Just how are you supposed to walk away from the car?
The car that you had dreamed of, and finally owned?
Before that question is answered let’s look at the long journey to this car. (FYI: the images of the 2008 BMW 135i are for representation only.)
In 1978 I somehow came across an image of the current lineup of BMW vehicles. The M1 was BMW’s consumer version of the race car they were developing. It cost a stunning $25,000. To compare, the most expensive American car at that time was the Cadillac Seville Elegante cost around $18,000. The most expensive American sports car was the Corvette at $13,000.
That sticker price, might have well be a million dollars. So much for that dream. Time for a new one.
The new dream. The 1989 (yes, time has passed) BMW 635I. This is still the perfect example of a touring coupe. But this car was $50,000 in 1989. I did eventually make enough to buy a used one, but that was in 1999 and it didn’t make much sense to pay $15,000 for a used car.
The reality.
In 1989 A BMW did grace my garage. It was a 1982 BMW 320i bought for $2500. It replaced a 1984 Nissan 300ZX. (Don’t ask) To say it was a disappointment was a huge understatement. It was not fast. It handled well but was ultimately underwhelming.
Time passed and in 2005 I had essentially given up on BMW’s. But not on convertibles. That year the stars aligned and granted me the opportunity to buy a new car. The 2005 Toyota MR2 was my choice.
It was a very fun car. But it had a shitty stereo and was NOT fast. Still, it was enough for a time.
A few years later I was looking at a 2008 Honda S2000. My oldest son (the ultimate car person) suggested a 2008 Mazda Miata Grand Touring hardtop convertible. This one felt much faster. The hard top power convertible top was just so freaking cool. The stereo was still shitty. So this graced my garage till 2012. This is the car that made my baby cry.
In 2012 my wife broke down in tears when I was teaching her (at her request) to operate a stick shift. So I decided to buy a car with an automatic transmission.
I religiously checked CR and was amazed and delighted when they listed the 2008 BMW 135i as a reasonable choice. So I went looking.
This is what I found:
The BMW 2008 135I Convertible was the most enjoyable car I had ever owned. It handled like a dream. It was SUPER fast. It was a powered top convertible. And the topper was it’s sound system was as good as my home system. And it was an automatic so my wife could drive it. (Though she never did.) The funny thing is that this car used cost almost exactly the same as the BMW M1 did in 1978. Ironic.
I loved this car. I loved driving it, looking at it, just appreciating the fact that I finally owned my dream car.
But the years passed and they took their toll on my dream. The car’s electronics were groundbreaking in 2008. In 2026, less so.
Then it developed an electrical issue that would kill the battery overnight. The one bad thing (and it was a huge one) is that while this model was more reliable, it still required regular maintenance that was sort of expensive. An oil change was over $100. Any sort of repair was around $2000. So it was time to move on.
We elected to donate it instead of going the hassle of another repair and selling it.
The tow truck came Monday afternoon. The driver marveled at good it looked and how the power convertible top worked. (Had to lower and raise it one last time.) He hooked it up to his truck and drive away. I didn’t actually see that. Just couldn’t watch.
Goodbye old friend. You will be missed.
