For Sale: 2018 BMW M3 CS w/ 30k Miles in Black Sapphire Metallic

Here is a 2018 BMW M3 CS for sale (VIN #:  WBS8M9C52J5L71841) in Black Sapphire Metallic (BSM).  The listing on Autotrader states the vehicle has 30k miles.  Please note: If the original listing link does not work, this car has probably sold.   The attached AutoCheck report states the car has had 2 owners.  $75,000 is the current asking price.  Car is located in El Cajon, CA.

 

General Observations

Like my previous Black Sapphire Metallic blog entry this example is optioned exactly the same from factory.  It is equipped with the Executive Package and has the standard steel brakes.  This is 1 of 118 Black Sapphire Metallic examples that were brought to the USA.  This particular example is equipped with a Remus Exhaust system.

Going over the Autotrader ad, the seller is a private seller.  I note this as potential importance as its always nice to hear from the current owner about the vehicles history and provenance.  Not taking anything away from buying from a dealership, but coming from an enthusiast point of view you tend to always wonder about a cars history.  Every car is different so its cool for the current owner to go over the entire car with you whether it be certain quirks or how the car was owned and treated.

Glancing at the AutoCheck report there isn’t any drama to report.  Car was originally purchased in Arlington, VA on 04/29/2019 and from there traveled to Santa Monica BMW where it was listed and sold to its current owner on 06/29/2022 with 22,989 miles.

**Listing Update**

With the power of google, I looked up this vehicles VIN # and came back with some positive news and a paper trail of ownership.  Here is the Bimmerpost thread the seller created when it was listed as a lease transfer back in 05/21/21.  According to the post, the current seller is the original owner which is a plus in my book. Not much has changed since the post outside of mileage being added.  Overall condition has remained largely unchanged which again is an obvious plus.  Feel free to review the thread yourself to come your own judgement and conclusion.  Just thought I’d update.

 

Exterior Condition

Going over the provided photos there isn’t much to report.  Car appears to be mostly stock with some light modifications.  The car is equipped with a Remus Exhaust and has its front bumper reflectors tinted.  If I was a prospective buyer, I would inquire if any further modifications were done.  Otherwise, through photos the exterior looks great.

Michelin Pilot Sport 4s Tires

A potential good sign of ownership, in my opinion, is how the current owner services the vehicle.  I often times look at tires as a possible tell-tale sign of this.  Again, not saying this says everything about the condition of the car, but for me personally, it’s a good omen.  That being said, its nice to see the owner replaced the original Michelin Pilot Super Sports with an upgraded set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tires which does the M3 CS great justice performance wise.

 

Interior Condition

For a car with 30k miles, the interior looks to be in great condition.  I can’t put enough emphasis on this.  The merino leather seats appear to be in tip-top shape with minimal wear showing.  If I were to guess, the seller garaged this example to keep the leather from prematurely aging and it shows.  The leather texture looks to be matte in finish — just like it would from the factory.  If the seller conditioned the leather throughout its life I would ask what he or she used and continue with said product because the leather looks really nice in condition.

Again, for a car with 30k miles, the front driver seat, that tends to show the most amount of wear shows little wear and tear in photos.  Looking at the bolsters I’m not seeing wear and tear from going in and out of the car.  One can assume the previous owners were extra vigilant in avoiding excessive contact with the side bolsters.

The only thing I can note which really isn’t a knock on the car is the Alcantara steering wheel appears to have seen better days.  This is to be expected with any Alcantara steering wheel as they’re not built to last long term like leather.

Factory Side and Rear Sun Shades

One thing I’d like to note is the executive package includes manual side sun shades and a powered rear sun shade.  Although a topic of contentious debate due to the CS being a “track focused model” and sun shades adding unnecessary weight, I’ve found through personal ownership these come in handy despite the weight penalty.  I consider myself a serious “collector enthusiast” that likes to preserve things that I take pride in ownership.  I also am not a “tinted windows” type of guy.  That being said I actually like the sun shades in combination with a factory windshield sunshade to protect and preserve the interior during the summer months.

 

Things I’d Inquire About

Paint Protection Film (PPF)

Looking over the provided photos I am unable to tell if the car has any PPF applied.  Looking at the best angle of the front end of the vehicle I’m not seeing any major blemishes or rock chips.  This would be a good indication the car is equipped with PPF.  However, as I’ve stated in the past the camera can only pick up so much detail.  I would inquire further with the seller to confirm if PPF has been applied or not.

Maintenance and Service

With the attached AutoCheck report, from my gathering AutoCheck tends not to report as much service information as CarFax.  That being said I would ask the owner for service records for you to review.  If service records are not available, I would go to your local BMW dealership to have them print-out a service history record.  If you’re going this far, I would ask what upcoming service and maintenance this example would need so you can budget for operating costs.  These cars are pretty bulletproof and would not expect much service wise outside of routine service.

The car, as mentioned, is equipped with a Remus Exhaust system.  I would ask if there are any other modifications done to the vehicle.

 

 

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.

 

Screenshots of the Original Ad

In the event the ad is taken down, below are screenshots of the original ad: