At $9,000, Is This 2007 BMW 650i The Coupe Du Jour?

A rare six-speed stick makes today’s Nice Price or No Dice 650i worth a look, even if its looks aren’t all that hot. We’ll have to decide if it’s a deal or simply costs a pretty penny.

So, I should fully disclose my own personal affinity for the 1965 Chevy Corvair Monza we looked at yesterday. My very first car—bought before I was even old enough to drive—was a Corvair. That first-gen car was also my earliest wrenching experience, a hands-on opportunity to learn how to work on cars. Being a basic 700 turtle-top sedan, though, it wasn’t anywhere near as sexy as yesterday’s Monza. It also only had half the number of carbs. But it was mine, and it made for a great first car. Yesterday’s Corvair looked to be a great weekend car. It did have some rust bubbles, as old cars often do. Still, it looked to be in decent enough condition otherwise, and at $15,000, it could put a classic in almost any average person’s driveway. Not to say any of you are just average, but you did award the Monza an above-average 70% Nice Price win.

Let’s compare and contrast yesterday’s Corvair with today’s 2007 BMW 650i E64, shall we? Both are sporty 2+2 convertibles with manual transmissions. Most notably, however, each faced controversy upon their debut—the Corvair over its earlier edition’s handling and the BMW over its awkward styling, which might find only Sir Mix-a-Lot as its fan. Just like Damon Lindelof can’t seem to write a satisfying third act, the designers at BMW in the early aughts just didn’t seem capable of penning a stylish derriere. Led by Chief of Design Chris Bangle, the styling on the rear ends of these cars, as well as that of the E65 7 Series, the E60 5 Series, and the E86 Z4, are afflicted with what has been derisively dubbed the “Bangle Butt.”

The rest of the E64 is somewhat better looking, with a low nose and proper BMW twin-kidney grille nose. In convertible form, it has some better angles than others and actually benefits over the coupe for having a longer decklid, balancing things out. This car, in Stratus Grey over a black and cream leather interior, looks to have no major bodywork issues nor cloudy headlamp lenses, a common problem that afflicts many cars of this age.

Inside, the cabin does show its age in both the overwrought design—much like the exterior—and the heavy cracking of the dash cap. The seller notes this rather obvious flaw, claiming it to be common among cars of this age and capping it semi-successfully with a fitted rug. That makes the dash look like Darth Vader in a toupee and very likely warrants a better, albeit more resource-intense, solution like a replacement dash. Other issues here include some soiling of the cream leather on the front seats and the fact that the infotainment system is BMW’s early iDrive with the goofy console knob for control.

On the plus side, there are three pedals and a stick shift for the ZF-built six-speed manual falling readily to foot and to hand. Ahead of the popular pastime transmission is the raison d’éat for the latter half of the model’s 650i name. That’s the 4.8-liter (BMW rounds up) all-alloy S62 V8, which brings 362 horsepower and 361 pound-feet of torque to the party.

On top of all this—literally so—is a convertible top with new canvas. Other plusses include low 96,248 mileage, a clean title, and the seller’s boast that the car is “a blast to drive.” Remarkably, there don’t seem to be any gremlins in residence either, as the seller further claims everything works correctly, even that electro-hydraulic top mechanism. That top features a funky vertical back window that can be raised separately to serve as a windblock and to allow older folks to reminisce about the “Breezeway” Mercurys of the 1960s.

The ad does not provide information about the car’s maintenance history or important details like the age and tread-wear on the tires or whether anything has been replaced under the hood. Those omissions mean interested buyers may benefit from having the car inspected by a certified BMW expert before purchasing it. That obviously would add to the purchase cost but could head off major expenses down the road or offer leverage for lowering that initial acquisition price should anything notable be discovered.

Right now, that purchase price—or at least the starting point for its negotiation—is $9,000. That’s a far cry from the $80K to $90K this convertible cost when new. To be fair, the car is far from new and well out of warranty, so buying it does represent a substantial roll of the bones. This car does come from the modern age of BMWs, where what can go wrong usually does and frequently costs a small fortune to fix.

That issue, plus the car’s take-it-or-leave-it styling, are the two main impediments to its sale. In the plus column, there’s a lot of enjoyment to be had with a big, powerful motor and a stick shift transmission in a car that allows for open-top motoring. Then there are all the gadgets to play with, which could also be a weekend’s worth of exploration. Lastly, the seller claims that this car offers “a tremendous amount of bang for the buck,” which is a compelling argument for any car sale.

What’s your take on this 650i and that $9,000 asking? Does that seem like a deal to get a big Bimmer for a little bite of the wallet? Or is that too much to ask for a car with that big a butt?

You decide!

Nice Price or No Dice:

Facebook Marketplace out of Hoover, Alabama, or go here if the ad disappears.

H/T to mrmikus for the hookup!

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