[Mavericks0041]

Hi,

I am currently in line at a BMW dealership to get an allocation for a 2025 M2 and I got a call from the dealer saying BMW had given them an allocation for one but that they would have to display the car for 60 days and it would also have to be ordered in an individual color. They said they could spec the car how I wanted it (as long as the spec was in an individual color which I was leaning towards anyways) and then I could purchase the car after the 60 days on display, or I could just continue to wait for another allocation.

Is this a common thing that BMW mandates a certain car has to be on display at a dealership for 60 days?

Would you guys agree to this or just continue to wait for another allocation?

Thanks

[rons e92]

I think that's called an HEA car. They'll allow you to spec the dealer sample and the buy it.

Some members here have bought HEA cara before.

I could be completely wrong and using the wrong acronym. Maybe a CA can give more info.

[Michael1316]

Originally Posted by rons e92

I think that's called an HEA car. They'll allow you to spec the dealer sample and the buy it.

Some members here have bought HEA cara before.

I could be completely wrong and using the wrong acronym. Maybe a CA can give more info.

I was just trying to do a google search on this situation and I did see the term HEA car pop up, but I didn't see anyone saying they had to wait for the car to be displayed for 60 days.

The weird part to me is say they had an HEA car on display for 15 days with no buyer lined up and someone walks in and wants to buy it that day would they really tell them to come back in 45 days and risk that person going to another dealership and losing the sale?

[rons e92]

Originally Posted by Michael1316

I was trying to do a google search on this situation and I did see the term HEA car pop up, but I didn't see anyone saying they had to wait for the car to be displayed for 60 days.

The weird part to me is say they had an HEA car on display for 15 days with no buyer lined up and someone walks in and wants to buy it that day would they really tell them to come back in 45 days and risk that person going to another dealership and losing the sale?

Yeah I'm sorry. Going to need an expert here, I don't know anything else.

For what it's worth, I wouldn't buy an HEA car. Too many chances for someone to damage it or drive it.

[NewToM]

Originally Posted by Michael1316

I was trying to do a google search on this situation and I did see the term HEA car pop up, but I didn't see anyone saying they had to wait for the car to be displayed for 60 days.

The weird part to me is say they had an HEA car on display for 15 days with no buyer lined up and someone walks in and wants to buy it that day would they really tell them to come back in 45 days and risk that person going to another dealership and losing the sale?

Are others allowed to test drive it while at dealership or will it be locked so no one can scuff it up.

[KC87ZB]

Originally Posted by rons e92

Yeah I'm sorry. Going to need an expert here, I don't know anything else.

For what it's worth, I wouldn't buy an HEA car. Too many chances for someone to damage it or drive it.

Not sure what you are thinking they do with them.

An HEA is a dealer demo in BMW speak. It is the dealer's decision to sell or display. Many on here (me included) bought an HEA within 90 days of dealer receipt. Many folks have cars that were not even sat in. How is that different than any other car sitting on the dealer show room floor?

You need to look at the damaged on delivery threads - no guarantee there even getting them off the transport scratch free.

[Mavericks0041]

Originally Posted by NewToM

Are others allowed to test drive it while at dealership or will it be locked so no one can scuff it up.

Hi, the dealer told me they would only drive the car into the show room and nothing else besides that, no one would be allowed to test drive it. They also said the car would remain locked the entire time so people wouldn't be sitting in the car.

[Mavericks0041]

Originally Posted by KC87ZB

Not sure what you are thinking they do with them.

An HEA is a dealer demo in BMW speak. It is the dealer's decision to sell or display. Many on here (me included) bought an HEA within 90 days of dealer receipt. Many folks have cars that were not even sat in. How is that different than any other car sitting on the dealer show room floor?

You need to look at the damaged on delivery threads - no guarantee there even getting them off the transport scratch free.

Hi, so the dealer is choosing to display the car for 60 days and could sell it to me right away if they wanted to?

[Dave07997S]

Wait for another allocation

[KC87ZB]

Personally I wouldn't transact on the car if i couldn't take it and I would never trust the dealer to sell to someone else, they are sneaky like that.

This sounds like a low allocation dealer, I'd try to find another, even in another state. Cheap plane fare.

[Mavericks0041]

Originally Posted by KC87ZB

Personally I wouldn't transact on the car if i couldn't take it and I would never trust the dealer to sell to someone else, they are sneaky like that.

This sounds like a low allocation dealer, I'd try to find another, even in another state. Cheap plane fare.

You're probably right about them not getting many allocations based on them saying it could be a couple more months if I didn't take this car.

[NewToM]

Originally Posted by M2siast

If you buy it from them, under the promise that they will keep it locked until the delivery, how much are they paying you to rent the car from you for 60 days?

[Mavericks0041]

Originally Posted by M2siast

If you buy it from them, under the promise that they will keep it locked until the delivery, how much are they paying you to rent the car from you for 60 days?

Hi, I wouldn't actually pay for the car before I could actually take it home.

But if you guys are saying the dealer isn't forced by BMW to display certain cars then I will definitely look into using another dealer as it rubs me the wrong way that they would prioritize displaying it over a paying customer.

[Mavericks0041]

Originally Posted by M2siast

Exactly. They want to display your car for free.

It's all negotiation. Just tell them that you want to take delivery immediately, unless they pay you X amount as rent (in a form of a discount, maybe).

Otherwise, take your business elsewhere, if they persist on the lie or ignorance (I'm using those 2 options purposely, waiting for some"one" to come say that there's a 3rd version of a dealer that pulls this).

Cheers!

Ok thank you, this is my first time ordering a new car so I wasn’t sure if BMW did make dealers have certain cars on display in show rooms. It seemed a bit strange to me that they wouldn’t be allowed to sell a car to someone which is why I wanted to ask before I went and accused them of anything.

If they are a low volume dealer as KC87ZB suggested it just seems so stupid to risk losing a customer willing to pay MSRP for a $70k+ car.

[NewToM]

Originally Posted by Mavericks0041

Ok thank you, this is my first time ordering a new car so I wasn’t sure if BMW did make dealers have certain cars on display in show rooms. It seemed a bit strange to me that they wouldn’t be allowed to sell a car to someone which is why I wanted to ask before I went and accused them of anything.

If they are a low volume dealer as KC87ZB suggested it just seems so stupid to risk losing a customer willing to pay MSRP for a $70k+ car.

I went to a low volume dealer close to me when I was looking for an allocation and they indicated it was a unknown wait as I was 3rd in line and any car would have $5K adm. I found one available at a bigger dealer without that so went with them. Used local dealer for break in.

[Mavericks0041]

So I just talked to them again and they are saying the allocation came with a bulletin from BMW saying the car has to be displayed for 60 days. They said that it’s not an HEA car, and that BMW is rolling out a showroom vehicle program with vehicles for display purposes that a dealer normally wouldn’t have in stock.

[Mhrob24]

Ok, so this exact same thing literally JUST happened to me. CA called me and said my allocation is for a showroom car. NO ONE can touch it. It will sit there still and silent for 60 days. It’s not an HEA. I don’t have to pick an individual paint color though. I can spec it however I want.

I had the option to pass on it, but I locked it up. Looks like the builds for the showroom cars are starting late though. My CA said late September production date. Probably won’t get it until January.

[Mavericks0041]

Some more information I just got, they told me I could get it in writing that the car can’t be sold to anyone else, that nobody would be allowed to sit in the car, and that the car will not be driven by anyone besides a dealership employee to move it into the show room once it arrived.

They also said there is a decent chance I could get a September allocation in the next couple of weeks once those get released, but they obviously can't guarantee that.

[Mavericks0041]

Originally Posted by Mhrob24

Ok, so this exact same thing literally JUST happened to me. CA called me and said my allocation is for a showroom car. NO ONE can touch it. It will sit there still and silent for 60 days. It’s not an HEA. I don’t have to pick an individual paint color though. I can spec it however I want.

I had to option to pass on it, but I locked it up. Looks like the builds for the showroom cars are starting late though. My CA said late September production date. Probably won’t get it until January.

If you don't mind sharing what dealership are you ordering the car through? I see it says you're from Michigan and I am also ordering the car from a dealership in Michigan and I want to make sure it's not the same exact dealer saying this to both of us.

[JMcLellan]

Some dealers are just weird. My local dealer had an HEA M2 and they put it up for open sale immediately. And someone bought it right away. They had 20 plus people on their M2 waiting list as well so that probably helped. I don't understand a dealer wanting to show off a car for 2 months and not get revenue on it right away. Is it sitting there that long going to produce way more sales? Are there really people out there that would walk in and not realize this new M2 exists until the moment they see one after them being on the roads since April of 2023?

I would never agree to this plan.

[NewToM]

Originally Posted by JMcLellan

Some dealers are just weird. My local dealer had an HEA M2 and they put it up for open sale immediately. And someone bought it right away. They had 20 plus people on their M2 waiting list as well so that probably helped. I don't understand a dealer wanting to show off a car for 2 months and not get revenue on it right away. Is it sitting there that long going to produce way more sales? Are there really people out there that would walk in and not realize this new M2 exists until the moment they see one after them being on the roads since April of 2023?

I would never agree to this plan.

My understanding is and I’m often wrong, BMW is indicating that it needs to sit for 60 days not the dealers desire.

[Mhrob24]

Originally Posted by Mavericks0041

If you don't mind sharing what dealership are you ordering the car through? I see it says you're from Michigan and I am also ordering the car from a dealership in Michigan and I want to make sure it's not the same exact dealer saying this to both of us.

I PMd you.