lotsa stuff

Subject: lotsa stuff
From: M5JEFF@domain.elided
Date: Sun, 15 Sep 1996 10:34:34 -0400
Just read 15 digests last night, and thought I'd comment on a couple topics:
 1) Leasing.
 While it it true the manufacturer or lease co. is going to try to set the
residual value of the car pretty close to projected wholesale value at lease
end, THEY MAY artificially raise it to lower the payment, and therefore sell
more cars. Audi did this last year. The manufacturer knows it's going to eat
a lot of cars three years from now, but that money is better spent than, say,
TV advertising. At least this way they KNOW they sold a car. Also,  When I
was selling Jaguars in 1994, we had effective lease interest rates of 6
TENTHS OF A PERCENT. (Yes, .6%)Jaguar subsidised the money factor (multiply
the money factor X 2400 to get the actual interest rate they are using) a
bunch. Combine this with an inflated residual, and the Jag lease deal was
unbeatable. You could drive a $60,000 Jag for the price of a $40,000 525i.
Almost 90% of the cars sold during that time was by leasing. At .6%,how much
can I borrow and how long can I keep it?:) The only way to tell if a lease is
a good deal is add up all the costs, monthly payment, residual, and up-front
money, and compare it to a similar finance agreement. But the lease payment
will be about half to 2/3rds as much. Or a 3 year lease payment will be about
the same as a 5 year purchase. So for say 500/mo, I can have the chance to
get out in three years, or I can still be severely upside down in a five year
loan. Kinda depends on how long you want the car. This is not a simple
subject. anyone wanting more info can mail me direct or call me at
317.535.0250.

2) Springs: I am putting on the Eibach/Bilstien HD/Suspension Tech bars on
the E30 M3 Convertible ASAP. I have the parts, I'm just looking for the time.
I've driven two M3s with this setup, and it's fantastic. Doesn't lower the
car more than about half an inch, very compliant, perfect balance. More
later.

3) Miata/M3. That's why I wanted an E30 M3 convertible!:) The perfect balance
between the two. Not as fast as PKay on the track, MUCH more so than the
Miata on the street. Otherwise, I agree 100% with John. My face still hurts
from over-smiling every time I drive it. (My Jim C chip removed the
smile-limiter too;)

Wow, this is long. Sorry for the bandwidth.

Jeff Krause
http://www.trader.com/users/5012/8969