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How to Properly Inspect A BMW Before You Buy

Bavarian Money Waster? Burn My Wallet? The BMW marque has always been associated with performance and cutting-edge engineering, and sometimes that can mean expensive repair bills.

Despite the way that some people want to vilify the famous German automaker, it’s not only possible but straightforward to buy a well-sorted BMW. What’s important is to inspect the car before your purchase, or have a qualified professional inspect it for you. A good pre-purchase-inspection (PPI) might cost you $100, and if you’re serious about buying the car that’s a small price to pay for peace of mind.

Recalls, Leaks, and Rust

Certain things need to be checked on any car before you commit to a purchase. Your local BMW dealership can look up your car’s VIN number and give you a rundown of recalls that have been carried out on your car, and any that are outstanding. Don’t buy a car with a major outstanding recall due unless you’re prepared to have it carried out right away, as many BMW recalls can involve sensitive engine internals that can cause catastrophic failure if they go unattended too long.

Obvious signs of negligence from the prior owners are the next thing to check for. Is the car leaking oil or other fluids from the engine and drivetrain? Are there signs of a repaint on any of the car’s body panels? Check the door sills and underhood for overspray. Put the car on a lift, and look for signs of oxidation and rust.

Have the car’s tires, air filter, clutch, and other wear items been well-kept? Was the radio left on 107.3 The Facemelter? These could all be red flags. A Carfax or Autocheck report is worth getting to speak to whether the car was crashed, ask if the seller has one.

Car-Specific Issues

Because BMW’s are such particular cars, you’ll want to have a thorough knowledge of the model you’re looking to buy when you go into your inspection.

Check out owners’ forums, and if you’ve got a knowledgeable BMW buddy, ask them to lend their expertise. The brand has a healthy following, which means that unless you’re buying a brand-new car, someone else has probably documented the issues that are specific to the model you’re looking at.

For example, diesel-powered BMWs are stout highway cruisers that deliver loads of torque, but they require an expensive service every 70,000 miles or so to remove buildup from fuel degradation.

The deposits left by degraded diesel fuel are removed using walnut blasting, and it’s safe to allocate around $2000 for the head-off service. Cars that have had fuel left sitting for too long can suffer from diesel fuel degradation, which can lead to poor engine performance and lots of smoke from your tailpipe.

The popular M line of high-performance BMWs are some of the most high-maintenance cars as you might expect, and both the M3 and M5 platforms have had engine issues that might require a rod bearing recall or VANOS (the car’s valve-timing system) rebuild to avoid putting your bimmer out to pasture.

But the good news is that BMW’s fixes for these issues have typically worked, and once performed you should not have to think about these things for a long time.

So, has this article frightened you out of your potential BMW purchase. Hopefully not, as any marque has its share of challenges, and BMWs can be fun and rewarding cars to own. If you’ve got advice for our readers about what to look for on a pre-owned BMW, let us know in the comments section!

Editorial, Information

BMW Unveils the M850i Night Sky, With One Surprising Element

Who doesn’t love a beautiful Bimmer? Exciting news then that BMW Group has unveiled their latest model, the M850i Night Sky, and it is truly, out of this world.

Beyond looks, we all know just how functional BMW vehicles are. As it turns out, this one is just a little more functional, in ways you may not have ever expected. It’s also downright stunning, with a one-of-a-kind design and composition that we will likely never see again… like ever.

Image via BMW Press

For Starters, the M850i Has 3D Printed Components

The vehicle is constructed of parts made through additive manufacturing — the fancy term for 3D printing. Its design was a planned effort meant to coincide with a rather exciting meteor shower that took place recently. In a way, the shower also played a role in deciding what materials were used.

Within the last couple of weeks, Earth passed through the orbit of a longstanding asteroid named 2003 EH. Several meteorites from the asteroid actually landed on the planet’s surface. They were scooped up and used to print components of BMW’s new model. Yes, the M850i has actual meteorites embedded within. How badass is that?

Image via BMW Press

Through a convergence of aluminum and meteoric rock materials, the M850i is rocking — pun definitely intended — 3D printed side mirror caps, brake calipers, as well as air intakes and a center mesh plate.

Throughout the vehicle, the Widmanstätten pattern was also used to give the model an added layer of galactic style. In short, Widmanstätten is a 3D octahedral pattern or structure that can be found in iron meteorites. It also looks fantastic when used to accent the center console of a vehicle.

The M850i’s exterior is also adorned with a custom paint job. All the paint was applied by skilled hands, as an even gradient starting with a brilliant San Marino blue near the bottom and fading into a deep black near the top.

Tinsel and bronze pigments were also used in the first coat. This gives it a captivating and unique look, remarkably similar to what you see on the horizon just after sunset — pockmarked with distant lights.

Not Just a Looker

Image via BMW Press

The M850i Night Sky is nothing to scoff at either. It was modeled after the M850i xDrive Coupe and is propelled by the same 530 horsepower twin-turbo V8 with top speeds of up to 155 miles-per-hour.

It looks great, offers incredible performance, and likely feels great to sit in, especially when the engine is running.

Unfortunately, there’s no mention of price, nor who might have commissioned the vehicle to add to their fleet. It’s entirely possible it will serve as nothing more than a concept forever to grace just our eyes with its true inner and outer beauty.

Even so, one could bet an endless supply of meteoric rocks on the fact that if it did have a price, well, very few of us would be able to afford it.

Now, let’s all collectively turn our attention back to the beautiful photos of this vehicle and drool over it for a few minutes more. It’s the least we can do for something so truly wondrous.

Racing

BMW Team RLL Eyeing Maiden Win for M6 GTLM at 2016 Monterey Grand Prix

By Mitchell Weitzman

 

The 2016 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship continues its tour of California this weekend with the Continental Monterey Grand Prix powered by Mazda, at the storied Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. While the M6 GTLM remains winless thus far this season, the new turbocharged challenger sees the return to a venue of considerable success for BMW Team RLL, who scored a sweeping 1-2 finish at Laguna Seca last year. It’s not to say the M6 has been off the pace so far this year, scoring two poles at Sebring and Long Beach in the hands of endurance veteran Bill Auberlen; the first win will surely come sooner that later. New competition from Ford’s new GT racing car as well as Ferrari’s new, and also turbocharged, 488 GTE has made the always competitive GTLM even that much closer. Also don’t forget the Corvettes and Porsches that remain as challenging as ever, with the #4 Corvette winning the Florida pair of enduros. Laguna Seca should be a good fit for the larger, F12-based racer, being able to use the wide, sweeping corners of the Salinas hills to it’s benefit. It’s surprising and a real testament to the speed potential of the M6 GTLM that it was able to score a pole at the tight Long Beach street circuit despite it’s size disadvantage compared to smaller, mid-engined American and Italian rivals. In GTD, Turner Motorsport will field a pair of M6 GT3s as well, making it a 4xM6 assault.

Interestingly enough, the race weekend will be split into two separate two-hour sprint races, the first featuring the Prototype and GTLM classes, with the second the Prototype Challenge and GTD classes. Race one starts at 11:15 a.m.  PT Sunday the 1st with Race 2 following at 3:45 p.m. PT. A 3 day pass to see all events is $90 a ticket, with a Sunday pass coming in at $70. Supporting races include the one-make Lamborghini Super Trofeo Series, Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge, Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge and the Mazda MX-5 Cup. For those that have not been to Laguna Seca, it’s well worth the trip to the scenic Monterey Peninsula. I highly recommend climbing all the way to the top of the famed ‘corkscrew’ as well as viewing from the hill above the Andretti Hairpin, turn 2, giving a great look at drivers overtaking under heavy braking.