Let's say someone were to offer to sell you a car a lot like the one you want, but with some key differences—this one doesn't have an engine or a transmission and is instead a fiberglass shell shaped to look like a real car. It does, however, sit upon a welded tube-frame cart with casters so that you can push it around, perhaps making fun driving noises, and it has working headlamps and real brake rotors and tires. (No word as to whether the lamps were laser-lit.) That deal sounded good to one BMW dealership in Illinois, which bought a promotional display version of the supersultry i8 hybrid sports coupe—for a staggering $30K.
From what we've been able to gather, the dealer originally bought the i8 replica from BMW of North America to build hype among customers for the few real i8s that the store had been allocated. As you might expect, the actual cars sold quickly, at which point Laurel BMW of Westmont was stuck with a $30K pile of fiberglass and angle iron. Sexy fiberglass and angle iron, but still. So, like any good retail business—or, really, any good American—it decided to sell the thing on eBay.
Our sources indicate that, with two days of open bidding left and nearly 60 bids pushing the price of the fiberglass wonder past the $20,000 mark, Westmont's attempt to recoup its investment was abruptly cut short by a phone call from BMW of North America. BMWNA informed the dealership that it was not to sell the replica i8 . . . nor did BMWNA have any desire to take it back.
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Westmont immediately ended the auction, which we're sure upset not only the many bidders but also the dealership's management. We can only hope that Laurel BMW of Westmont and BMWNA come to some sort of resolution, as we may start to see more of these "cars" pop up (and perhaps back down) online from other dealerships. Until then, however, check out the original eBay ad in all its auction-tastic glory.
from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/nSHy27
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