Whats this '2007' year thing...
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I'm somewhat confused. 
We are in Jan 2006 and people are talking about delivery of '2007' cars.
This appears to be a US phenomonen.
I subscribed to C+D just to get a view of things automotive from the other side of the planet and the Feb edition is littered with references to 2007 cars.
I can understand production changes in, say September of any year, reflecting the specification level of cars for sale/delivery in the first quarter or first half of the following year. In that instance I can see why one could have a '2007' car in September 2006. But to look for 2007 cars in January 2006 seems a bit strange to me.
Is it some sort of snob appeal? Or one upmanship over someone with a '2006' year car purchased in January 2006. Or when when will 2008 models become available? Next month maybe?
We are in Jan 2006 and people are talking about delivery of '2007' cars.
This appears to be a US phenomonen. I subscribed to C+D just to get a view of things automotive from the other side of the planet and the Feb edition is littered with references to 2007 cars.
I can understand production changes in, say September of any year, reflecting the specification level of cars for sale/delivery in the first quarter or first half of the following year. In that instance I can see why one could have a '2007' car in September 2006. But to look for 2007 cars in January 2006 seems a bit strange to me.
Is it some sort of snob appeal? Or one upmanship over someone with a '2006' year car purchased in January 2006. Or when when will 2008 models become available? Next month maybe?
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Model years are always slightly ahead of the calendar year, at least in the US. This is not limited to BMW... the 2007 Benz S-Class is arriving next month, for instance. It keeps resale values higher if buyers think that the car they're buying is 1 year younger than it is, and helps dealers clear old inventory at the end of the year. The 5 series is a bit ahead of the rest of the BMW line, in that last year the '06 model year was introduced in March/April rather than September as is more customary. The next model year ('07) was just announced to begin production in March of this year, meaning it will start showing up in the US in April. BMW claims this was to meet new CARB emissions standards, but the real reason could be simply marketing-driven. It causes some hand-wringing during the transition (e.g., should I get last year's model on the cheap, or wait a few months for next year's model which will include new features X and Y?) but this is true no matter when the model year transition occurs.
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Originally Posted by jdubbs' post='231090' date='Jan 28 2006, 04:52 PM
Model years are always slightly ahead of the calendar year, at least in the US. This is not limited to BMW... the 2007 Benz S-Class is arriving next month, for instance. It keeps resale values higher if buyers think that the car they're buying is 1 year younger than it is, and helps dealers clear old inventory at the end of the year.
what a US thing 
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Model years are always slightly ahead of the calendar year, at least in the US. This is not limited to BMW... the 2007 Benz S-Class is arriving next month, for instance. It keeps resale values higher if buyers think that the car they're buying is 1 year younger than it is, and helps dealers clear old inventory at the end of the year.
what a US thing [/quote]
Yeah its generally a stupid US thing. :thumbsdown:
But in this case its supposedly something very specific. If you read that document that lists the changes, you'll find that the reason for MY2007 starting in a few months is that there's a new US emissions regulation and BMW must change their MY2006 cars in order to comply. Instead of just making a MY2006 with revised exhaust, they decided to call the new cars the brand spanking "new" MY2007. :thumbsdown:
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Originally Posted by jet190rs' post='231202' date='Jan 28 2006, 09:16 PM
But in this case its supposedly something very specific. If you read that document that lists the changes, you'll find that the reason for MY2007 starting in a few months is that there's a new US emissions regulation and BMW must change their MY2006 cars in order to comply. Instead of just making a MY2006 with revised exhaust, they decided to call the new cars the brand spanking "new" MY2007. :thumbsdown:
I hope everyone's 2005 545i's is leased.
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Originally Posted by Znod' post='231217' date='Jan 28 2006, 06:37 PM
I hope everyone's 2005 545i's is leased.
No so stop rubbing it in...
Kidding... just bitter at BMW thats all...
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But in this case its supposedly something very specific. If you read that document that lists the changes, you'll find that the reason for MY2007 starting in a few months is that there's a new US emissions regulation and BMW must change their MY2006 cars in order to comply. Instead of just making a MY2006 with revised exhaust, they decided to call the new cars the brand spanking "new" MY2007. :thumbsdown:
I hope everyone's 2005 545i's is leased. [/quote]
Yup!
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No so stop rubbing it in...
Kidding... just bitter at BMW thats all...
[/quote]
Sorry, didn't mean to rub it in. It won't be that big a hit. The 545i will be an excellent pre-owned for many.
I can understand being annoyed with BMW. I will be driving my car for 3 years in all likelihood, and I would have liked for it to be the newest/fastest for a more reasonable period of time. It's OK that BMW did what it did, but what I don't like is the secretiveness that prevented many of us from making informed and, thus, our best decisions.
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Originally Posted by Bimmer32' post='231245' date='Jan 28 2006, 10:43 PM
Same here. :thumbsdown: Don't rub the sore open wound. :'(