Does anyone know of a good way to search the local inventory in the LA/SoCal area? I am looking for a manual 6MT 535/550 F10, but dealers do not return my calls or emails. I know it is rare to find manual F10s, but I would really like to at least have a test drive before committing to a special order.

Ideas?

Most BMW Dealers will inventory their cars at the BMW USA Website. It's easy to create a custom search for what you're looking for (if one is available): http://www.bmwusa.co...odelsearch.aspx

Or check the dealer's website directly - it's odd (even disappointing) that you can't get someone on the phone who can tell you IF they have a vehicle on their lot.

Thanks for the tip! Unfortunately I'm looking for a new F10 and not used. I'm starting to think that the manual F10s were discontinued, because manual is no longer an option on the bmwusa website when trying to build a car. :(

Just went to BMWUSA, it still shows the manual transmission as standard. No need to find it as an option. Only choosing the Sport Auto is an option...

I'm looking forward to your review of the manual when you find one to test drive.

The dealers website should have an inventory search function.

contact ryan amico (internet sales) at steve thomas bmw in camarillo, great CA and pricing is tough to beat. Just mention you got his name from an online bmw forum....

if he doesn't have one in stock, I'm sure he will help you find one...

not sure if you are mentioning if you are looking to purchase or just test drive when you are contacting dealers, if the latter, most will just think you are window shopping and not take you seriously unfortunately.

+1 on what Gene said... And do keep in mind that it is pretty rare for a dealer to order an unsold car general inventory with the manual tranny. Not unheard of but pretty rare in my experience. Most manual drivers tend to be enthusiasts and frequently order cars t the desired spec. Manual drivers are a pretty small part of the driving spectrum these days!

I own a6 speed 535i sport package. The transmission is great. Very smooth and easy to operate. Interestingly, the automatic gets better mileage and performance numbers. The dealer had a dozen manual 535s that were ordered by mistake by a sales manager with a very short tenure at the dealership. The order didn't make him very popular. I got the car below invoice with just the right options. Nav is the only thing that sucks. I'm taking the car on my first radios trip tomorrow and really looking forward to stretching its legs.

Unless you find a car that was ordered by mistake, you're almost surely not going to find a 6MT 535i unless you order one. The good news is that BMW makes the order process pretty painless. It'll take about 6 weeks once you have a production slot to get a custom order to SoCal. I'm on my second custom order, a 6MT 535i!