering and have added the fabspeed downpipe, CSF intercooler, and a VSRF charge pipe. All of these additions are made by quality manufacturers and are roundly accepted as marked improvements over the stock setup. The car has been front end ppf'd and ceramic coated and sports a vorsteiner carbon fiber splitter. It's got less than 3000 miles on the clock and spends it time in the garage and only comes out on warm sunny days. There are plenty of owners just like me who love their M2s. Modding does not necessarily equate to "beating".
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      08-27-2019, 03:05 AM   #14
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It all depends on the previous owner... The thing is that most owners of M cars , buy those cars because of their performance driving exp , looks etc , but it all depends on the previous owner. And sometimes buying a used car the luck is a serious factor ! Maybe you buy one with 2K miles , but accident etc , and you might see another with 20k miles but no accident , treated well etc.. It all matters to the history of the car.
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      08-27-2019, 08:59 AM   #15
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Chill out Francis.....
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      08-27-2019, 11:06 AM   #16
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If you're gonna be uptight about purchasing a used vehicle then either purchase new for your peace of mind or hold out for a CPO example and fork-up a couple extra hundred dollars for PPI. That way you can treat the car however the hell you want and not worry how the previous owner treated the car.
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      08-27-2019, 11:25 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Slowphiveo View Post
Don't write off a car just because it has some mods...most owners will keep the stock parts to sell with the car, as I have done with mine. If you are buying a used M2 its actually nice to meet the owner and see how the car is treated, as opposed to buying off a lot where you really dont know the history of the car. My car has been lightly modded and whoever gets this car after me will get a meticulously maintained car, that has been tastefully and effectively modded and never beaten or tracked. I modded my car because after a year of ownership the base M2 just lacked that midrange punch that I really wanted. I went with a fairly conservative stage 2 tune with VF engineering and have added the fabspeed downpipe, CSF intercooler, and a VSRF charge pipe. All of these additions are made by quality manufacturers and are roundly accepted as marked improvements over the stock setup. The car has been front end ppf'd and ceramic coated and sports a vorsteiner carbon fiber splitter. It's got less than 3000 miles on the clock and spends it time in the garage and only comes out on warm sunny days. There are plenty of owners just like me who love their M2s. Modding does not necessarily equate to "beating".
I've done similar mods to yours but I also track my car. And even then, just because I track it, I don't consider that 'beating' on it. Of course, it's driven harder than your average weekend M2 but that's what it was intended for, and I maintain it religiously and things like fluids and consumables are regularly replenished well in advance of regular factory maintenance periods. Given the OP is concerned about a taillight... I do wonder what other buyers would think about buying a tracked M2. I'm not sure what other sellers do but I will disclosing all mods and how I've used the car. If I'm a buyer and I can sense the owner is being up front, I'm much more likely to buy the car - tracked or not. So to conclude a long winded post, I do appreciate the OP's concern here - it's the dishonesty around the 'no mods' part that is off putting.
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      08-27-2019, 01:58 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dcmac View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Slowphiveo View Post
Don't write off a car just because it has some mods...most owners will keep the stock parts to sell with the car, as I have done with mine. If you are buying a used M2 its actually nice to meet the owner and see how the car is treated, as opposed to buying off a lot where you really dont know the history of the car. My car has been lightly modded and whoever gets this car after me will get a meticulously maintained car, that has been tastefully and effectively modded and never beaten or tracked. I modded my car because after a year of ownership the base M2 just lacked that midrange punch that I really wanted. I went with a fairly conservative stage 2 tune with VF engineering and have added the fabspeed downpipe, CSF intercooler, and a VSRF charge pipe. All of these additions are made by quality manufacturers and are roundly accepted as marked improvements over the stock setup. The car has been front end ppf'd and ceramic coated and sports a vorsteiner carbon fiber splitter. It's got less than 3000 miles on the clock and spends it time in the garage and only comes out on warm sunny days. There are plenty of owners just like me who love their M2s. Modding does not necessarily equate to "beating".
I do appreciate the OP's concern here - it's the dishonesty around the 'no mods' part that is off putting.

Thanks for getting my point; it's not because I'm anal, common sense will tell you it's just very suspect that it has different lights, when the seller claimed otherwise.

I maintain an active mistrust of everyone and everything because people are naturally deceptive and this doesn't bode well for my paranoia but it's not the end of the world.
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      08-27-2019, 04:39 PM   #19
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i just bought a 2016 m2

I just bought a 2016 m2 and was wondering what should I look out for and what should I check first to make sure it's all good?
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      08-27-2019, 04:57 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Poochie View Post
Thanks for getting my point; it's not because I'm anal, common sense will tell you it's just very suspect that it has different lights, when the seller claimed otherwise.

I maintain an active mistrust of everyone and everything because people are naturally deceptive and this doesn't bode well for my paranoia but it's not the end of the world.
Uhh, yeah, i'm not sure why some are giving you a hard time. I'd 100 percent run the fuck away from that car.

Retrofitting older taillights seems like a pretty big red flag to me. You don't just do that. Nobody does that. Its a pain in the butt for something 99.9 percent of people won't notice. Its a "My shit was broken and this was the cheapest way i could fix it" modification. Now, that car might be totally fine other than that, but it also kinda makes me question the attitude of the previous owner.
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      08-27-2019, 05:32 PM   #21
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I "settled" for a used 2017 M2 CPO from a local dealer (6MT, 9K miles). Same dealer the car was originally bought and serviced at. Although I would prefer bone stock, I immediately noticed it had the painted IND gills and front reflectors, a black M2 badge, as well as the M Performance black grill. (Only thing I don't like is the black M2 badge, I've thought about going back to stock Chrome).

I decided against a 2018 non-CPO at a non-BMW dealer 500 miles away. Although I preferred the LCI it just felt safer to buy a CPO from a local dealer.

My big fear was a nightmare like this: https://f87.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1491357
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      08-27-2019, 05:47 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jkoral View Post
I "settled" for a used 2017 M2 CPO from a local dealer (6MT, 9K miles). Same dealer the car was originally bought and serviced at. Although I would prefer bone stock, I immediately noticed it had the painted IND gills and front reflectors, a black M2 badge, as well as the M Performance black grill. (Only thing I don't like is the black M2 badge, I've thought about going back to stock Chrome).

I decided against a 2018 non-CPO at a non-BMW dealer 500 miles away. Although I preferred the LCI it just felt safer to buy a CPO from a local dealer.

My big fear was a nightmare like this: https://f87.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1491357
I remember your story.. It was very eye-opening..

No one believes it could happen to them until it does..
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