Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
If you can afford a BMW, you can also afford to have it repaired properly.
No need to complain that its sooooo expensive to have it repaired.
If you can afford a leer jet does that mean it is necessarily wise to buy one? A Motorsport car is not your regular BMW and the POTENTIAL (keep that in mind) costs associated with that Motorsport badge can be much higher than with a regular trim model.
I'm an enthusiast who did a fair chunk of research BEFORE buying my car so I wouldn't be "OMG, WHY IS THIS STUFF SO EXPENSIVE???" after I bought it. It sounds like the OP is trying to do the same thing: get a handle on what he's getting into before taking the leap.
I do most of my automotive repair work myself or with fellow enthusiasts (like this weekend) and so the cost of keeping MY car in good condition is going to be a lot less than somebody who is getting it done at the dealer.
I'm familiar with my tools and own a good number of them. I've been working on engines since I was a boy. Been working on cars in some way shape or form since the mid 90's. For somebody like me, other than the sheer number of parts these cars have, owning them is't going to be any more "expensive" (relatively speaking) than any other high performance car that is 10 years old.
However, for somebody not mechanically inclined, coming from a non-BMW background and jumping behind the wheel of their highest-trim Motorsport model, they may not be prepared for the potential maintenance costs associated with such a vehicle. And I don't think anybody is saying that it is GOING to be expensive, simply that it COULD be expensive! And the OP has to bear that in mind when considering purchasing one of these cars.
I posted a list of problems I know of or am familiar with so the OP has an idea as to what can go wrong.
My experience hasn't been bad so far. Steve's has been far worse. I don't think there is anything wrong about posting your experience, and if Steve's was as bad as he says it was, then that is a heck of a lot more than simply "paying to play". I've been "paying to play" with Mustangs too, and this car isn't consuming any more of my budget than they were. The same can't be said for Steve, and he's indicated that.