Who has a deposit down for a E60?

Anyone have a deposit down on a E60? Are they excepting deposits?

We havent put money down as yet we just reserved our place but i wouldnt be surprised if they took deposits now...

all the best
adam

I spoke with my dealership the other day and they won't even take names yet! I'll have to try yet another dealership to see if they'll take names/deposits.

I'm still not even sure if I want the E60 M5. What do you guys think?

Have my name on the list but never need to put a deposit down on BMWs as I have dealt with the same dealer for a long time.

I spoke with my sales guy, Richard Mitts, at Nick Alexander Imports, last Friday, (March 29th), and asked them to start a list, with me as the first one on it. Of course, no one knows when the E60 M5 will be announced or released, but I figured I'd rather be on the list than not. They didn't ask for a deposit yet, but I'm sure as the date gets closer, they will. I'm within 5 miles of two other dealerships, Center BMW in Van Nuys and Century West BMW in North Hollywood, but I've always bought my cars from Nick Alexander. They have always been FANTASTIC, from Richard in sales, Fred Binder in Service, and even Nick himself. Both the Service Manager and Parts Manager got personally involved when the incorrect windshield was put into my car. Personal Service at it's best.

My E39 M5 is still only 8 months old (July 2001 build, September 8th, 2001 purchase), and I'm not sure if I'll even like the new E60, but I have to admit the new 745 design is growing on me. So . . . if the new E60 does have a V10 and an SMGIII transmission, I think I'll probably want it. However, I'm still not a fan of iDrive, so if that's the only way they come, I may re-consider.

Jason you could always ask your dealer if they could start a list like steve did...

all the best
adam

Adam,

I already asked if they would be willing to start a list. I think they didn't want to because there's no way to tell for sure when the E60 would even start coming out let alone the M5 version. Know what I mean? But maybe they will be a bit more willing now that quite a few magazines have started talking about the "E60."

I'm also very concerned about the weight issue. They really need to look into shaving weight. Every new generation M5 has gained quite a bit of weight from the last. The last thing I want is a "porky" M5. :D

I put my deposit as soon as i saw pictures of the e39 m5 back in 3/98. Guess what ? i was #2! I was told #1 was for an owner of an e34 M5 who he put the deposit 1 year before i did.

If they accepted his deposit why wouldn't they take any for the next m5 ?

I bought my 01 M5 last march 01 from Nick Alexander too, and I told both my saleman (Abe) and Rick back then that I wanted to buy whatever was the first next gen. M5 out.

So does that make Steve #2 and me #1? :)

I'm going to call and see if they'll start an official list too.

My brother....(zman) has a deposit for the e60......he is #1 in fla....

I'm #1 on the list at my dealer in NW London - I've put £500 deposit down - too much ?:confused:

Jacob, I just spoke with Richard Mitts at Nick Alexander and asked him to speak with Abe about officially starting the list. With me as Number 1, of course.

Just kidding, I don't really care who's first, as long as I'm in the first allocation.

I'm #2 on the list at my dealer here in Dallas.

Keith

My dealership started to take names.. I'm putting my name down tomorrow.

My dealership won't take names until they've received official confirmation on the E60 M5 but I did get them to agree to put my name on the list as soon as they DO get confirmation. So, I'm technically #1 for the 2nd year's production of the M5. Yup, give them time to work out the bugs. :D

Out of curiosity, the new M5 sounds promissing (V10, SMG, etc) although the jury still out on the styling.

My question is this. Are you willing to be one of the "first" (or guinea pigs) on the list?

There are always seems to be issues on a new model that need to be shaken out during that first year of production (see recall of X5's, high oil consumption of e39 M5, or even improvements like "larger navigation screen, color selection, etc.)

Please note: I'm just curious as to the Board Members thoughts on this (as I too will inquire about getting on a list for the next M5;)


:cheers:

Originally posted by Kevmmm
Out of curiosity, the new M5 sounds promissing (V10, SMG, etc) although the jury still out on the styling.

My question is this. Are you willing to be one of the "first" (or guinea pigs) on the list?

There are always seems to be issues on a new model that need to be shaken out during that first year of production (see recall of X5's, high oil consumption of e39 M5, or even improvements like "larger navigation screen, color selection, etc.)

Please note: I'm just curious as to the Board Members thoughts on this (as I too will inquire about getting on a list for the next M5;)


:cheers:

I can understand your concerns Kevin...this is exactly why I wanted to get the 2nd year production rather than the first. Give them time to iron out all the bugs.

I placed my deposit today in Chicago. I'm # 6 on the list. My $1000 is refundable at any time. So what's to lose, 4% interest? I understand 1st year bugs, but since I'm #6 on the list, if by the time they get to me, there are problems arising, I'll let others move up the list and wait for the next years production.:haha:

I placed a deposit about 18 months ago in the Cardiff dealership. I'm first on the list and I think there are 5 other deposits now. Because the systemm wouldn't accept E60 orders it's been placed on an E39 with comments to be migrated to E60 as soon as the system will accept orders.

The system will inform me once the order has been updated so I should know when the first orders for UK E60 M5's are being taken.

I placed my deposit well before they had even thought about the E60 M5, so I said in that case mine better arrive before their demo.

Sacha...

Put $1000 over a year ago,2nd on the list.(Fields BMW)

1st on the list for 2nd year production of either M5 or M6.

I put $1,000 down in 5/03 and at that time I was the first on the list. I went to the dealership a couple weeks ago to take my car in for an oil change and asked about the list. They said that I am #2 now because the dealership's owner is #1....hmmmmmm?

Gave my dealer a $1,000 back in Sept. 02 when I orderd my 03 E39. Not a lot of M cars in town so I wasn't really concerned about my position on a list or getting one. As I'm sitting on the fence with regard to the E60, that money may be going towards an X5 instead. :confused2

Regards,

Terk.

Originally posted by Kevmmm
My question is this. Are you willing to be one of the "first" (or guinea pigs) on the list?


I got a very early build (11/99) of the E39 M5 and later an 8/01 build that was significantly improved. Does that mean I should have just waited for my second M5? The answer is HELL NO! The 2000 M5 was a wonderful car and so much better than anything else available at the time. Just because it was not quite as good as its successor does not mean I should have wasted a year or two of my life in a mere Benz.

To answer the original question, I am #1 on my dealer' list for both the M5 and M6.

Tom

I'm first on the list at my local dealership, with 18 orders after mine. Also number 1 for an M6 at a Connecticut dealership.

I have my name one the waiting list for the E60 M5. Interestingly enough, at this particlar dealership, the list for the M5 is shorter than the one for the M6?

No deposits have been taken as of yet?? But, that may change as the release date approaches.


As an aside, maybe potential buyers in California should identify the dealerships that sell at MSRP, and avoid those who charge over sticker. Any thoughts??
Cheers,
Kevmmm

Nice try Kevmmm:p You can start a list but it will be meaningless, as you know, they (Ca Dealers) could give a rats ***** about competitive pricing.;)

I got #2 Spot on M5 and #1 spot for the M6 from my dealer.:p

beewang:viking:

I've said this before and I'll say it again - how do we know our orders have been forwarded from the dealer to BMW themselves if BMW are not officially accepting orders on the E60 M5 even now?!

Ashok

This is a very good point, but I think when we placed deposits or whatever number in the list we are is a little irrelevant.

Firstly as you have pointed out the BMW ordering system will not accept E60 M5 orders, there is no option at the moment. We are dependent on the dealers migrating the orders or placing them where they are just running a list.

Secondly let’s take the example of Mr A and Mr B. Mr A’s order is placed first buy his dealership on the Tuesday, Mr B’s a week later. Mr B’s dealership is one of the premium dealerships with high volume and prestige turnover, this means that the dealership Mr B uses has a better BMW relationship and also due to the turnover a larger amount of pre designated build slots. Mr B’s dealership will also have a better chance of expediting a build slot for restricted volume models, again working against the order by Mr A.

I’ve seen this work in practice within Chrysler Jeep Imports UK as it used to be whilst I was working for Inchcape. And again whilst consulting at DaimlerChrysler, but there it was also based on personal relationships between dealers and the brand managers.

So even though my dealership in Cardiff is part of a big group, I bet that even if my order is placed first in the country people ordering through the prestigious dealerships in London and the high volume fleet selling dealerships will be allocated build slots before mine. But hey that’s life and it happens everywhere.

If I remember correctly you have ordered a UK spec car from Europe? In this case you might get it before anyone in the UK, as the European dealer systems will have E60 M5 options well before the UK dealer systems. All they would need to do is order the M5 with the UK right hand drive speciation, if it works on the same principle as the MB European ordering system.

Sacha…

I agree with you HomerUK. Well however they do it, I am #1 at my dealer in Palm Beach for the E60 M5. I put $1000 down last year. And I can't wait untill I get it.:wroom:

Originally posted by beewang
...I got #2 Spot on M5 and #1 spot for the M6 from my dealer.:p

beewang:viking:

Hey Beewang, are you on a list in both Oregon and California? BTW, How are the dealerships up in Oregon?
Cheers,
K

Originally posted by Kevmmm
Hey Beewang, are you on a list in both Oregon and California? BTW, How are the dealerships up in Oregon?
Cheers,
K

Can't answer for Beewang - but, here's my experience in Portland:

There are two main dealerships in the Portland area. And I have only had a true experience with one. I attempted to schedule a Euro delivery through the dealership in Beaverton - and after a week, I am still awaiting a return phone call. This is despite my message saying I'd like to set a time to come in and place an order.

The most disappointing part is that this was a cold call. I selected them because they were near my home. So I called and left a message saying I wanted to place an order (with no test drive, etc.) and still haven't heard back. I guess I could see not getting a call if I'd "hammered" a test vehicle during a test drive, or committed some other egregious error, but I only called the number listed on their website.

That caused me to contact a friend of a friend to get the name of their salesman at the other metro-area dealer. Hopefully that experience will be mutually beneficial.

So, in a roundabout way, I can say I'm still checking into the Portland dealers. But I've found one I wouldn't purchase from.

Originally posted by Zeke013
...So, in a roundabout way, I can say I'm still checking into the Portland dealers. But I've found one I wouldn't purchase from.

Thanks for your reply. Was it Kuni BMW in Beaverton? I recall reading somewhere that they were rated in the top 100 Businesses in Portland? hmmm

In any event, let us know how it works with the other dealership.

I'm heading in Saturday. I'll let you know what I work out.

Zeke

A few days later and here I am. Actually drove three cars today - the 3.0 X3, a 3.0 X5 and a 545i. Decided to place an order for a 6-speed 545i.

Quick impressons (from a non-current BMW owner) -

X3 - Miserly interior build quality. A lot of plastic, no wood and no particularly extra amenities (other than the panoramic roof - that's KILLER). Good road-handling qualities, however, and it actually did drive like a BMW despite being built by someone else.

X5 - Very much improved interior quality over the X3. Nice wood paneling and seemingly softer leather. Tremendously supportive seats. Engine oddly seemed to search for the right gear on a minor but long incline at about 40 mph. Overall I'd rate it higher than the X3, especially at the X3's asking price, but still not quite "right" for me.

545i - This car flat out hauls - of course, not having owned an M5, I'm sure it pulls less than the Beast. However, especially compared to the other "trucks," this thing moved. I thought the interior quality was very impressive and did enjoy the comfort seats. They didn't feel as highly supportive as the X5 seats, but I am sure they can be adjusted appropriately. I LOVED the ARS system and was actually impressed with the speed-sensitive steering. Despite the fact my wife almost "curbed" the car while parking it, I was impressed with the minimal physical output during low speed steering. All in all - this is my car. I likely can't afford the $100K 2005-6 M5 and I intend to order a 6-speed 545i for Euro delivery in May of '04. Lastly, I asked, the vehicle comes with a Euro DVD in Munich - and I have to buy the US DVD when it gets back to the dealer. A fair trade to be sure.

Here we go! :byee55amg

i have my 2000CDN deposit for the 7th spot for the new M5.:M5launch:

just wondering, is it likely that people in front of me will drop their order? the wait is really killing me... :(

Yup on the dealers list here...No.1 :1:

Quite honestly, I've been #1 on the list at two dealers, with solid deposits and written MSRP contracts. This was predicated on BMW building a manual transmission sport sedan, like the M5 has always been. There are so many other issues with the E60, as have been beaten to death in this forum, that eliminating one of the most fun aspects of the car by building SMG only, would be a deal-killer for me. If I want to look spastic shifting for myself and fry a few clutches, then I should be entitled to do so. There are simply not enough reasons to buy a SMG-only M5 when present-day alternatives offer equal or better performance with equally uninvolved shift mechanisms.

or just keep your E39 M5.
Pros:
No Bangle exterior
No "Ikea" interior
No iDrive
"real" manual tranny.
Last of the old guard.

Dont get me wrong, I really like SMG and I can even appreciate the new exterior look- but IMHO the E39 is a "classic" among some circles. It is in my mind for the forgoing reasons and more.

My advice if you just cant decide on the E60 is, keep the deposit, but see if the dealer will let you move it so you can have time to evaluate the E60 M5 on the road. Thats partially why I am #1 for year 2 on the M6. Im not 100% sure about it- I want to see it, and drive it. Unfortunately, gone are the days where you were safe to know a new BMW will be a great vehicle from all aspects without a getting to know it period first. Its a shame IMHO.

MEnthusiast I'm with You! I Reserved #1 spot in late 98 giving a deposit in spring 99and delivery 12/99 for an M5 that I knew I wanted from the first time I saw it in a magazine.

The E60 is a different story. I'm #1 on the list now for the E60 but I definitely don't have the same feeling about this new version. Lack of a manual and the body style hmmm have me thinking that it might be better to wait a year to see how everything works out.

Rick

I had a deposit on an e60 M5, but after seeing the Bangled M, I started having second thoughts. The current E39 still has many classic BMW features while the new M5 has let them all go by the wayside. So much of the BMW appeal has been lost so quickly. Being #40 on my dealers list made me wonder if the next model would be out before I received the E60. So my wife and I decided that we would move our deposit to an M6 or hopefully the M6 Cabriolet should it make it into production. We were pleased to find out that there weren't many names on the list for the M6 and no names on the M6 convertible list. It also appears that we would take delivery way before the M5 would have happened. Now she will have her dream machine and I just might be sending my 2003 M5 to see Osh at RMS for a Superfast conversion. That way I'll have my classic M5 and my wife and I can go out and hunt for E60 M5s to kill.
Get the M6!!!!!!!!!...sooner ;) ;)

I placed my deposit last year with my dealer in Frankfurt. I will be importing into the UK. Lucky for me I booked my currency at the end of 2002 when the Euro was 1.65 to the pound. Its been fluctuating throughout 2003 and will probably remain very low in 2004.

I knew the M5 would materialize in 2004 or early 2005 for us in the UK so I made the right move.

Had a deposit down since april 01, first in line at barons BMW surrey

all the best
adam

Yes, I have had a deposit down on an E60 M5 for about 9 months, placing me about #7 in line. One individual has deposits down on FIVE of the cars before me in line. Do you suppose that this is the dealer's nephew and that these cars will show up on the dealer's showroom floor as barely pre-owned and substantially marked up cars? BMW does not allow dealers sell its new cars above MSRP.

A separate deposit also secures about the same place for me on an M6 waiting list.

These deposits are fully refundable, and the dealer will allow me to defer my place in line to others behind me until I feel the time is right to place my order. It's hard to go wrong with a deal like that.

One individual has deposits down on FIVE of the cars before me in line. Do you suppose that this is the dealer's nephew and that these cars will show up on the dealer's showroom floor as barely pre-owned and substantially marked up cars?

No doubt whatsoever!

Tom

Any more updates to this list? Anyone change their mind after seeing the E60 M5 Concept pictures?