Question re: bmw.de Car Configurator

Mark in TX said:

the Car Configurator function on bmw.de asks for a username & password. My question: where do I register to use the configurator in the first place?

Anyone? Bueller?

Mark

Click to expand...

No help here, but whatever happened with your Euro M3?

Re: Re: Question re: bmw.de Car Configurator

JST said:

No help here, but whatever happened with your Euro M3?

Click to expand...

That's been quite the odyssey. Short version: the particular car I was considering does not have some basic OBD-II stuff in place and is thus very expensive to 'federalize.' While OBD-II is a US govt.-mandated, emissions-related thing and must be retrofitted to all cars (imported for regular road use) built after 1/1/96, some Euro-spec cars have some basic things in place for OBD-II.

The car I was looking at was built in early '97, before the US M3 cabrios were started. My guess is that late calendar year '97 Euro-spec cabrios probably have the hardware I need for the less expensive conversion process, since US-spec cars would have been on the production line with them at that point. So, I'm still shopping.

FYI: that cabrio I was considering would have been $12.5k for the conversion to US standards, plus the cost of a new cat. Considering that Z8's and Ferrari 355's cost the same for conversion (and low-mi. examples need no new cat), it's a bit hard to justify on a relatively inexpensive car such as a used M3.

But, I do still intend to find something. At this point, I won't have a convertible back in Texas before summer's infernal blast (it's already full-on spring here) but now that there's no hurry, I'll take a week or so to cruise around in Europe before I ship the car for its 'surgery' here in the US. Assuming I ever find one...

I was trying to use bmw.de to see what additional colors they can get on new M3's over there. There is a group of Americans doing a group ED purchase of M3's this summer and a friend of mine is considering it but wanted to see what colors he might be able to get. (They'll do it - at extra cost, of course.) No quantity pricing on the ED, unfortunately.

But I still can't get the bmw.de Configurator to work. Don't even try it w/ Netscape (Mac ver 4.79) - it'll freak out.

Hey Mark,

if you just want to configure a car, you don't need a password & username. Just wait for the application to load and click Start.

PM me if you need help.

Alex

Mark,

I've checked the site for ya. Here are the M3 colors

Carbon Black
Oxford Green II
Phoenix Yellow
Steel Gray
Titan Silver
Topas Blue

Alpine White II
Imola Red II
Laguna Seca Blue
Black II

Alex

Re: Re: Re: Question re: bmw.de Car Configurator

Mark in TX said:

That's been quite the odyssey. Short version: the particular car I was considering does not have some basic OBD-II stuff in place and is thus very expensive to 'federalize.' While OBD-II is a US govt.-mandated, emissions-related thing and must be retrofitted to all cars (imported for regular road use) built after 1/1/96, some Euro-spec cars have some basic things in place for OBD-II.

The car I was looking at was built in early '97, before the US M3 cabrios were started. My guess is that late calendar year '97 Euro-spec cabrios probably have the hardware I need for the less expensive conversion process, since US-spec cars would have been on the production line with them at that point. So, I'm still shopping.

FYI: that cabrio I was considering would have been $12.5k for the conversion to US standards, plus the cost of a new cat. Considering that Z8's and Ferrari 355's cost the same for conversion (and low-mi. examples need no new cat), it's a bit hard to justify on a relatively inexpensive car such as a used M3.

But, I do still intend to find something. At this point, I won't have a convertible back in Texas before summer's infernal blast (it's already full-on spring here) but now that there's no hurry, I'll take a week or so to cruise around in Europe before I ship the car for its 'surgery' here in the US. Assuming I ever find one...

I was trying to use bmw.de to see what additional colors they can get on new M3's over there. There is a group of Americans doing a group ED purchase of M3's this summer and a friend of mine is considering it but wanted to see what colors he might be able to get. (They'll do it - at extra cost, of course.) No quantity pricing on the ED, unfortunately.

But I still can't get the bmw.de Configurator to work. Don't even try it w/ Netscape (Mac ver 4.79) - it'll freak out.

Click to expand...

Once you start getting into the 12.5K range for conversion, you might want to just think about putting a Euro 3.2 into an existing American M3. You'd save the shipping costs and whatnot, though I suppose due to euro/dollar conversion, the "base" price of the Euro car might be lower than it is in the US.

While it's a lot of money either way, if you take what I spent plus 12K for an engine conversion, you're still 10K shy of a new E46 M3C.

Re: the big, bad grey market

JST said:

if you take what I spent plus 12K for an engine conversion, you're still 10K shy of a new E46 M3C.

Click to expand...

I know what you mean and I don't plan to come anywhere near those numbers. Done right, however, a Euro-spec M3 can be purchased, shipped, and converted for well under the price of a similar US-spec car. That's why I'm considering it at all. Even the '97 I found could recoup most of the cost by selling it here, in spite of the horrendous conversion cost.

I had considered the Euro 3.2 transplant into a US-spec car but there are problems there too, not the least of which is finding a decent used motor (plus a 6-spd, LSD, & wiring harness) at some European salvage lot. When I began to investigate used car prices in Europe, that idea was tossed. Although, I do think it makes sense for those who already own a nice e36 M3 and have blown the engine.

Mark