New car sales price BMW adds M kit

Free M suspension and dress-up bits will help maintain BMW’s average of one in every two cars being sold with an M Sport pack.

Anyone who picks up a 5 Series or Z4 between now and March 31 will get a free M Sport deal, which runs from stiffer suspension, lightweight wheels and an aero package to sports seats, alloy interior highlights and a leather-wrapped sports steering wheel. That’s a saving of up to $7900 on the entry level BMW 520i.

Buyers of a 1 or 3 Series coupe and convertible will gain the same tweaks, along with differing alloys and gloss-black kidney-bar grilles rear light surrounds and for 1 Series buyers. Step up to a 3 Series and the deal includes chrome kidney-bar grilles, metallic paint as a no-cost option, sports seats, alloy pedals and black-backed exterior mirrors.

BMW has dubbed the promotion the “Festival of M” and says the savings range from $2500 to $7900. BMW spokesman Scott Croaker says it isn’t so much of a run-out as it is a value adjustment as the model dates.

“The 1 and 3 Series coupe and convertible won’t be run out until the end of the year and the upgrades reflect the corporate policy of adding value as the vehicles near the end of their production run, Croaker notes. “The specific M Sport offer recognises that 50 per cent of our customers already take the option and reacting to that.”

BMW is also selling a new X5 M Sport Limited Edition based on the three-litre turbodiesel. The pack costs $99,000 driveaway against a regular $72,600 price for the 30d and adds a body kit, 20-inch alloys, chrome tailpipe, auto tailgate and bi-xenon headlamps with high-beam assist. BMW says it adds more than $15,000 to the donor car.