Servicing costs for a '68 plate BMW M4 Competition

utopia55

Can my local independent service this car or does it have to be the main dealer or a specialist?

motorguy

utopia55 said:

Thoughts on the BMW Protect X? They adding it in free of charge as part of the negotiation. Is this worth it or am I better off going to a detailer?

It'll not be free of charge.

They'll discount the car so they can charge you for it.

A pound to a penny says it shows up as a significant amount on the invoice, but the car discounted.

I'd negotiate the discount.

motorguy

utopia55 said:

I am highly surprised that the Competition variant does not come with lumbar support! the regular M4 seats has lumbar support so why is it that the more expensive Competition model does not include this.

Different seats.

You're asking these questions at the wrong time (given you've already bought the car) and in the wrong place (should have asked the dealer or on one of the M specific forums).

motorguy

utopia55 said:

Can my local independent service this car or does it have to be the main dealer or a specialist?

Of course they can.  However that will likely impact the resale value, any potential warranty claims, and any goodwill gesture you might otherwise have got from BMW if anything goes wrong after the warranty expires.

It would be foolish to try to cut corners on running costs of this car.  Any saving will be shot to pieces with the loss in value come resale time.  Cheap tyres and non dealer servicing on an M Competition car will make most prospective buyers run a mile and will mean the car cant be resold on a main dealer forecourt, again further limiting your resale options.

Herzlos

Good point. Cheap tyres will tell any buyers that you couldn't afford to run the car and have cut corners everywhere. 

Have you sorted insurance for it yet?

motorguy

Herzlos said:

Good point. Cheap tyres will tell any buyers that you couldn't afford to run the car and have cut corners everywhere. 

Have you sorted insurance for it yet?

I watched a M3 V8 going through a trade auction i'm registered with.  No service history at all, no evidence of any maintenance from a reputable repairer or otherwise, running on ditchfinders and clearly just driven not cherished.

It made literally £,£££s less than it should have.   

Chris_English

utopia55 said:

I am highly surprised that the Competition variant does not come with lumbar support! the regular M4 seats has lumbar support so why is it that the more expensive Competition model does not include this.

This gets less and less believable. Sports seats are different to comfort seats.

May I ask, when younger did you ever watch Jackanory? For some reason I was reminded of it just now.

utopia55

Herzlos said:

Good point. Cheap tyres will tell any buyers that you couldn't afford to run the car and have cut corners everywhere. 

Have you sorted insurance for it yet?

Yes I am getting the black telematics box, it is £800 cheaper than without.

utopia55

Chris_English said:

utopia55 said:

I am highly surprised that the Competition variant does not come with lumbar support! the regular M4 seats has lumbar support so why is it that the more expensive Competition model does not include this.

This gets less and less believable. Sports seats are different to comfort seats.

May I ask, when younger did you ever watch Jackanory? For some reason I was reminded of it just now.

The regular M4 seats aren't comfort seats, they are the exact same bucket seats as the Competition but a bit heavier and also with the lumbar support

Grumpy_chap

utopia55 said:

Yes I am getting the black telematics box, it is £800 cheaper than without.

The choice of car is entirely your own but, with the concerns about running costs, and insurance challenges and whether or not to by the warranty package, and whatever else hasn't been mentioned in the thread, the overall impression that is building is that that this M4 Competition is probably not the best choice of car for the OP right at this time around and a more regular 3-series would seem to be more appropriate.