A rare six-speed manual makes this BMW 535i a car worth watching. Let’s see if its price makes it worth a second look.
When I was a kid playing flag football in middle school, the most common instruction given by the quarterback in the pre-play huddle was to “go wide.” No matter what the down or where we were on the field, it was always “go wide.” Nobody even knew what “go wide” meant, and amazingly, the opposing team never caught on to this lather-rinse-repeat form of play strategy.
Go wide was also the direction given to the builders at Mariah Motorsports in the creation of the Mode 6 Street widebody kit that was applied to the 1987 Mazda RX-7 FC we looked at last Friday. Along with the extroverted looks came an equally energetic motor in the form of a completely rebuilt two-rotor Wankel fitted with a big turbocharger and air-to-air intercooler. In total, the seller claimed that over $60K of parts and labor had gone into the car in the past 15 years. At $27,500, the asking price for the turn-key car is now less than half that amount. Most of you felt another half needed to be lopped off that, however, as the Mariah failed to find favor, eventually falling in a 72% No Dice loss.
Complications
It’s been said not to judge a book by its cover, and at first glance, today’s 2011 BMW 535i does appear to be unassuming if a little bland. That’s both a good thing, considering the weird Dame Edna nose and Bangle Butt of its immediate predecessor, the E60, and serving as a bit of camouflage, masking all the technology and oomph lying underneath.
Introduced for the 2011 model year, the F10 edition of BMW’s popular mid-sized 5 Series is notable on several fronts. First and foremost, its internal designation—F10—is the first not to use E as the segment indicator. Befitting such a radical change in naming conventions, this edition also saw the debut of hybrid and turbocharged V8 models, along with its first eight-speed automatic, available rear-wheel steering, and the option of a five-door GT model styled after Victor Hugo’s famous bell-ringer. Whatever form the buyer wanted, the F10 (and F11/F12) models had all the bases covered.
Row-yer-own
This one doesn’t have all the available bells and whistles. Designated a 535i, it’s fitted with a smooth and capable turbocharged N55 under its hood. That 2979cc inline six is good for 302 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. Happily, on this car that has been paired with a six-speed manual for a bit of driver engagement. Along with that comes sport buckets and a three-spoke multi-function steering wheel, along with dual automatic climate control and BMW’s iDrive baloney with a nav screen that, for 2011, is reasonably large.
The ad notes that the car has a modest 86,080 miles on the clock and a new clutch ahead of that six-speed stick. That does beg the question, why did this Bimmer’s original clutch throw in the towel after so few miles? Clutches don’t wear with age, but instead with use. Was this car used to teach people how to drive stick? Was it just used aggressively, or worse, inappropriately?
Drives like new
Aside from the seemingly too-soon replaced clutch, the ad notes a few other less surprising maintenance items, including the spark plugs, along with brake pads and rotors in the front. As far as the condition goes, the selling dealer claims it to be a 10/10 car with no mechanical or cosmetic issues whatsoever. They also tout it to be clean, being oddly specific about the cabin being completely free of hair, which, despite that assurance, kind of freaks me out.
It’s often the case that the pictures in a classified ad don’t do justice to the item being offered, and if that is the case here, then the seller’s description does seem to be accurate. The car’s Graphite Metallic paint seems solid, and, aside from a missing tow hook cover in the front bumper, it is without issue. Similarly, the Style 237 wheels look free of curb rash or brake dust discoloration, and wear newish-looking Goodyear meats.
The cabin, in light-gray leather and dark-hued wood, appears equally up to the task, with little wear noticeable on any of the tactile surfaces.
A Bimmer bargain?
A clean title is the cherry on top of this Bimmer’s sundae, which now leads us to the big question: how much does it cost? The dealer is asking $19,991 for the car, plus a “negotiable” $200 documentation fee they say is mandated by the state of Washington. What that means is that one could buy a 300-horse, six-speed super saloon for less than the cost of an entry-level Nissan Sentra. But, of course, many of you will argue that this 535i is that most dangerous of beasts, an out-of-warranty Bimmer, and, in the long run, the smart thing to do would be to go with the Nissan.
What do you say? Is $19,991 a fair price, not just for this rare manual-equipped 5 Series, but also to roll the dice on its future reliability? Or does the crystal ball hold darker portents for this car and its next owner?
You decide!
Seattle, Washington, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to RevUnlimiter for the hookup!
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