Like Ned in Game of Thrones, the seller of today’s Nice Price or No Dice BMW sees winter approaching and wants to prepare. That means a 4WD in place of the Bimmer’s convertible top. Let’s see if we’re prepared for its asking price.
A 2000 Toyota MR2 Spyder is a tough sell to a crowd that thinks the answer is always a Miata. That was the challenge facing the seller of the ‘Mister Two’ we looked at last Friday, and at a $11,495 asking, it wasn’t winning many converts. It didn’t win in our voting, either, taking home an overwhelming 85 percent No Dice loss for its un-Miata-ness.
Back in the year 1968, pop legend Harry Nilsson plaintively crooned, “One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do.” Three Dog Night took that song and made it popular with the crowds, running it all the way up to number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. Being ‘One’ may have once been a sad sack’s lament, but that didn’t stop BMW from building a full line of 1 Series cars, and these are fun for one and all.
This 2011 BMW 128i convertible is one of those, and not only is it a decade newer than the Toyota MR2 Spyder we considered last Friday, but it’s also more functional. It offers four seats instead of two, has more luggage space, and, with 228 horsepower on tap from its 3.0-liter N52 straight six, it has almost 100 more ponies under the hood.
BMW introduced the coupe (E82) and convertible (E88) editions of the 1 Series as an homage to the 02 line of cars from the late ’60s and early ’70s. These cars share a platform with a line of three and five-door hatchbacks, but BMW wisely chose not to bring those to the U.S., where they would have had to compete against the vastly better VW GTI in a market that’s not all that keen on hot hatches anymore. The coupe and convertible, however, look like Shrinky-Dink versions of the 3 Series, and lots of people love those.
Today, BMW still sells the 1 Series as a hatch in markets outside the States, but due to the company’s shift in naming convention, the coupe version (the convertible is no more) has been spun off on its own and is now branded as a 2.
Our convertible is a 1, and we’re going to give it the once-over to see if we think that’s a positive number.
The E8x line was designed during the Bangle era, and that’s evident in the car’s swayback lower door edge and pulled taffy headlamp design. The rest of the car has a real E46 vibe, and most of the design’s more flamboyant aspects are masked by this car’s black paint. That paint, by the way, looks to be in solid shape and is well-paired with the bright silver Style 360 wheels. Atop all that is a black canvas convertible roof that also looks to be in excellent condition.
It’s a similar story in the cabin, with no apparent issues with the upholstery, trim, or switchgear. It’s in here where you’ll find this E88’s party piece, which is the shifter for the car’s General Motors-sourced six-speed manual transmission.
That’s an uber-rare option on these cars, making this a bit of a standout. Everything else here is aimed at comfort and convenience, with power windows and locks, automatic climate control, heated seats, and a push-button start.
According to the seller, mechanically, the car is perfect. It has recently undergone a substantial round of dealer maintenance and repairs, covering most of the major pain points. It’s not been a garage queen either, as it has done 134,096 miles to date, racked up by its two owners.
A clean title tops off this little Bimmer’s high points, and the seller makes the added boast that this is the only manual 128i currently listed in California. We’ll have to decide if that sways us in considering the car’s $12,000 asking price.
What’s your take on this 128i asking for that kind of cabbage? Is that a fair price for a rare and seemingly well-kept car wearing the blue and white Roundel? Or is that too much for a mini Bimmer?
You decide!
San Francisco Bay Area, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to Don R. for the hookup!
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