Exclusive Listing: 2018 BMW M3 CS w/ 15k Miles in Lime Rock Grey
Here is a 2018 BMW M3 CS for sale (VIN #: WBS8M9C59J5L01057) in Lime Rock Grey (LRG). This sale listing is exclusive to m3csbuyersguide.com. If you are interested in this car, please contact me so I can put you in touch with the listing seller. The seller states the vehicle has 15,372 miles, has a clean title, and has had 2 total owners. $76,000 is the ask price. Car is located in Plaistow, NH.
General Observations
This example is equipped with the Executive Package and has the standard steel brakes. This is 1 of 92 Lime Rock Grey examples that were brought to the USA. As far as good, solid, presumably drama free examples in Lime Rock Grey, they tend to not last long on the market as demand is very high for a car with less than 100 examples circulating in the USA. I expect this example to be no different.
Per the submission, there is no complimentary CarFax or AutoCheck report so this is something you will need to purchase on your own to go over. Again, the seller does mention the car has had NO accidents, has a clean title, and is the 2nd owner. I have no reason to doubt this, but something you always want to confirm on your own and do your own due diligence.
Exterior Condition
Going over the provided photos, the car appears to be in excellent shape with no glaring anomalies I can point out except for what appears to be a very minor blemish on the front bumper as seen below. Per the seller, the car recently had Suntek paint protection film installed over the summer and the blemish was prior to this. The good news is the front bumper is now protected from future chips and blemishes.
Original Michelin Pilot Super Sport Tires
Speaking to the seller, the vehicle is currently on its original Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires. As mentioned in previous blog entries, tires, in general, have a shelf life of about 5-6 years before they need to be replaced. These cars are about that age, so this is something you may want to address sooner than later.
I’d recommend a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S if you want a summer-only tire that has some versatility for light inclement weather. However, these cars are tuned from the factory for Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2’s for optimum performance for spirited or track driving.
Please note: There is nothing wrong with the rotors. The car was freshly washed and pulled out immediately for photos thus leaving streaks on the slotted rotors. Once you tap on the brakes a few times, they will, again, look normal.
Interior Condition
Interior is in immaculate, like-new condition. The merino leather is very much so in matte like texture just as if it rolled off the dealer lot. In the second photo below you can see the driver side bolster has little to no wear on the bolsters where there is typically wear.
The merino leather silverstone colored inserts appear to be in great shape and show very little to no color discoloration on both front and rear seats. To the future owner: Your job is to keep it looking this way! No dirty clothes or clothing such as denim jeans that produce ink transfer.
A nice bonus shown is the original window sticker is included. It’s even laminated.
Looking at different angles of the Alcantara steering wheel, it appears to also be in like-new condition with little wear shown. The condition is consistent to the rest of the interior. As stated in the past, Alcantara, regardless of manufacturer, is not built for longevity. It’s a consumable that you are expected to replace every so often, depending on use.
Things I’d Inquire About This M3 CS
Paint Protection Film (PPF) & Ceramic Coating
According to the seller, the front bumper was covered in Suntek PPF. This was done last June by RS Auto Detaliing. During this visit the vehicle was paint corrected and ceramic coating was applied. The brand of the ceramic coating is Ceramic Pro. Both products carry a transferrable warranty which I would ask the seller more about. Below is an instagram post of when both items were applied.
If I was a prospective buyer, I would highly consider getting the rest of the front end covered in the matching Suntek PPF which I’m a fan of as a former PPF shop owner. I would have your installer make some custom extended rear arches as its a known area to experience high wear and tear. I will write a post about this in the future of me creating my own custom templates for my personal car.
View this post on Instagram
Maintenance and Service
Speaking to the seller, the vehicle has had all of its routine service completed since new with the latest serviced completed in the 1,000 miles. Per the seller, the service is documented on its CarFax report.
If you’re looking to get a 3rd party pre-purchase inspection done by a trusted BMW indie mechanic or by a local BMW dealership, I would ask what needs to be addressed now or in the not so distant future so you can budget for future operating costs after acquisition. With only 15k miles I don’t expect there to be any glaring issues to address as these cars are proven to be bulletproof.
Good Examples Going, Going Scarce…
As of this writing, I’ve counted just 7 F80 M3 CS examples on Autotrader. Of the 7 examples, only 3 examples have a clean title. This is a far cry from what was available just a few months ago. This is about half the inventory that was once available just a few months ago. After 5 years since the F80 M3 CS release, I believe these cars are now going scarce and harder to source in this condition — especially if you are trying to source one of the 92 Lime Rock Grey examples brought to the USA.
Objectively speaking, if I was in the market for an F80 M3 CS, this is an example worth highly considering. What I’ve learned with the F80 M3 CS market, finding an example with low miles and a drama free history is not an easy task. Because the majority of these examples were leased, they were treated as such and many have complicated histories. You add the highly coveted and the second rarest color offered, it makes for a feat that I’ve heard many people that have reached out to me say they’ve spent months waiting for the “right one” to pop up. Many to no avail. If all checks out, this could be “the one”! Again, contact me if you are truly interested and ready to buy and I will put you in touch with the seller.
General Disclaimer
I’d like to first clarify that I am not connected to the seller or platform in any way. When purchasing any vehicle, I highly recommend doing your own due diligence before consummating a deal. My personal insights and opinions that I’ve shared through this post stem from my cautious perspective and carry no responsibility for the actual condition of the mentioned vehicle. I highly recommend arranging a 3rd party pre-purchase inspection with a trusted mechanic. I also recommend researching the vehicles history through a CarFax or an AutoCheck report.