beewang

The 550 will have a SOP of September 2005. This means the 9/5 cars will be a July 2005 allocation. You can start to configure the cars once your dealer is given their allocation but they won't have much to go by as far as options are concern. You will kinnd of do this blindly as the pricing will be annouced by BMWNA by September. You will try to configure this based on the 2005 model options.

That's the scoop, good luck!!

beewang

Vinman

Let me try to clarify a few things. Production has stopped on ALL 545s. This car will not be MADE anymore. You cannot order a 545, because BMW has ceased taking orders for them. Orders that are in at the factory will be produced. After that if you own a 545, you are driving a car that is no longer in production.

Start of production for 2006 model year e60 five series BMWs built with a V8 engine will most likely be sometime in the first week of Sept.

BMW is no longer making the engine that is in the 745, 645, & 545.

They are making a new 4.8L V8 engine...

They will produce a 5 series in September with that new V8.

beewang

That's funny... They are producing the 545 as of last Friday at Dingolfing... Dunno where you got your info, but it is WRONG!!

Fact: They are producing the 4.4 Liter engine along w/ the 545/645 until the normal July shutdown/retool for new model year change. And yes!! You can still order one from the factory as of this morning.

cheers,

beewang

arnolds

Well...no, they weren't producing any last Friday. Actually, the factory shut down early on Thursday at 1:30pm and for the weekend. We were there, trying to wedge our 545's out of the parking lot while thousands of factory workers were heading for the BMW subsidized busses!

Canada545

Well...no, they weren't producing any last Friday. Actually, the factory shut down early on Thursday at 1:30pm and for the weekend. We were there, trying to wedge our 545's out of the parking lot while thousands of factory workers were heading for the BMW subsidized busses!
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My 545i is being built on the week of April 18th ... that's still 3 weeks from now ...

I'm pretty sure they haven't stopped production on the 545i, else I will be one of the first to get a 550i (which is NOT the case)

Vinman

I think Beewang is correct. The factory is making these models. The way I understand this is they are not taking new ORDERS for these cars. The cars that are on allotment now (my dealer has 545's allotted to him-for April, May and June)
will be built. And then that is it. The way I was told was that you can get one of these 545s, you may even be able to alter it to your spec,depending where it is in the build process. But you cannot order a 545 for Sept production. or October production. You can order a 5 series with a V8 for Sept or Oct 2005 or Feb 2006, it will just not be a 545!

narf

um... i ordered a 545 today. delivery should be sometime around july....


am i missing something? or are these just rumors?

Ågent99

Well...no, they weren't producing any last Friday. Actually, the factory shut down early on Thursday at 1:30pm and for the weekend. We were there, trying to wedge our 545's out of the parking lot while thousands of factory workers were heading for the BMW subsidized busses!
[/quote]



Very true...we sat for a good 5 minutes at an intersection until some nice factory workers decided to let us through...all 3 of us. We might still be there right now if they hadn't let us through. They were evacuating a small town there!

wolverine

Sorry, but that doesn't make any sense at all. You can walk into a dealer today, and spec out an order for a 545 to be produced. The 550 is not even confirmed as a model yet, so do you think BMW has just stopped taking orders for the 5 series V8? I would recheck your sources.

Vinman

All I am saying is the car I have on order will have a V8 engine and will be built in September 2005. My dealer does not have specs for a 2006 model year 5 series with the 545 nomenclature. The wholesale and retail internal price sheets will give you specs/options for 2006 models with 525, and 530 nomenclature. The same sheet will give you specs/options for a 2005 545. However they do not have specs for the 2006 V8 equipped 5 series, because they are not published yet. So you can order a 5 series with a V8 any time you want...what I was told was that I cannot choose any colors or options for the 2006 model, because all the pricing sheets only show what you can order/choose on the 2005 model. The 2005 model will not be produced after the end of July if I understand my dealer correctly.And yes they are still building 2005s. That is just not what they will be building in Sept!