Superman Spec!
BOOM. Estoril Blue.
UPDATE: The original auction didn’t meet the reserve, closing at $18,750. It was subsequently relisted in September at no reserve and sold for $17,750….an amazing deal.
Look! Up in the sky! Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No! It’s an M235i!
Up for grabs on BringATrailer is a fine looking 2016 BMW M235i in the not too common Estoril Blue over Coral Red.
Both of these colors were available on the M235i, but are often found paired with other exterior and interior colors. This combo is going to lead to endless Superman jokes but I think it works well. Also, if there is an M235i flying through the air, an auction is the least of our problems.
Good looking Coral Red interior. Leather appears to be in nice shape.
These cars fly a little under the radar compared to their better known big brothers, the M3 and M4. They still pack a legendary BMW engine in the form of a straight six, code named N55. That engine delivered 320 horsepower stock and produced 0-60 times in the mid to high four second range. That is no slouch!
Suspension wise, these cars aren’t as stiff as the “true” M cars, but that makes for a much more livable car. I personally think it’s a sweet spot, delivering performance when you want it, and comfort when you need it.
Inside, they offer a good bit of room for a 2+2 coupe, while having some luxury appointments one expects from a modern BMW. Even though the design is 10 years old, it’s classic modern BMW.
All in all they are great sport coupes, and certainly worthy of a hard look for someone in the market for car of that type.
Little more room than your typical 2+2. Not quite a genuine four seater, but puts something like a 911 to shame. Very clean as well. Check out the condition of the rear carpets!
This particular one is a fairly low mileage example with 63,000 miles on the clock and looks to be in good overall shape. It does have some scuffs and dings, which looks pretty typical for age, and what appears to be a daily driver. Yes, the engine bay hasn’t been detailed, but I kind of like that. I always take it as the seller isn’t trying to hide anything.
A dirty engine bay is an honest engine bay. The N55 straight six looks very stock!
The seller notes that the lights on the gear selector lever aren’t working. He does mention that the operation works fine and is something that can be fixed. A quick Google reveals others with this issue and it can rectified with a replacement shifter and programming. Looks like the shifter can easily be found on eBay but the programming requires a dealer or independent shop. Thanks, BMW……
One extra highlight of the auction is a video of the car being driven on the Nürburgring back when new. For those that don’t know, BMW made a stripped out racing version of the car, the M235i Racing. The race car competed worldwide and even had its own class at the famed Nurburgring 24. Some very cool, and unexpected bit of pedigree!
Back to the car itself, all in all it looks to be a fine example of an M235i. Clean inside, outside, and even underneath. It even comes with two keys and original window sticker. The seller is active, engaged, and answering questions regularly.
Really, I think the main debate about it is the color combination. Some will love it, some will hate it. What do YOU think?