[eundong]

Hello folks. After 9 months of waiting, I finally got an allocation from the dealership and we are adjusting the options now. My original waiting was for 2022 model, but then it was pushed to 2023 production.

I chose N/C VATQ (Tartufo Extended Merino Leather) originally, but the dealership says it's not available now and I need to choose VBTQ ($2550 option) to keep Tartufo color.

Honestly I don't understand why that color is not available at the moment, as BMWUSA website's Build Your Own still shows that option. It's about the interior color, not even related to the chip shortage we all know of.

Has anybody experienced a similar situation in the past? I'd like to ask how you've resolved it.

Thank you very much.

[GoldfishTX]

Get the full leather. It's worth it. Problem solved.

[eundong]

Originally Posted by GoldfishTX

Get the full leather. It's worth it. Problem solved.

2023 MY already got the price hike of $4000 in my configuration. I don't want to add another $2550 to that. Plus, I'm not a big fan of genuine leather. I don't know whether N/C VATQ is synthetic leather like MB's MB-TEX. I prefer synthetic leather if possible.

[apexes]

Originally Posted by eundong

2023 MY already got the price hike of $4000 in my configuration. I don't want to add another $2550 to that. Plus, I'm not a big fan of genuine leather. I don't know whether N/C VATQ is synthetic leather like MB's MB-TEX. I prefer synthetic leather if possible.

The seats are the same genuine merino leather regardless if extended vs full. Full just adds more leather to the dash and doors.

[eundong]

Originally Posted by apexes

The seats are the same genuine merino leather regardless if extended vs full. Full just adds more leather to the dash and doors.

Oh I see. Thanks for the info. But then it doesn't make sense at all when they say VBTQ is available, but not VATQ. If VBTQ is simply the full leather extension, why not VATQ? Hmm..

[GoldfishTX]

The US configurator shows both.

[apexes]

Originally Posted by eundong

Oh I see. Thanks for the info. But then it doesn't make sense at all when they say VBTQ is available, but not VATQ. If VBTQ is simply the full leather extension, why not VATQ? Hmm..

Yea, : idk why it wouldn't be available considering it's on the website.

[eundong]

Originally Posted by GoldfishTX

The US configurator shows both.

Yes the website says both are available. But the dealership says "Tartufo is not available to order at this time with the extended"
"Internally it is not available"

That's mysterious and I'll head to the dealership first thing tomorrow to ask them in person..

[RDG80M3X]

To counter, I had no issues with speccing Tartufo extended leather on my 2023 G80 Comp Xdrive. Car is assembled but stuck in QC

[s58]

I am not sure what your dealership is seeing, but as a data point I have extended tartufo on my g80 manual build. It has an individual paint code in 102 status, build week 41. Best of luck and hope they can give you the option without trouble.

[eundong]

Originally Posted by eggwoll

To counter, I had no issues with speccing Tartufo extended leather on my 2023 G80 Comp Xdrive. Car is assembled but stuck in QC

Thank you for the info. Can I ask you when you were able to make that change?

[eundong]

Originally Posted by s58_MT

I am not sure what your dealership is seeing, but as a data point I have extended tartufo on my g80 manual build. It has an individual paint code in 102 status, build week 41. Best of luck and hope they can give you the option without trouble.

Thank you. May I ask you when you were able to include VATQ?

[RDG80M3X]

Originally Posted by eundong

Thank you for the info. Can I ask you when you were able to make that change?

My original order was for kyalami orange. I received allocation on 7/15, spent the weekend debating spec and made the change to tartufo extended on 7/18. IIRC it locked and went into production 10 days later

[MCM4]

If you are ordering Tartufo, it is really doing you a favor to require Full. It is the one color that looks odd without it, as the transition from door Tartufo to black fake material is very abrupt. Other colors at least have black on the seats, and it blends much better. I thought about saving the expense too until I saw an extended Tartufo in person. Luckily, the benefits go far beyond the improved aesthetic.

[s58]

Originally Posted by eundong

Thank you. May I ask you when you were able to include VATQ?

Here's my timetable so far:

Dec 31, 2021 - Standard build placed in order bank, 47 status
July 15, 2022 - Allocation received
July 18, 2022 - Build submitted with individual spec and confirmed shortly after (maybe same/next day?), 102 status

[Flamesofgold]

Originally Posted by MCM4

If you are ordering Tartufo, it is really doing you a favor to require Full. It is the one color that looks odd without it, as the transition from door Tartufo to black fake material is very abrupt. Other colors at least have black on the seats, and it blends much better. I thought about saving the expense too until I saw an extended Tartufo in person. Luckily, the benefits go far beyond the improved aesthetic.

Don't say that I'm and being cheap and u making me change my mind!!!!

I did feel the change from brown/cognac/whatever we wanna call it - to black is super abrupt but 2500

Gonna sit on this and think some more may be sell a kidney or something

[MCM4]

Originally Posted by Flamesofgold

Don't say that I'm and being cheap and u making me change my mind!!!!

I did feel the change from brown/cognac/whatever we wanna call it - to black is super abrupt but 2500

Gonna sit on this and think some more may be sell a kidney or something

Never said you are being cheap Sir. Just pointing out an important detail specific to the Tartufo interior. Again, the other colors (aside from silverstone) add black on the seats. So it is not so abrupt if you go with the basic dash with orange, red, blue, and obviously black. But don't discount you also get the door tops with stitching, all dash, and knee bolsters in leather. I just read about guys changing the standard knee bolsters to a more padded one, not needed when they are made in leather. And it just looks so much better with Tartufo. Yes it is a chunky addon, but imagine spending what these cars cost and regretting that missing option later?

[eundong]

Just visited the dealership and met with one of their managers. The removal of VATQ is real as he showed his own screen to me. Some N/C extended leather colors are still available, but it's kinda restricted now (you only have 3 or 4 N/C choices now, compared to original 8 choices).

I'm not sure if this restriction is because my order is actually a carryover from the last year or if this new restriction also applies to a fresh new build submission.

Whatever the case is, even a manager dude in the dealership doesn't know what's going on. I called BMWUSA yesterday and they had no idea either. He told me that BMW always decides whatever they can and they don't even explain the reason. As such, he doesn't even know when this interior restriction could be lifted like maybe tomorrow VATQ would make a comeback. But who knows?

As a customer, this is really frustrating because there's no communication at all and even the dealership doesn't know what's going on either. I asked him if this is BMW specific, but he said other European brands are worse in terms of predictability and communication available to the dealership.

One good news for me is that he threw some discount for this since this wasn't my choice in the first place. But then I would've just chosen VATQ to save $2550 (or $2300 when you have executive package) if VATQ had been still an option. To me, the beauty of M3 is more of its performance rather than luxuriousness. That's why I didn't even choose a carbon interior unlike most folks do. I want to make my M3 look like plain 3-series if possible, which is technically impossible these days due to the unique grill.

[calbears]

Originally Posted by eundong

Just visited the dealership and met with one of their managers. The removal of VATQ is real as he showed his own screen to me. Some N/C extended leather colors are still available, but it's kinda restricted now (you only have 3 or 4 N/C choices now, compared to original 8 choices).

There are 7 extended leather choices with Tartufo now excluded. All those are N/C.

Yas, Silverstone, Kyalami, Black, Fiona, Ivory, Fjord.

[eundong]

Originally Posted by calbears

There are 7 extended leather choices with Tartufo now excluded. All those are N/C.

Yas, Silverstone, Kyalami, Black, Fiona, Ivory, Fjord.

Oh OK. My salesperson yesterday sent me an available color list:

- black extended merino
-Fiona red / black extended merino
-silver stone / black extended
-black extended

Obviously black is duplicate in that list. So I assumed other colors such as Yas were not available. If 7 other N/C colors are still available, that's good news.

[Flamesofgold]

Originally Posted by MCM4

Never said you are being cheap Sir.

Sir, I'm calling myself cheap. I admit it it's one of my endearing qualities

[50M]

Originally Posted by calbears

There are 7 extended leather choices with Tartufo now excluded. All those are N/C.

Yas, Silverstone, Kyalami, Black, Fiona, Ivory, Fjord.

Is that the same for full leather too - any color options missing there? Thanks!