A consortium of car dealerships is attempting to set up Murrieta, California's 1st BMW dealer in the city's auto mall. This move comes as Temecula and Murrieta compete for luxury dealerships to occupy a handful of prime locations.

The nearest BMW dealerships are in Escondido and Riverside, respectively thirty and forty miles away from Murrieta. BMW has made potential franchisees aware of its interest in having an additional dealership in the wealthy area between those two cities, Heppler said.

Temecula's thirteen new-car dealers have been taking in an average of forty million each in recent twelve month periods, according to the city's finance department. BMW could become the most upscale brand sold in Southwest County.

Recently, the Temecula City Council deputized two council members to woo luxury-car dealers who might be willing to locate there. Rapid growth in the area's population and housing values have made it a good market for luxury autos.