Called BMW HQ yesterday and asked why in Canada we don't have Sirius radio. It's pre-wired he said and the answer (unbelievably) was BMW has not developed the Canadian hardware yet. Estimated release is late 2008!

So, I enquired if I drove 1.5h across the boarder and had BMW install the ?prohibited US hardware? would it work (baring in mind you can buy US Sirius at all Canadian Costo's). The guy was gob smacked and did not know what to say.

Any comments, as I find this ludicrous...

PS: The Car (535xi) is on a train from Halifax to Toronto as I tye woo hoo). :devil:

If you want Satellite radio, skip the car that is on the way, drive across the border and buy your car in the USA. You'll save some money and get the hardware built in.

Buying car in U.S.A. means all warranty work (including free servicing for next 4 years or 80,000 km) would have to be performed in the U.S.A. Only becomes interesting proposition if you live close to US border.

Not exactly true. . ... BMW Canada honors the warranty, but not the free servicing.

The car was built to my spec so not in the cards to cancel. I guess my real question is what exactly is the hardware? A big thing on the dashboard or a small box in the trunk.. either way warrantee is not an issue as its North America wide so if it fails its covered no matter as long as it original BMW part installed by BMW. That was my experience with VW as my Passat W8 was purchased in San Francisco, I bought it with me to Toronto and all USA warrantees were transferred (AND the remaining to the new owner next week).

The maddening issue is, how complicated can all this be for BMW Canada to introduce in the fall of 2008 ?.