# Bye Bye BMW !!!



## Moderato (Nov 24, 2003)

Would you be interested in selling the car to me for $30,680? If so I need to know what options it has.


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## HFPST5 (Dec 24, 2003)

GET THAT BODY KIT! it would be HOOOTTTTT.... :wow: :yikes:

Keep us updated, and DONT FORGET TO POST PICTURES!


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## AF (Dec 21, 2001)

Moderato said:


> Would you be interested in selling the car to me for $30,680? If so I need to know what options it has.


no thanks, I don't want to sell privately . . . for me to sell privately I would have to get a minimum of $33,500 and the car would have to be picked up by thursday . . .


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## ·clyde· (Dec 26, 2001)

AF330i said:


> no thanks, I don't want to sell privately . . . for me to sell privately I would have to get a minimum of $33,500 and the car would have to be picked up by thursday . . .


 You would need $5,500 or nearly 20% more from a private sale?  I understand about only having to pay tax on the difference if your state does it that way, but what else is there?


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## johnlew (Dec 25, 2001)

Alan, congrats on the new car. Be sure to visit often and keep us posted on the new ride.


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## Ack (Mar 16, 2002)

Alan, I login to the boards and this is what I see.  Congrats on the new purchase! :bow: I've never had the opportunity to take one of these for a test drive . . . *nudge nudge* *wink wink*. I'm sure you'll be back to us once the new E90 comes out. I know by looking at the pictures Alex posted, I'll be getting one.

So what were the final specs of the vehicle?


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## mbr129 (Aug 23, 2002)

Congratulations! I would ask, but it seems obvious for me to assume that you must REALLY like the RX-8 to take a hit like that on the 330i. 

Enjoy!


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## Mr. The Edge (Dec 19, 2001)

·clyde· said:


> You would need $5,500 or nearly 20% more from a private sale?  I understand about only having to pay tax on the difference if your state does it that way, but what else is there?


sounds to me like the dealer offered somewhere around $31,500 for the car. He would need $2,000 more than that, or $33,500, to make up for the tax savings.


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## AB (Jan 11, 2002)

I don't think Alan's RX8 purchase is in any way slowing him down from his participation at the 'Fest (at least I hope not).

Alan you don't plan on changing your 'Fest plans, do you?


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## Mr. The Edge (Dec 19, 2001)

Ryan330i said:


> Alan you don't plan on changing your 'Fest plans, do you?


he should at least plan a name change


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## FireFly (May 2, 2002)

AF- it's almost like you are going away to summer camp- you'll be back


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## ·clyde· (Dec 26, 2001)

atyclb said:


> sounds to me like the dealer offered somewhere around $31,500 for the car. He would need $2,000 more than that, or $33,500, to make up for the tax savings.





AF330i said:


> I'm getting $28,000 for my car but the dealer isn't keeping it, they are wholesaling it out . . . The car is an 03 330i with almost 11,000 miles


:dunno:


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## ·clyde· (Dec 26, 2001)

atyclb said:


> he should at least plan a name change


 AFRX-8?

Say that 10 times fast.


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## Mr. The Edge (Dec 19, 2001)

·clyde· said:


> :dunno:


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## AF (Dec 21, 2001)

·clyde· said:


> You would need $5,500 or nearly 20% more from a private sale?  I understand about only having to pay tax on the difference if your state does it that way, but what else is there?


Put it this way, I'm getting $28,000 + the tax advantage $2450. = $30,450

I don't want the headache of selling it privately even if someone offered me $32,500 for it . . . for $33,500 it would make it worth my while but I really don't like selling a car privately when I already have a car I am about to pick-up.

All it does is delay everything and then I have to hope the deal goes through ...

I'm cool with the $28,000 I'm getting . . . it's enough for me . . .


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## AF (Dec 21, 2001)

Ryan330i said:


> I don't think Alan's RX8 purchase is in any way slowing him down from his participation at the 'Fest (at least I hope not).
> 
> Alan you don't plan on changing your 'Fest plans, do you?


I plan to stay around the fest . . .don't you ? Your leaving BMW as well though your going to a higher place :thumbup: . . .

BTW today is the day isn't it ?


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## AB (Jan 11, 2002)

AF330i said:


> I plan to stay around the fest . . .don't you ? Your leaving BMW as well though your going to a higher place :thumbup: . . .
> 
> BTW today is the day isn't it ?


I don't plan on going anywhere, and I am confident that this afternoon I will have it. The driver was in Phoenix last night and planned on leaving for Vegas this morning. 

If I get it early enough today, I will take it for a nice long drive and, daylight permitting, get it hand washed at the local car wash.

Here in Vegas, due to drought restrictions, it is now ILLEGAL to wash your car in your driveway as of 1/1/04. As unbelievable as that sounds, it is true.


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## AF (Dec 21, 2001)

Ryan330i said:


> I don't plan on going anywhere, and I am confident that this afternoon I will have it. The driver was in Phoenix last night and planned on leaving for Vegas this morning.
> 
> If I get it early enough today, I will take it for a nice long drive and, daylight permitting, get it hand washed at the local car wash.
> 
> Here in Vegas, due to drought restrictions, it is now ILLEGAL to wash your car in your driveway as of 1/1/04. As unbelievable as that sounds, it is true.


Wow . . . I can't beleive that . . . I've heard of no car washes from certain hours but never heard of no car washes allowed ever . . .

What are you doing with your 330 ?

Also I hope your going to post some pictures of your new ride with some details on it. . .


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## ARCHER (Dec 26, 2001)

Ryan330i said:


> I don't plan on going anywhere, and I am confident that this afternoon I will have it. The driver was in Phoenix last night and planned on leaving for Vegas this morning.
> 
> If I get it early enough today, I will take it for a nice long drive and, daylight permitting, get it hand washed at the local car wash.
> 
> Here in Vegas, due to drought restrictions, it is now ILLEGAL to wash your car in your driveway as of 1/1/04. As unbelievable as that sounds, it is true.


You need a floor drain in your garage. :angel:


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## DaveH (Sep 25, 2003)

AF330i said:


> Put it this way, I'm getting $28,000 + the tax advantage $2450. = $30,450
> 
> I don't want the headache of selling it privately even if someone offered me $32,500 for it . . . for $33,500 it would make it worth my while but I really don't like selling a car privately when I already have a car I am about to pick-up.
> 
> ...


Alan:

You can still get your tax advantage if you bring the potential buyer to the table at the Mazda dealership. That way, they don't have to wholesale it and potentially lose money. They could finance the 330i for the buyer and make money as well. It's done all the time here in Florida. Find a buyer and get a few more $ for your trade. Now, are these guys who say they want your car just kicking tires or are they ready to deal????


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## ·clyde· (Dec 26, 2001)

rumratt said:


> On a serious note, I'm impressed that both of you are still loving your RX-8 after several months of ownership. It says a lot about the car, because you are both pretty picky and demanding people. :eeps:
> 
> What would you say are your least favoriite aspects? (the fact that *****s want to race you doesn't count).
> 
> EDIT: I can't say r!cer?


 "r1cer" has been a verbotten word since day 1 at bimmerfest IIRC.

The only big thing for me so far is the gas mileage. My most recent tank was 14.1 MPG. What bothers me most about it is that the tank is so small it means that I'm going to have to fill up every three weeks instead of every 4-5 weeks. :eeps:

One thing that is kind of a pain, but won't affect 99% of the people that buy the car is that it's not possible to get at the top of the rear shocks while they are attached to the car which is going to make adjusting rebound on the Konis more annoying than it otherwise would be.

The rest are *very* minor:

The cupholder in the console gets very warm, even when it's very cold outside...great for coffee, not so great for water.
Also, it would be nice if the section of the console that has the cupholder was 1/2" higher so you could close the lid while there is a soda can in there.
The controls for the nav are positioned in just such a way that it's very easy to press buttons or move the joystick accidentally while resting an arm on the console or shifting (for both, it's much more likely to happen when wearing a heavy jacket). It seems that if the extra 1/2" I want on the console (the nav controls are just forward of the cupholder) were there, the controls could be recessed just a bit. They would be just as easy to operate and less prone to accidental use.
I wish there was a real trip computer, either with the nav or something like the E36 trip computer.
The "RX-8" trim pieces on the lower doorsills are fixed with weak adhesive.
I would have preferred damper strut things to hold the hood open instead of a regular prop.
The "piano black" trim pieces on the front armrests would be better if they were a soft plastic. It's very hard and right where my left knee wants to rest at times. Auto up windows would have been nice.
There's an idiot light in the gauge cluster that illuminates bright green when the headlights are on and, like the rest of the idiot lights is unaffected by the dimmer. Why do I need a light telling me the lights are on? Wouldn't an idiot light telling me that a light isn't working be better? :banghead:
The oil dipstick location and length is absurd.
The plastic battery cover is a broken piece waiting to happen.

Like I said, all pretty minor.

Of course, more power and more torque would be appreciated, but the car is plenty quick as is...it just doesn't feel like it is.

Notice that there are no dislikes about anything involving driving, handling, feel, etc (other than the above caveat about power)? :bigpimp:

Also, there were two recalls announced yesterday that affect my car...not sure about Alan's. One is to replace the wiring harness for the passenger side harness. The other involves replacing a heat shield type device above the transmission. Apparently, it can crack and fall off...posing a danger to cars following behind. Replacing it looks to be a pretty involved process as the tranny has to be dropped.


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## JPinTO (Dec 20, 2001)

·clyde· said:


> The RX-8 is flat out better than the M3 in just about every category that matters...and at little more than half the price of a ///Marketing ///Machine. :neener:


Holy mazda lovers--- what's with the mass exodus?

Don't tell me--- I know, there aren't many BMW products worth buying any longer. And the ones worth buying are overpriced.

I sat in a Mazda 3 at the autoshow and it was very nice for the money.


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## ·clyde· (Dec 26, 2001)

rumratt said:


> You whipped out of a list of dislikes pretty quick there.  There were all admittedly minor, except possibly wanting more power.
> 
> What about the rotory engine. Do you think it's legitimately beneficial and you appreciate it daily, or is it just different for the sake of being different and pisses away gas for no reason?


 I want at least 300 ft/lbs for the cars weight (~3,000lbs) just because I want it. For real life, pretend I didn't say anything. The car is right quick and scoots like anything. It has ample power for real life.

The rotary is smoother than butter. The flat, torque curve has many advantages, but it takes getting used to. I'm still not there...but that's not a bad thing. Every time I stop on it and wind it up a bit, I am amazed. It's just so fcuking smooth and it just keeps pulling and pulling, never seeming to labor and never seeming to run out of breath. When you upshift at redline, it's only because you've been told that there is a redline and a limited a little beyond that. If left to your own devices, you would just let it keep spinning because it doesn't seem like it's ready for a new gear. It has to be experienced for a while to really be understood. It's starting to become pretty cool in it's own right. I still wouldn't call it exciting though.


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## andy_thomas (Oct 7, 2002)

JPinTO said:


> Holy mazda lovers--- what's with the mass exodus?
> 
> Don't tell me--- I know, there aren't many BMW products worth buying any longer. And the ones worth buying are overpriced.
> 
> I sat in a Mazda 3 at the autoshow and it was very nice for the money.


Even BMW drivers are at it. Here goes:

"I've gotta say, the RX-8 - goddammit, it's even *morally* superior to the M3."

That's another thing to add to the list of things which are seemingly amazing in the US but which others don't understand the fuss about - alongside BMW's leatherette and the Audi S4.


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## racerdave (Sep 15, 2003)

Clyde-o...

There's a Mazda TSB for the "hot cupholder" issue.


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## JPinTO (Dec 20, 2001)

AF-RX8 said:


> I absolutely love it.


That's all that matters- Enjoy!


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## SARAFIL (Feb 19, 2003)

Since Alan will probably be looking to get something else within the next year ( :stickpoke ), I wonder what one of those is fetching on the block these days. 

I just found a red one inside our storage room that our Audi store just took in trade. I'm quite interested in seeing what that car has on it for an ACV.


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## Poppy6985 (Jun 3, 2003)

Hey AF-RX8 im in the long island area im willing to buy your clears off of you i need some desperatley


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## AF (Dec 21, 2001)

Poppy6985 said:


> Hey AF-RX8 im in the long island area im willing to buy your clears off of you i need some desperatley


Sorry but they were sold in a day or two when I put an ad in for them . .. the only thing I have left is a 5 speed wood shift knob which is currently on ebay.


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## e46shift (Oct 12, 2002)

bye bye bmw mwahah


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## Motown328 (Jun 4, 2003)

·clyde· said:


> The RX-8 is flat out better than the M3 in just about every category that matters...and at little more than half the price of a ///Marketing ///Machine. :neener:


My lord....are you on crank?!?! You can't be serious?! :yikes:


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## chica_motriz (Feb 29, 2004)

Sorry to hear about the preference of a Mazda over a BMW. If navigation is what has one you over,
you can pay $4.00 for a compass at your local Walmart. However if the Mazda is where your heart is, enjoy. I just have one question............why would you need a change from a BMW?

chica_motriz


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## Motown328 (Jun 4, 2003)

rumratt said:


> I do believe he's serious.
> 
> I don't think he's on crank (or crack for that matter).


Well, then he must be on something. I know we all have to justify our purchases in some way or another, like the RX-8 beats out the 325, but an M3?!?!?! Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight...


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## ·clyde· (Dec 26, 2001)

Motown328 said:


> Well, then he must be on something. I know we all have to justify our purchases in some way or another, like the RX-8 beats out the 325, but an M3?!?!?! Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight...





Motown328 said:


> My lord....are you on crank?!?! You can't be serious?! :yikes:












Doesn't make me wrong.


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## van_basten (Jan 20, 2004)

RX-8 can't compare to M3 no matter what performance category you are comparing. 0-60 is just ~6.5s after Mazda admits the power deficiency (238HP instead of 247HP initially stated). It's faster than 325 but not 330. It may out handle 330 though.

The old 93-95 RX-7 is closer to M3 if you want to make a comparison. Sorry not the new RX-8!



rumratt said:


> I don't think you even understand the criteria he's using to define "beats". How can you say he's wrong?
> 
> Hint: He's not talking about 0-100 acceleration.


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## ·clyde· (Dec 26, 2001)

van_basten said:


> RX-8 can't compare to M3 no matter what performance category you are comparing. 0-60 is just ~6.5s after Mazda admits the power deficiency (238HP instead of 247HP initially stated). It's faster than 325 but not 330. It may out handle 330 though.
> 
> The old 93-95 RX-7 is closer to M3 if you want to make a comparison. Sorry not the new RX-8!


 Nearly every magazine test of nearly ever car results in different numbers, and the spreads in acceleration figures are frequently quite large. Mazda's marketing went to press with the wrong HP figures. The acceleration results that were achieved and published by the different rags were produced with the 238 HP engine.

Regardless, in straight line acceleration, the RX-8 is quicker than the 325, about as quick as the 330 and not as quick as the M3, but straight line acceleration isn't even half the story. The RX-8 "outhandles" them all and feels a whole lot better doing so. The E46 M3 is a fat, heavy, bloated pig that can only get out of its own massive way due to a fantastic engine. But that engine doesn't do a thing to eliminate or even mask the effects of super numb steering, mediocre transitional responses, the inherent designed in understeer, or the terribly isolated feel from inside the cabin.

The RX-8, OTOH, is a much lighter (although still too heavy), more tossable car that skates neutrally on the edge with much better balance than a street going E46 of any type can dream of. The steering is light years ahead of any E46 that I've driven in terms of precision, directness, feedback and feel. Although the chassis is also extrememly rigid, it doesn't isolate the driver the way all E46s do. The RX-8 keeps you in touch with what's going on at each corner in a manner that should make the M3 hang its head in shame.

You are right in one regard...there is no comparison. The E46 M3 falls flat everywhere other than acceleration. If someone thinks that acceleration is what it's all about, he may as well find himself a used Trams Am WS6 and slap a screaming chicken decal on the hood. The RX-8 provides a much more involvoing, visceral driving experience than any muted E46 can muster. The only places where an E46 M3 has a performance advantage are drag strips and tracks with straights where engine can work long enough to overcome its cornering deficiencies. Oh, and of course, the RX-8 doesn't have an exhaust that sounds like a Quisenart attacking cheap stainless steel utensils.

I don't rely on magazines and/or other people and/or my own preconcieved notions and prejudices to draw conclusions about what is better than what. I've driven them both in anger (have you?) and the stark truth was undeniable.


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## e46shift (Oct 12, 2002)

i believe there is some truth in what he is saying. it's about the whole driving experience. this weekend i got rid of my '03 325ci and took the hit and got an '04 s2k. since the car isn't broken in , i didn't get a chance to feel the increase in acceleration but i can tell you the driving experience is phenomenal. the same holds true for the rx-8, drove that too. it feels like a driving machine. rewards the driver. bmw feels so compromised. they are shooting for a different objective, balance. sacrificing the performance for ride and luxury.interestingly the s2k rides better than my 325ci while still having tighter handling. go figure. well thats my opinion anyway. :angel:


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## Plaz (Dec 19, 2001)

·clyde· said:


> Oh, and of course, the RX-8 doesn't have an exhaust that sounds like a Quisenart attacking cheap stainless steel utensils.


 :rofl: :rofl:


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## ·clyde· (Dec 26, 2001)

e46shift said:


> bmw feels so compromised. they are shooting for a different objective, balance. sacrificing the performance for ride and luxury.


That's the key. If I was commuting 15-20 (or further) each way 5 days a week, I'd be much happier with an M3 than an RX-8 as the M3 is much better suited to that task. But when you only commute one or two days a week in the car, and the commute is under 4 miles each way and the rest of the car's use is for fun, it's a different story.


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## AF (Dec 21, 2001)

e46shift said:


> i believe there is some truth in what he is saying. it's about the whole driving experience. this weekend i got rid of my '03 325ci and took the hit and got an '04 s2k. since the car isn't broken in , i didn't get a chance to feel the increase in acceleration but i can tell you the driving experience is phenomenal. the same holds true for the rx-8, drove that too. it feels like a driving machine. rewards the driver. bmw feels so compromised. they are shooting for a different objective, balance. sacrificing the performance for ride and luxury.interestingly the s2k rides better than my 325ci while still having tighter handling. go figure. well thats my opinion anyway. :angel:


You summed it up perfectly !!!

Congrats on the S2000 ... it's an awesome car plus I love those Honda engines !!!


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## Motown328 (Jun 4, 2003)

·clyde· said:


> Doesn't make me wrong.


Even though I would have to take the M3....I love the picture!!! Great reply! ROCK ON!!! :supdude:


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## ·clyde· (Dec 26, 2001)

Motown328 said:


> Even though I would have to take the M3....I love the picture!!! Great reply! ROCK ON!!! :supdude:


 :beerchug:


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## e46shift (Oct 12, 2002)

AF-RX8 said:


> You summed it up perfectly !!!
> 
> Congrats on the S2000 ... it's an awesome car plus I love those Honda engines !!!


thanks i'm very happy. it's nice to own a car where you dont have to tinker with it(wheels, clutch stop for that high engagement, software to fix the dbw which makes it impossible to double clutch, ssk to fix the long throws, intake/exhaust to sound sporty, hmm am i missing anything) :thumbup: i hope you are not tinkering with the wheels on the rx8 yet


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