Category: BMW

The second generation BMW 650i (E63), along with the 750 of the same era, were bubble butt BMW’s that were hard to like.  Perhaps if the equipment, price, and miles were right, I could.  They certainly were for the 2007 BMW M6 I regret passing on last year ($24k, 44,000 miles – wrote about it here).  CarMax doesn’t carry a lot of E63’s, except for an occasional and dwindling supply of M6’s, but I found one and share it below.

At the same time, the third generation BMW 650i (F06) – a far more beautiful car from the rear – has been dropping in price to unicorn territory.   I’m surprised how affordable these far more stylish, and better performing 650i’s are.  When Car and Driver reviewed the 2012 BMW 650i…..back in 2012, they whined that big coupes – “two door luxury” were nearly dead.  I’m not so sure – Mercedes morphed the CL550 to become an enormous S-Coupe, Lexus has the RC500, and I’m thinking a two door Panamera is coming.  Anyway, thought it would be fun to post these cars at the same time.  (Came close to adding a 2008 39,000 mile M6 that keeps showing up and vanishing daily that is oh so close to the one I passed on in NJ, and happens to be close to me – but as of tonight it’s off the net.  But stay tuned.)

This 2010 BMW 650i V-8 produces “only” 360hp but is still good for a mid-five second 0-60 mph sprint.  Car and Driver called it “lumpy and semi-demented-looking” – harsh, but funny and from the rear accurate – but if you can get past it’s rear, it’s still a big luxurious GT coupe.  Here’s a ho-hum review from 2010 – perhaps at $80,000 the car should have delivered more, but for $25k it’s a better deal?  Only 3,050 of these coupes were sold in 2010 – you won’t see a whole lot of them on the road.  I very much recommend the MaxCare warranty to drive almost repair free for another 100,000 miles.  This one is a three-owner California/Nevada car available here in Sacramento.  If the link is dead the car is sold, on hold, or being transferred.

The 2012 BMW 650i is a twin turbo V-8 boosted to 400hp, nailing 0-60 mph in the mid-four second range.  You also won’t wince when eyeballing from behind.  In fact, I found the feuerwehrfahrzeug red coupe with the semi-blacked out wheels to be quite striking.  With options it topped out closer to $100,000 just seven years ago.  Here’s the Car and Driver review from 2012 that’s also ambivalent on the car – the most impressive point for me was the Bang and Olufsen audio system on this car was a $3700 upgrade!  BMW sold four times as many of these third generation coupes than they did second generation.  Perhaps Car and Driver’s death knell was premature?  This 2012 BMW 650i is a four owner, one accident car found here in Las Vegas – same deal on the link.

BONUS CAR!!!!

Just in case there are blog readers who slog through to the bitter end, here’s maybe the best value of all…..a beautiful 2012 BMW 650i also with 400hp, not as well equipped as the red one above and with 17,000 miles more, but at $5,000 less!  That savings will likely pay for the MaxCare warranty.  It’s a three owner accident free car that ironically spent some time in Leesburg, Virginia, where I live, before moving to California this summer.

Last Saturday a reader pointed out the 12 cylinder BMW 760 I wrote about in July (and is still for sale here in California!) may be a dying breed unicorn for CarMax and I was ready to agree with him, when this second one – a 2013 with low miles – surfaced in Louisville, Kentucky the very same day (details at the bottom of this post).  This white one is way nicer, with lower miles and well-appointed – so much so that the car opened at $40,998 on September 21st, and when I decided to blog today I see it’s gone up $1,000 in price.  That’s rare, but not unheard of.  I watched one unicorn increase in price several times by a thousand or two over the course of a week.  Oddly, the higher mileage 2013 in California only dropped once in price by a thousand since July, and is still out there.  In all cases, you’re either a fool, filthy rich, or a BMW mechanic yourself if you buy these cars without the bulletproof MaxCare bumper-to-bumper warranty!  No offense.

My simple test for options on BMW’s of this era?  Check out the bank of buttons on the left of the steering wheel.  Five slots.  The now $41,998 / 46,000 mile 2013 BMW 760 is on the left above, the $36,998 / 57,000 mile 2013 BMW 760 on the right.  The only thing missing is BMW Night Vision on the right.  I don’t know why I need night vision – carry Navy SEALS on a raid?  Run moonshine and evade the cops (it is a Kentucky car, after all)? But once I saw how it worked on a Mercedes S600 I wanted it.  My next car will have it.  Anyway, the guide to the features is below, in case you were wondering.

Take a look at the 2013 BMW 760Li beauty with all the options here, in Louisville, Kentucky.  If the link is dead the car is sold, on hold, or being transferred.  I’ll bet it sells before the $36,998 one!

Beautiful BMW with a wicked and rare 535hp V-12 unicorn.  Somebody paid about $150,000 for this 760Li just five years ago, and it’s now selling for $37,998 with 57,000 miles.  Looks like roughly 10,000 7-series were sold in 2013, and as far as I can tell 2% of those – or 200, were the V-12 760’s.  Checked the VIN and this one has the $5,200 “Individual Package” with Merino leather and the $3,700 Bang and Olufsen audio, but sadly no night vision.  Why skimp there? Especially when the buyer chose to spend $50,000 more for a new BMW 760 than they would have for a BMW 750?! Perhaps to get that .3 sec 0-60 edge?  I wouldn’t care – the V-12 roar is worth every depreciated penny.  It goes without saying, but I have to say it anyway because someone will moan “these are expensive to fix!” that you do NOT own one of these without the MaxCare warranty, effectively shifting financial risk to CarMax for a few thousand more.  Find this four owner LA car here; if the link is dead it’s sold, on hold ore being transferred.