Ok..

I ordered a 550i last Saturday (1/28):

Ti Silver/Grey interior, NAV (HUD-less - I wear Maui Jim sunglasses), sport package, comfort seats, comfort access, sirius, premium sound.

I'm also going to have the M Aero Kit delivered at the same time and put on.

Question... they told me 6-8 weeks to get the car. I live in South Florida - does that help or hurt the timeline? I'm pretty sure they get delivered to the port in Jacksonville (not sure why they don't dock in Miami/Fort Lauderdale).

Anyone in the area have recent experience that can tell me what I can expect?

Current status on Owner's Circle still says "On Order". I thought it'd be "Scheduled for production" by now.

 

More than likely, your port will be Charleston, SC.... not Jacksonville.

I live in Orlando, and my car was brought in through Charleston.

You will have your car in 7 weeks, I will venture to guess.

The Owner's Circle runs several days, if not weeks behind. (Example, my dealer called with my car before the Owner's Circle even showed the car having arrived at the VPC) Don't worry too much about checking it. Just talk to your dealer. They can get better info.

 

Part of it depends on when your build week is as well. You may have ordered it now but when does your dealer have the build slot??

Also, you can get more up-to-date info by calling BMW Customer Relations (800-831-1117). It's automated, just say "Production Status" and tell it your production number.

7-8 weeks would be typical. Also check out the Dealer Purchasing forums and read about other experiences from a timing perspective as well as how to track your car through the process.

Congrats on the order!

 

So you're getting an 06 or can you hold out for an 07?

 

Yeah.. thought about waiting but I got someone to take over my current lease so I need it sooner.

The only thing I'm not getting with the '06 is the Aux In line which I plan on adding for $200. I spoke to my dealer about it and told him I was well aware the '07 would be available to order soon and that he'd have to get me great deal on an '06... which I believe he did.

 

I found this info. on the site and it helped me out a lot. My car is En Route right now . Calling 1 800-831-1117 has been pretty close to my dealer's info. on the cars status. The owner's circle has been really far behind. Good luck with the wait....it's been killing me!!!!



How long will it take to build my car and have it delivered?
It will take from 5 to 7 days for BMW to build your new E60. However, delivery takes a bit longer, especially for U.S. buyers. Here's the basic flow, with time estimates. Please remember, however, that some steps have more variability than others. We've tried to point these out.

1) You officially order your new E60.
2) Your new E60 receives its production number. This can be accomplished anywhere from immediately to several weeks, or more, later. It depends on how soon your dealer can get a production slot. In some cases, your dealer may already has a slot (an ordered but unsold car). In these cases, they can update that production number to match your selected options and colors. When you order your car, always ask the dealer when you can get a production number. This number is critical to your ability to track your car through the build and delivery process. It also means that BMW North America knows about your car. It's official!! You can now register with BMW Owners Circle and should (http://oc.bmwusa.com). We'll say this step will take one week, for example, but this can be highly variable. Hound your dealer until you get this production number.
3) Your car enters production and receives a VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) usually within a week or so of getting a production number. This is where your car starts it's trip through the factory in Germany. In about 5 to 7 days, your shiny new E60 will pop out the other end of the factory, completed! There are several steps through the factory. For example, Body Shop, Paint Shop, etc. Your dealer gets daily updates so he or she can tell you what part of the factory your car is in. Write down the VIN number you receive from your dealer or Owner's Circle. So far, we've got 1 week to get your production number, 1 week to enter production, and 10 days to build your car. Total so far: 24 days (3+ weeks)!
4) Your car goes from the factory to a shipping dock and waits in a parking spot for a large boat (they rarely sink but it has happened). Although it only requires a day or two to get from the factory to the boat docks, waiting for the next ship can take up to a week and occasionally longer. The name of this step is "Awaiting Transport" in Owners Circle and it is highly variable in how long it will take. Keep calling your dealer to see if your on a boat yet. Total so far: about 31 days.
5) The boat sails! This step is called En Route. It takes about 12 days for your new E60 to sail from Germany to the east coast of the U.S. and about 25 days to get from Germany to the U.S. west coast. We'll use the east coast for our running time estimate. Total so far: 43 days.
6) U.S. Arrival and preparation at one of the VDCs (Vehicle Distribution Centers). Normally, only 2 or 3 days is needed at the VDC. Sometimes the car can stay there longer if there was any damage during shipment or your car needs a software update that hasn't quite been released but is about to be. We'll say 3 days, but the VPC doesn't work on the weekends. Total so far: 46 days. It's getting close; start cleaning your garage!!!
7) Released for transport. Now your new E60 is done at the distribution center and is on a truck headed for your dealer. It's hard to predict the time needed for this step as that completely depends on how far your dealer is from one of the three US prep centers (New Jersey, South Carolina, and California). We'll say 2 days. Total so far: 48 days.
8) Dealer preperation. The dealer only requires about 1/2 a day to a full day to prep your car for you. Seat covers will be removed, gas tank filled, etc.

Total time to get your new E60: about 49-50 days but they're not quite elapsed days as some steps stop on the weekends (e.g. VDC, dealer prep) and some don't stop on the weekends (the boat still sails on Sat./Sun. All in all it'll take about 8 to 10 weeks to receive your new car!
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How can I check the status of my car's production?
There are three ways to track your car through the build and delivery process. They are:

1) Your dealer. Tthey have the most up-to-date information. Others sources can be at least a few days to 1 week behind.
2) BMW Owner's Circle (http://oc.bmwusa.com). Again, not completely up to date. Some have reported that Owner's Circle said their car was still on the boat when the dealer called the customer saying their new E60 was ready for pickup.
3) BMW North America at 800-831-1117. There is an IVR system where you punch in your car's production number VIN number and you get a recorded status announcement. Again, not as up-to-date as your dealer but usually more up-to-date than Owners Circle

One really cool tracking aid is the shipping company's web site. In many cases, you key in your new car's VIN number and the site will tell you what boat it's on and their current location and schedule information. Once it's reasonably close to the US, a Coast Guard website can show you a picture of exactly where your boat is and give the latest weather/sea report that your car's boat made over its radio! Search for "tracking" in our forums search utility. The following web site is also really cool for tracking the ship once you know what ship your car is on. Just enter the ship name into the search box and it should find it. SailWX Ship Tracking.
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My dealer gave me a production status code, what does it mean?
Below is a list of BMW's production status codes:
037 - Order is at BMW NA
087 - Production week assigned
097 - Order sent to BMW AG
111 - Order accepted at BMW AG
112 - Order scheduled for production (last opportunity to make changes)
150 - Production started
151 - Body shop started
152 - Paint shop started
153 - Assembly started
155 - Production completed
160 - Released to distribution
180 - Waiting for export dispatch
193 - Arrived at port of exit
194 - Selected for shipment
195 - Shipped from port of exit
196 - Shipment arrival - ETA
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