Depends on the region and which dealer (and if they have an allocation). Once an allocation is secured, it’s usually a 3-4 month lead time (barring any stop sale issues)!
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lol @ the stop sale issues. Assuming you must have had customers affected by the latest 3-Series camera fiasco.
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The brokers on here (Clutch and IAC) can confirm this, but basically each BMW keeps their own list. They can add you to the order bank but that’s just a list of orders. As they get allocations each month , it’s supposed to fill them in order. The dealer can change a build or assign an allocation pretty much how they want. You’re at the mercy of the dealer. It’s up to the dealer if they want to take a deposit or not, etc.
For example, i’m 90% sure one of the dealers near me has a list but is bumping people willing to pay over MSRP. Other dealers just openly say they have an allocation but want $5k extra. No way of knowing without calling around. Supposedly the allocations are determined by previous M sales, so it’s a crapshoot going on a really short list with a dealer that doesn’t get many allocations vs. a longer list with a dealer that gets several per month.
Allocations will default to M3 Base, Competition, CompetitionX, but can be converted between those 3 I believe. You can’t swap from M4 to M3 unless a dealer exchanges with another dealer. In terms of availability, it seems to be M4CX, M4, and then M3 with M3 having the longest wait.
Call around, if a dealer is telling you 2024, they’ve either got a massively long list or they’re prioritizing buyers paying over sticker. Several dealers in my area won’t put you on their list if you’re not local. You can also do pickup at the Performance Center in South Carolina, if that’s an option for you, you could buy from any dealer in the country (use the brokers here) and get your car from the Performance Center. There are definitely both allocations out there and relatively short wait lists @ MSRP, you just have to hunt for them. If you want a car relatively quickly and don’t want to overpay, use a broker!
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On the local angle. Yep, we had a handful of dealers close off M orders at list to clients in their market area or at the very least in the same state.
While it’s true one could cold call providing they had a list of dealers with open allocations — The juice may not be worth the squeeze as a broker since you’re now tasked with babysitting a deal with an unfamiliar dealer you don’t have a strong relationship with and likely couldn’t care less if they piss off your clients.
thank you.
my dealer stayed at MSRP pricing through all of COVID for anyone/everyone, so they expanded their client base… i’m just going to stick with them because they’ve done great by me and my family.
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