For Sale: 2018 BMW M3 CS w/ 21k Miles in Frozen Dark Blue II
Here is a 2018 BMW M3 CS for sale (VIN #: WBS8M9C58J5L00532) in Frozen Dark Blue II. The listing on Frontier Ford of Santa Clara states the vehicle has 20,865 miles. Per the attached CarFax report it states the vehicle has a clean title and is a 1-owner car. $68,125 is the current asking price. Car is located in Santa Clara, CA.
General Observations
This particular example is optioned with the executive package and the $5,000 Frozen Dark Blue II optional paint that was exclusive to the F80 M3 CS and F82 M4 CS.
Going over the attached CarFax report it appears this is one of the few examples that wasn’t leased as a traditional “loan or lien” was noted when new. Not that this is anything truly of importance, but it’s amazing seeing how many of these examples were leased versus “outright purchased”. BMW did a poor job marketing this car to sell to the public which is why they had huge leased incentives to help move the final units towards the end. This is something they learned from when they properly marketed the M2 CS and M5 CS as those cars were primarily purchased outright and, as well, for full sticker or over sticker. I’ll do a blog entry on this at a later date so I’ll digress for now.
A few key points I’d like to note: On the CarFax, it appears the 1-owner of the vehicle originally registered it San Jose, CA from new. From there, it was registered in Ontario, Canada as reported on 01/07/2021. It was also serviced nearby at the time with BMW Rochester in New York on 12/08/2021. It then traveled back to Cupertino, CA on 05/31/2022. One can only assume the owner did so for their line of work or temporary lifestyle change.
Interior Condition
Interior looks clean for the most part with a few notable wear and tear items I can see in the photos. The Alcantara steering wheel after 21k miles looks to have seen better days and may need to be replaced if that’s something that concerns you as a future owner.
On the driver seat there is notable wear on the lower center of the seat. They appear to be unsightly scratches that the selling dealer graciously pointed out in full transparency. Shout-out to the dealer for disclosing this. The side bolsters look to have some wear from getting in and out of the car, but is nothing out of the ordinary. If this is something that bothers you I’d suggest contacting an automotive leather repair shop to see what it would cost to repair or rejuvenate.
The car was clearly detailed prior to photos. One thing I’d like to point out is there is likely residue from a detailing cleaning product on the I-Drive screen. Hopefully it just wipes off and definitely something I’d double check when viewing the car in-person.
Things I’d Inquire About
Ceramic Coating and Paint Protection Film (PPF)
Scanning through the vehicles CarFax it states the car received a treatment of CeramicPro coating to the wheels, but no mention of treatment of the rest of the car. This is something I’d want to investigate through service records or if there is a service sticker from the original installer to further inquire about what exactly was done.
Looking at the front end, unless its road debris that can be washed off, it looks to be pitted with rock chips. This is something I would verify with the selling dealer or inspecting in-person yourself. If it is pitted up, the car likely has no paint protection film which is why I’ve pointed out in previous blog entries the importance of PPF on newer cars as newer paint is extremely soft and fragile. If the chips and pitting bothers you this is something you’d have to inquire with a qualified PPF installer about possibly filling in paint chips and installing PPF or outright reaching out to a body shop for a repair quote.
Falken Azenis FK510 tires
Going over photos I see the car currently is sporting a set of Falken Azenis FK510 tires. Per Tire Rack, these are an “ultra-high summer performance tire”. They appear to be freshly mounted as they appear to have fresh tread and the tire manufacturer “dots” on the sidewalls. Just as an FYI, BMW tuned the differential on these cars for Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires for optimum performance. There is nothing generally wrong with said mounted tires, but something to keep in mind as a future owner in experiencing the car as BMW intended. If I was buying, I’d graciously accept the tires for what they are and get use out of them. Then depending on how the car is used, upgrade to a set of Cup 2’s or Pilot Sport 4s later.
Maintenance and Service
Typically service records are listed on a CarFax report. With this particular example there is only 2 dealer entries for routine service. This is not to say the car was neglected. However, this is something I’d want a BMW service department to pull-up to and go over yourself. The selling dealer has a service entry on the CarFax and it appears they got the vehicle up-to-date, service wise. I would ask for an extensive list of what was done and from there doing your own due diligence.
One thing I’d like to point out is the rusted bolt in the engine bay as seen in the above photo. This is not something for initial immediate cause for concern, but something I’d have inspected throughout the vehicle. Having the car on a lift would absolutely answer any concerns you may have.
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:
