Re: <E36> New Headlamp

[DevinSung <Devin.Sung@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

     >Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 20:11:23 PST
     >From: "Perry Shang" <scsi_one@domain.elided>
     >Subject: <E36> New Headlamp

     >Hi, all.  First thing first.  I stopped by the dealership today
     >asking about the European delivery.  I am thinking about going to
     >Germany just to buy a BMW and bring one back..  The money that I
     >saved buying a car, that can apply to the airplane ticket and the
     >trip itself.  what a bargain....!!!!!!

     Yes, it's a great deal if you happen to be in the market for a car and
     want to vacation in Europe around the same time. Just don't forget you
     need to order the car with some advance notice and they still need to
     ship your car by boat after you drop it off. I think my dealer said it
     took another few weeks after you drop the car off at a port. Maybe
     someone who has gone through euro-delivery will comment on the
     details.

     >Later, while I was waiting for my sales to come, I was browsing the
     >new 1999 brochures and realized that on the new 1999 E36 coupe and
     >convertable with sports package gets a new body kit from M3s.  and,
     >look at the picture very very carfully, I reallized that the headlamp
     >are Ellipsoids (glass cover headlamp) lights.  I asked the part
     >department, and they say that they couldn't find the part number to
     >be differ from the old ones.  Can Anyone confirm this?

     I really doubt they are shipping ellipsoids on the '99 E36 coupe. I
     didn't notice the headlights being different, but I can check next
     time. I just saw two at the dealer today and yes, the M-aero kit is
     available and includes the M3 side sills, rear air diffuser, deeper
     air dam, and wide M-badged body moldings.(looks like the old M3 lux
     pkg dam, though). As much as I love the look of this package, I think
     it's tacky to sprinkle M parts all over non-M cars, especially from
     the factory. This goes back to BMW NA marketing and how us Americans
     will spend more if it says M on the outside. My dealer put it best
     when I said to him *sarcastically* "Gee, I could've bought a factory
     M3 look-a-like for a couple grand less!" and he responded, "You bought
     the M3 for three reasons: the engine, the brakes, and the
     suspension/handling." Which of these three will you notice from a
     distance??" Really, even the E36 M3 isn't a classic M-car now that
     hand-assembly has given way to mass-production. I bet you BMW NA could
     increase their sales dramatically if they could figure a way to
     color-tint their cosmoline (sp?) protective coating and spray-stencil
     the M badge over every car during shipping :)

     *Negative BMW-NA marketing criticism OFF*

     On the positive side, I hope these M-packages sell like hotcakes and
     the roads are soon filled with M-badged E36 coupes. It'll be just that
     much easier for me to avoid the eye of the state trooper :)

     >If dealership offers the new headlamp and stock.  We could all buy it
     >from the dealership and get CCA discount and if dealer installed it
     >gets lifetime warrenty.....   What a deal......!!!!

     >Perry...

      If I remember correctly, Bavarian Auto listed them in their catalog
     as NON-DOT approved. But I could be wrong...

     Devin
     '99 M3 coupe - a *real* one - Feb. delivery
     BMWCCA - CT Valley Chapter

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