Jason Bateman's car up for sale 05/26/2011
Fans of Arrested Development - or perhaps Teen Wolf II - should act quickly, as Jason Bateman's BMW 530xi is now for sale online.
Many celebrities hold auctions where they sell off their cars, but those typically involve custom-made rides and the proceeds go to charity. Bateman appears to be keeping things more subtle with the 530xi, as its all-black exterior and understated appearance don't exactly scream celebrity.
Still, the actor did make some custom modifications to the vehicle, as it appears to have the body kit from the 550 version of the BMW, giving the car a unique appearance.
"Mr. Bateman must have asked the dealership to install the sport package from a 550 on the car," said Tim Yost, who is selling the car on AutoTrader for Autobahn West, the dealership where Bateman apparently traded in the vehicle. "It looks like a 550xi wagon... if they made one."
Beyond that, there's nothing too special about this BMW. It does comes equipped with the M Sport Performance Package, upping the horsepower a bit. Considering Bateman won the Toyota Pro/Celebrity charity race back in 1987, that's not too much of a surprise.
Interested buyers should keep in mind that they're paying a bit for the vehicle's celebrity pedigree. The car is retailing for approximately $35,000, while Kelley Blue Book lists the price for a similarly-equipped vehicle at about $33,000. Still, the unique body kit would likely make that worth it to some buyers, even if they weren't a big fan of Bateman.
Final verdict: we think Bateman's 530xi wagon is a nice step up from the airport stair car that he famously drove around on the cult classic television series Arrested Development.