The Talk of the Internet: 2018 BMW M3 CS w/ 38k Miles for $53K?

Here is a 2018 BMW M3 CS for sale (VIN #:  WBS8M9C5XJ5L71814) in San Marino Blue (SMB).  The listing on CarMax states the vehicle has 38,000 miles.  Please note: If the original listing link does not work, this car has probably sold.  Per the attached CarFax report it states the vehicle has a clean title and has had 2 previous owners.  $53,998 is the current asking price.  Car is located in Henderson, NV.

 

General Observations

First and foremost, I’d like to say what a price and what an example for the price!  As of yesterday, CarMax posted this example and prospective buyers of this example flocked immediately.  Right when I was about to write this article, CarMax updated the listing to “not currently available” and “reserved” with the price updated to also “unavailable”.  It appears the car has already been sold.  That or they got an influx of inquiries and realized the pricing error and will adjust shortly.  There is a bimmerpost thread you can follow that has additional info on the car.  Odds are if you’re reading this, it’s too late.  LoL

This example is equipped with the Executive Package and has the standard steel brakes.  It also has the M-Performance DCT carbon fiber trim and the M-Performance floor mats.  This is 1 of 209 San Marino Blue examples that were brought to the USA.

By all accounts, on paper, this car looks to be well cared for with a spotless AutoCheck report.  It appears the car was purchased in Maryland when new and then transferred to it’s original owner in Texas as a leased vehicle.  It then moved onto its second owner on 02/28/2022 with 34,697 miles.  This is a good indication that the car is rust-free as both states it was owned in are states that face minimal inclement weather.  As a prospective buyer, I would still put the car on a lift to go over its undercarriage to verify.

Service wise, per AutoCheck its had its annual service fully documented except for the last 2 years which is probably a clerical error and simply wasn’t updated by the servicing dealer to AutoCheck.  I would double check with a BMW dealer by having its full service record pulled up.

 

Exterior Condition

For a car with 38k miles it appears through photos to be well preserved and cared for. It legitimately looks like a car with far less miles than indicated.  Using CarMax’s intricate and extensive “360 degree” video tour I’m not spotting any red flags or anomalies.  Please take this with a grain of salt as photos versus inspecting in-person are two different things.  Nothing beats inspecting a car in-person as photos and clever editing can easily hide flaws.

One thing I’ve learned about these cars as to how the car was potentially driven is by looking at the “coloring” of the rear muffler.  The more discolored it is (typically golden brown), odds are the car was driven hard for a period of time in order to develop the discoloring.  Looking at the photos, the rear of the muffler appears to be consistent in color indicating this car probably driven with care.  Again, this is not truly indicative of how the car was owned, but rather a potential omen of what this car may possibly be.  Either way, nothing beats a 3rd party inspection and going over the cars service records.

Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4

Tire wise, the factory Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires have been replaced with a set of all-season Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4’s.  An interesting choice by the previous owner or the selling dealer.  I’m unable to tell through photos if they are freshly replaced, but appear to have good tread on them.  As per my previous entries, the F80 M3 CS was tuned for a set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2’s.  For any prospective buyers I’d keep this in mind during the initial ownership stage to temper expectations until you get a proper set of tires to unlock the potential of the CS.  If I was in the market for this example, I’d use this set for winter use.  I would then buy another set of of OEM 763M wheels and mount Cup 2’s for summer use.

 

Interior Condition

With 38k miles, this example looks to be in great condition and appears to be enthusiast owned by its previous owner.  I’m not seeing many glaring wear and tear issues with this example.  The only notable thing I can point out is the “M1” and “M2” button on the steering wheel along with the start/stop button was replaced with an aftermarket “blue” colored set.  Kind of odd to be honest.  The car inside and out is bone stock except for this one thing.  If I’m a prospective buyer, I’m carefully going over the car for other modifications.  You typically don’t do one modification and nothing else.  Personally, I like cars that have never had extensive modifications as often times — not always — are the best conditioned examples.

Front driver seat and the Alcantara steering wheel show minimal wear.  Again, this example was obviously well cared for and it shows.  Per my previous entries there are examples with half the miles with tons of wear and tear that this car appears to have very little of.

The only thing I can point out is the M-Performance floor mats appear to have done their job and absorbing dirt, grime and wear.  If I was considering this car, I’d buy a new set altogether and keep the ones that come with this car as a back-up set.  That or to use when I know I’m traveling to areas where I know I’ll attract elements and could careless if I further dirty up the included set.

I don’t often talk about the rear seats much, but from what I can see this particular example has a rear bench that appears to never been used or used very sparingly.  Very nice.

 

Things I’d Inquire About

Paint Protection Film (PPF)

Through photos I’m unable to tell if the car currently has PPF applied.  Judging the front end, I highly suspect it has full frontal coverage.  A car with 38k miles you would see apparent rock chips and pitting by now if you didn’t have PPF.  I would inspect for yourself in-person or contact the dealer for more info to confirm.

Maintenance and Service

I’ve pretty much spelled out the cars service history and it appears to be well cared for.  I would still contact a local BMW dealership to pull-up its service history.  Looking at the overall condition of the car I would be shocked if there were any red flags.  As part of doing your due diligence I would still double check for peace of mind.

 

Deal of the Year or Clerical Error?

All I can say is if the asking price of $53,998 for such a purportedly nice conditioned example is real, the prospective buyer probably got the deal of the year.  This has yet to be seen as the listing is a day old and the listing dealer has updated the listing with a vague status.  It’ll be interesting to see what transpires with this example, nonetheless.  I hope it checks out and someone scores a deal.  If I see any updates, I will update this entry.

 

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: