[NGT2]

I’ll post the story on finding it and getting it here later but I figured it’s been a few days, so need to just get it on here!

2020 M550 - 25k miles
Champagne Quartz Metallic
Black Nappa
Park Assist
Drive Assist
Lux Seating
DHP
Bower & Wilkins
Exec Package
New Pirelli P7 AS on 19” 664M

It was a NJ car so had a front bracket already… I found a little southern charm to stick on there for now.

[claykin]

You found one with DHP. An uncommon find for sure. Enjoy your new ride.

[Mattl0806]

Congrats!!!! Looks beautiful.

How you liking it over the 540?!

[Gautam]

Congrats, excellent spec! You did it right, a rare combo that ticks all the boxes.

[Marsh50]

Your patience paid off - that's one great looking car. Congrats!

[adhrp]

Wow what a great find! Congrats! Tell us more about how you think it drives and compares to the 540i since there were several discussions on that front. Also, very curious about the back story and how much you paid for it!

[Sanjuro1]

Congrats, looks great!

[NGT2]

First of all - I appreciate everyone that weighed in on my various threads and questions.

Little backstory on how I got to the G30 to begin with - I always thought the muscle cars from the 60’s and 70’s were awesome, as well as the Trans Ams, Camaros, and Corvettes in the 80’s and 90’s. I also love the old big Cadillacs. As far as imports, BMW always seemed to be the most intriguing of the bunch to me. I love the style and overall vibe of the brand. My dad has also had 3 bimmers (80’s 3 series, ‘16 428i, and his ‘97 Z3). In high school I gravitated to trucks and I forgot about the sedans and sports cars. I drove two Yukons, a Sierra, and two Tahoes over the next 20 years.

Fast forward. I’m over 35, working a career, have a wife and kid. Wife gets a Lexus GX and I decide to be done with the trucks. So in December 2021 I got a CPO ‘18 540i. My first BMW and actually my first sedan since I was about 17. After a little homework, the 5 series/E class/CT-5/A5 were the sedans that made sense. BMW won that competition pretty quick. A combination of budget and lack of experience with German cars made me wary of the V8, so I targeted the 540. I knew nothing really about the M Sport vs non M Sport and other variations. I just got one close by, with decent mileage, in colors I like.

So, of course I joined Bimmerpost! It didn’t take long for me to get intrigued by the M550. It’s the modern combination of everything I liked when I was a kid. It’s got the BMW style and luxury along with the raw V8 power of a muscle car. I decided pretty quick that I was going to have one. Maybe after 3-4 years I’d trade the 540 for a CPO LCI M550. The more I learned from you guys, the more I wanted one.

I was also generally falling in love with the brand. I convinced my wife to trade the GX for an X7. She plays coy but she’s absolutely become a BMW lover too.

This past December I saw a CPO 2020 M550, white with tartufo Merino leather and it was gorgeous. I didn’t buy it but it sparked this mission. After doing all the research I could, I discovered that the 2020 model year was the one I desired most. I like the less aggressive styling combined with the updated engine, along with some small options that were deleted for the 2021 LCI models. The Merino also stopped being offered after 2020 and I really like the Caramel and Tartufo colors in a premium leather (the X7 has Tartufo Merino leather). I didn’t want to buy one with more than 30k miles, so this seemed like the opportune time to move on a 2020.

I did some more soul searching to be sure an M550 was really my ultimate target. I considered M850 GC, 750, or X5 M50 (all CPO). Special shout out to Joe-BMW33 and Mandingo9 for helping me work through that. So, I went on a mission - Find a 2020 M550 with Caramel or Tartufo Merino in a dark exterior. If I was going to buy another G30, I wanted to upgrade more than just the engine. The 540 had Dakota leather and HK stereo with 19” wheels. Here was my original search criteria:

Dark paint
Brown Merino leather/Luxury Seating
Bowers & Wilkins
Drive Assist/Park Assist
Executive Package
20” 668M wheels

The sales manager at BMW of Grapevine, who sold us the X7, was very proactive in helping me find the perfect car. He scouted their sold and leased 2020’s. He found a perfect car and the owner was willing to trade. In heartbreaking fashion, it fell apart. He couldn’t get an allocation for a 2023 and would not trade in without being able to order a new one. His had individual paint, Merino, and trim. I don’t blame him for keeping it. But it was a blow to me.

I continued searching and the manager at Grapevine did too. Because I am already a customer, he even did homework on a few I found elsewhere. For the sake of brevity I won’t get detailed, but there were two more that fell through. I was really getting discouraged. It had been a couple months and the ones I found didn’t work out and the options were dwindling. 2020 of course was Covid and car deliveries really slowed down. Which means less and less 3 year leases being turned in, by this point.

I got to test drive one, finally, in Nashville. Wow. I realized this car was about way more than the color of the interior and other aesthetics. I was done for as this point.

In a fit of impatience and defeat, I started negotiating on a very low mileage M550 that was a pretty stripped down version of my original criteria. Again, Joe-BMW33 and Mandingo9 attempted to cool me off. The car was overpriced (still available today) and the dealer was difficult.

One night I did my daily search of BMWUSA, auto trader, and cars dot com. BOOM. Something interesting popped up at a Benz dealer in MN. No pictures but I saw the individual color (Champagne Quartz). I ran the VIN through a decoder and saw it was loaded with options. I immediately inquired and started vetting. It had black Nappa and 19” wheels, but otherwise hit every box plus having DHP.

The manager in Grapevine ran the history for me, since it wasn’t CPO or even at a bimmer dealer. Everything checked out. It was a BMW owned car, so all maintenance was done properly. And it had a 2021 in-service date. That means factory warranty until Feb. 2025. That makes it even with all the CPO’s that had anywhere from 9-12 months factory plus one year CPO. Grapevine’s take was “If you like the color and want to buy a 2020 M550, this one is really good and a great price.”

So I’ve got every package I wanted, plus DHP… but it’s a color I’ve never seen and black Nappa with 19” wheels. Well, I’d decided the 19” wheels would probably be better for practical purposes so that was okay. I decided to take a leap of faith on the color and the black interior.

So I bought it! For those interested - it was a $94k MSRP car originally, listed for $54,995 and I got it for $54,495. It was a great deal at the bottom of the KBB range. I knew it was a great deal from all the shopping I’d done. They were prepared to install new tires but I negotiated for them to pay shipping in an enclosed trailer and I’d worry about the tires. I got a set of Pirelli P7 AS mounted when it arrived. My cost after purchase, tax, and the tires was still less than the overpriced one I was negotiating on!

The color is awesome! Hard to describe and hard to capture in photos. I’ll try and post better ones when the sun comes out and I get it sparkling. Today I spent 3.5 hours on the interior. It hadn’t been detailed well in a long time, if ever. I was nervous that I wouldn’t get it back to sparkling, but it looks fantastic! Like new. Just needs a little polish on the trim and it will be flawless inside. I plan to do a paint correction and ceramic coat in the coming weeks, along with Llumar Pinnacle tint.

My driving has been limited but it’s night and day different. I’ll post a more detailed comparison after I have another few miles in it. But it’s a completely different vehicle just wearing the same shell. Everything about it is heavier and more powerful. So far I really like the DHP and I’m glad I ended up with the 19” wheels. Super comfortable ride.

Alright that’s enough. Like I said, I’ll post again and focus on the comparison of the M550 to the 540i. But I wanted to give those interested the saga and there you have it. I’m happy to be done with it. Sold the 540 to the local dealer and got the price I wanted. Love the car and haven’t looked at an internet car listing since I finished the deal. And I don’t think I’ll be back on the search for a good while!

[Joe-BMW33]

Outstanding! I’m so happy for you. Welcome to the M550 club. Stepping on the gas will never be the same. That is one beautiful car!

[MRDILLONS]

Congratulations, nice color. Enjoy that beautiful beast

[Chappers 71]

Lovely…good job

[Mandingo9]

Excellent write up! I’ll be looking foward to the 540 v 550 review. Enjoy making the car yours!!!

[peteinpa]

Congrats, glad you found the spec you wanted. Enjoy

[NVRfollo]

I hope you enjoy your beige vehicle!

[adhrp]

I think this might be deal of the year for those options and miles...and at that price! Enjoy in good health and do drive it to your heart's content as that's what it was made for.

[jphcbpa]

Congratulations
I too have been looking to replace my wife’s 2018 m550 with a 2020 + with dhp and ideally bowers. Thought I found one this week but dealer only wanted to do local sale and would not ship. Your patience paid off and I must say the grapevine manager willing to dig for you is rare it seems they have gotten lazy in recent years

[Bob in IL]

That looks great! Black interiors aren't usually my first choice, but it, along with the wood trim color really work. Congrats.

[adhrp]

Originally Posted by jphcbpa

Congratulations
I too have been looking to replace my wife’s 2018 m550 with a 2020 + with dhp and ideally bowers. Thought I found one this week but dealer only wanted to do local sale and would not ship. Your patience paid off and I must say the grapevine manager willing to dig for you is rare it seems they have gotten lazy in recent years

Not sure if you have seen this one, but it's a really nice one (with B&W and DHP): https://www.bergstrommercedesbenz.co...rader_listings

[Greywall]

Congrats, dude! One of us, one of us...

Great write up of the purchasing process. Can't wait to read your driving impressions!

The car looks fantastic, enjoy it!

[Chappers 71]

Just out of interest, is the colour listed as beige on your log book?

[jcal65]

Congratulations, it was worth the effort and looks great!

[Packfodder]

Looks great! Congratulations and welcome to the club.