[amelen]

I've been waiting to get a 911 Cab (waiting on 992 GTS) for a while, but came across a really great BMW M8 lease deal that seems to tick all of the boxes. I haven't had a BMW in a while and before pulling the trigger just wanted to get some thoughts/comments:

- Any major draw backs on the M8? I know it's not as small/nimble as a 911, but I won't be tracking it, so I think it might actually be a better DD. Am I wrong here?

- I don't qualify for the $3k loyalty credit and there seems to be no conquest offers. Anything else I can qualify for to make the car cheaper? I remember reading that there are ways to get a BMW CCA discount if I get membership?

- I'm coming from a fully-loaded Panamera 4S ($157k MSRP). I'm looking for something as-sporty, preferably TT V8, convertible with 4 seats and AWD. The M8 seems like a decent fit, any thoughts?

- I haven't leased a car in a while but with the M8 (and BMW in general), the deals seem to be in the leases. With COVID, I'm not sure on my miles usage, is it safer to go with less miles - I remember reading with BMW you can pre-buy miles at 20cents/each before the lease ends if needed?

- The car in question is "new" but was a demo car with 2k miles. Any consideration from this? 2k seems like enough miles to cause some wear & tear. What should I look out for?

[calbears]

Just a few answers for you:

-You won't get the CCA rebate (after the purchase) as they've changed the eligibility requirements since then

-The M8 Convertible has 4 seats, but the rears aren't especially comfortable or usable for an adult. You'll be able to get people in and out easier than the coupe, but there's very little leg room

-I think you can go for 8k miles per year, but I'm not sure on that one. You can pre-buy miles, but the rate is different for cars like the 7 and 8 series. You'll save a few cents per mile buying up to the day you return your lease

-There's a lot of money available on the M8s to move them

[amelen]

Perfect, thank you! And yes - rear seats are for my 6 & 7 year old - I can't imagine them being any smaller then the 911 which seemed fine enough.

[Resjudicata]

Originally Posted by amelen

Perfect, thank you! And yes - rear seats are for my 6 & 7 year old - I can't imagine them being any smaller then the 911 which seemed fine enough.

The seats are definitely smaller than the 911, you may want the gran coupe for kids. It's got 4 doors and half the price of a convertible. But obviously not as sporty.

There is no reason not to lease an m8 comp convertible, unless you want the smaller more sporty track car 911. For a daily driver, the gran coupe is best. But a convertible can be a daily too, if you don't need extra space.

[Resjudicata]

Originally Posted by amelen

I've been waiting to get a 911 Cab (waiting on 992 GTS) for a while, but came across a really great BMW M8 lease deal that seems to tick all of the boxes. I haven't had a BMW in a while and before pulling the trigger just wanted to get some thoughts/comments:

- Any major draw backs on the M8? I know it's not as small/nimble as a 911, but I won't be tracking it, so I think it might actually be a better DD. Am I wrong here?

- I don't qualify for the $3k loyalty credit and there seems to be no conquest offers. Anything else I can qualify for to make the car cheaper? I remember reading that there are ways to get a BMW CCA discount if I get membership?

- I'm coming from a fully-loaded Panamera 4S ($157k MSRP). I'm looking for something as-sporty, preferably TT V8, convertible with 4 seats and AWD. The M8 seems like a decent fit, any thoughts?

- I haven't leased a car in a while but with the M8 (and BMW in general), the deals seem to be in the leases. With COVID, I'm not sure on my miles usage, is it safer to go with less miles - I remember reading with BMW you can pre-buy miles at 20cents/each before the lease ends if needed?

- The car in question is "new" but was a demo car with 2k miles. Any consideration from this? 2k seems like enough miles to cause some wear & tear. What should I look out for?

Lease is the best way to go. The CCA requires you to be a member for a year before any discount. There is all sorts of discounts, but honestly you're best shot is to negotiate. I got 5 dealerships to bid against each other and got a bigger discount talking to them.

For any demo, do a PPI and look for any redlines. Also look at the service history, which you might need to get directly from a bmw service center. As they don't always report to carfax.

[amelen]

Originally Posted by Resjudicata

Lease is the best way to go. The CCA requires you to be a member for a year before any discount. There is all sorts of discounts, but honestly you're best shot is to negotiate. I got 5 dealerships to bid against each other and got a bigger discount talking to them.

For any demo, do a PPI and look for any redlines. Also look at the service history, which you might need to get directly from a bmw service center. As they don't always report to carfax.

PPI is something they'd do or I have to pay for? Also, anyone know if BMW does any conquest offers these days? All I currently see is loyalty credit (of $3k).

[Jenner]

Originally Posted by amelen

I've been waiting to get a 911 Cab (waiting on 992 GTS) for a while, but came across a really great BMW M8 lease deal that seems to tick all of the boxes. I haven't had a BMW in a while and before pulling the trigger just wanted to get some thoughts/comments:

- Any major draw backs on the M8? I know it's not as small/nimble as a 911, but I won't be tracking it, so I think it might actually be a better DD. Am I wrong here?

- I don't qualify for the $3k loyalty credit and there seems to be no conquest offers.

- I'm coming from a fully-loaded Panamera 4S ($157k MSRP). I'm looking for something as-sporty, preferably TT V8, convertible with 4 seats and AWD. The M8 seems like a decent fit, any thoughts?

- The car in question is "new" but was a demo car with 2k miles. Any consideration from this? 2k seems like enough miles to cause some wear & tear. What should I look out for?

M8 is a much better daily driver and highway/autobahn missile compared to the 911. Get the 911 if your commute or daily adventures are technical back road kind of stuff or you want the things that come with a Porsche ie name and badge. All the great stuff the 911 does on the track doesn't really apply and the M8 is just a monster on the highway, has great handling as well and is very comfortable and more luxurious IMHO than the more spartan 911. With kids hands down M8. The M8 has WAY more trunk space than the 911.

I got a $10k flagship discount on my convertible as well as a $5k dealer discount (and the $3k loyalty discount you already mentioned). I would ask what the current flagship amount is. (Some dealers will try to only give you a piece of it and hold some of it back for themselves)

Make sure the 1200 mile service was done, and/or done on time. I have read stories on the forums about people who waited till 2000 miles and lost their engine/drivetrain warranty.

Compared to the Panamera you'll lose the backseat room and trunk space but you already know that if you are talking 4 seat convertibles and shopping a 911 cab.

Having owned many Porsches in the past as well as being in same exact market you are in (4 seat high performance AWD convertible) the M8 Convertible is one of the few choices out there. The Ferrari Portofino is another choice, but smaller back seats and trunk, not AWD, higher price tag, not really a daily driver and while it packs a lot more punch in the looks and emotion department it is seriously lacking in the driver tech, infotainment and stereo departments. When spending $150k+ we have a lot of cars to choose from, but rather few with the exact specs of the M8 Convertible. I was planning to custom order mine and then scrambled to find one on a lot that met all my requirements when I found out I couldn't order since they stopped making them for US market for '21 as there isn't anything else like it. Yes there are many cars like it but most are only 2 seats, or don't have real space for a family of 3-4 to go away for the weekend or don't have AWD (never mind BOTH AWD & RWD!)

Originally Posted by amelen

Perfect, thank you! And yes - rear seats are for my 6 & 7 year old - I can't imagine them being any smaller then the 911 which seemed fine enough.

My 9 year old fits great with plenty of room to grow. We prefer not to use the booster as it keeps her head below the belt line as the rear seats are nice and deep. TONS more room for her at 9 in the M8 than in my 2018 991 Targa 4S when she was 7. If you need any measurements or anything PM me.

My only complaint is that for the price and luxury level of an "8 series" never mind an M car there is NOTHING back there for her. No charge ports, no heated seats, no air vents and no LED lighting(except the B&W speakers), NOTHING! Just seems wrong to me at the $150k+ GT car price point even if the seats are small and meant for kids only.

Originally Posted by amelen

PPI is something they'd do or I have to pay for?

They should give you a 100 point inspection along with the service records (should only be the 1200 break in service at this point like I said above) or something along those lines for free. No reason to pay them to sell you on their car. Make them sell/prove to you it's condition and service history. I bought brand new and I got a sheet showing me all the times the battery level and tire pressures were checked while it sat on the showroom floor so you should certainly get some info on this demo.

Hope this helps. Please feel free to PM me as your situation and criteria sounds exactly like my own and while my M8 took a few mods to show me it's soul I'm very happy with it.

EDIT I just realized you are in NYC. I am very close to you if you want to take a ride...

[amelen]

Very helpful thank you very much! And I greatly appreciate the ride offer - I can probably find one at a dealership to test though so I don't bug you. And yes, 100% agree - not a very large market for a 4-seater AWD convertibles lol. I also looked at a used Aston (RWD) and used Bentley Continental (pricey maintenance). Mercedes will have the new SL soon, but no specific eta on it. I'm a big Porsche fan, but specing out the 911 GTS Cab, I'd be easily in the $170k+ territory. BMW isn't that much cheaper to buy, but a lot cheaper to lease.

Last question: Anyway to finagle the loyalty credit (it's a huge amount of $3k)? I had a BMW 7 years ago, but don't have one currently (I drive a Porsche, wife has a Mercedes). Doesn't seem like they are doing any conquest credits.

[unfoundnemo]

Originally Posted by amelen

Very helpful thank you very much! And I greatly appreciate the ride offer - I can probably find one at a dealership to test though so I don't bug you. And yes, 100% agree - not a very large market for a 4-seater AWD convertibles lol. I also looked at a used Aston (RWD) and used Bentley Continental (pricey maintenance). Mercedes will have the new SL soon, but no specific eta on it. I'm a big Porsche fan, but specing out the 911 GTS Cab, I'd be easily in the $170k+ territory. BMW isn't that much cheaper to buy, but a lot cheaper to lease.

Last question: Anyway to finagle the loyalty credit (it's a huge amount of $3k)? I had a BMW 7 years ago, but don't have one currently (I drive a Porsche, wife has a Mercedes). Doesn't seem like they are doing any conquest credits.

I believe your address needs to be the same address as another registered BMW (within the last 6 months or something like that technically). Assuming you have a close friend/family member in the same state with a BMW, you could move in with them (and subsequently process a change of address for your license or their registration), to make that work. It would likely cost less than $100 (plus moving expenses, of course).

Too bad you're not in PA, I have a $1000 voucher from a drive event that any member in my household could use as long as they take delivery by 1/4 (actually I have 4 of them lol).

EDIT: second option may be to find a cheap BMW you could purchase/register then sell after. I mean, I'm sure you could get something barely drivable for $500, then scrap it and come close to breaking even so you don't even have to worry about carrying a random car and trying to sell it.

I haven't read the language close enough to make sure these qualify, but that's how I've understood it most recently at least. It's possible you might have to have owned the car for x months, or that household thing only applies if they're a co-applicant. For 3k, it's worth a look into these options, though.

[amelen]

Originally Posted by unfoundnemo

I believe your address needs to be the same address as another registered BMW (within the last 6 months or something like that technically). Assuming you have a close friend/family member in the same state with a BMW, you could move in with them (and subsequently process a change of address for your license or their registration), to make that work. It would likely cost less than $100 (plus moving expenses, of course).

Too bad you're not in PA, I have a $1000 voucher from a drive event that any member in my household could use as long as they take delivery by 1/4 (actually I have 4 of them lol).

EDIT: second option would be to find a cheap BMW you could purchase/register then sell after. I mean, I'm sure you could get something barely drivable for $500, then scrap it and come close to breaking even so you don't even have to worry about carrying a random car and trying to sell it.

Ahh, makes sense. The terms on their site were vague, so I was hoping there was some work around.

I also noticed Costco lists a $3,000 conquest credit, BUT the terms mention some kind of mailer:

$3,000


Valid: 10/01/2020 - 01/04/2021

Restrictions:

Restrictions or conditions may apply. Speak to dealer for details.

Comments:

Requires the Redemption Code on the mailer and may only be redeemed once per mailer. Conquest Offer only available for customers who take delivery of a new 2020 or 2021 BMW 7 Series or 8 Series vehicle and must finance/lease with BMW Financial Services by January 4, 2021.

[RJC-1]

Definitely lease as resale on these are abysmal...

[Longboarder]

Originally Posted by amelen

Perfect, thank you! And yes - rear seats are for my 6 & 7 year old - I can't imagine them being any smaller then the 911 which seemed fine enough.

Less leg room in the back of the M8 compared to the 991. And also less head room for the passengers. For such a big car, the M8 has very little interior space.

[Jenner]

Originally Posted by Longboarder

Less leg room in the back of the M8 compared to the 991. And also less head room for the passengers. For such a big car, the M8 has very little interior space.

Head room? A convertible is infinite head room!
Also we are talking about kids not adults.

Sounds to me like you are comparing the M8 convertible to the 991 Coupe which isn't what he is asking. Compare the Cab or the Targa and the M8 Convertible has more room and the rear seat backs don't lean slight forwards like the 911s convertible/Targas do.

[Longboarder]

Originally Posted by Jenner

Head room? A convertible is infinite head room!
Also we are talking about kids not adults.

Sounds to me like you are comparing the M8 convertible to the 991 Coupe which isn't what he is asking. Compare the Cab or the Targa and the M8 Convertible has more room and the rear seat backs don't lean slight forwards like the 911s convertible/Targas do.

U seriously thought i was referring to head room with the top down?