[LRS]

Hi All

This is kind of a weird question, but one that has puzzled me since I purchased my E92 in June 07.

I purchased the car as a cancelled order that remarkably had 99% of all the options I would have chosen + I got a rather good discount!

When I got the car home I went to read the Owners Manual only to find that every manual and guide was in Arabic! I’ve also noticed that the Passenger inside door jam Airbag sticker is in Arabic/English.

I’ve always wondered if the car was originally purchased in the UK for export to the Middle East or can you order a new car in the UK with these types of language option choices?

LRS

[booforty]

That is weird, there's something up there... Have you raised the issue with the vendor?

[jjbirch]

was this from a bm dealer or car warehouse sounds like a import

[jjbirch]

what side is your steering wheel on lol

[LRS]

The car was purchased brand new from a fully bonafide UK BMW dealer in the Southeast.

The dealer explained that the car was currently on its way from the UK sea port to the UK holding compound at the time the original buyer cancelled the order.

Is there anyway to tell if the car was, in fact, an actual “import”? Can you tell by its VIN or other paperwork what the cars original country of destination was from the factory?

Oh yea, the steering wheel was on the right the last time I looked!!

[jjbirch]

i think there is theads on here that tell u wheres they are built somewhere i would say most uk cars come from munich of lepzip or whatever its called, there is a plant in south africa i think could be from there

[SoYank]

Maybe it's a counterfeit.

[LRS]

I’ll check the VIN on the web site regards its location factory of manufacture.

What I then need to find out is the original shipping destination where the factory originally shipped the car to. If it’s not a UK BMW dealer, then I will become suspicious…

Can you get a brand new dealer supplied car that is actually a counterfeit car (grey import?) – does such a thing actually exist??

[steve-p]

My brother-in-law bought a new BMW some years ago which was a cancelled export order. The only complications were that it wasn't 100% to UK spec which made it worth slightly less at resale time, and insurance companies sometimes charge a premium for non-UK spec cars because things like the alarm/immobiliser are often different, but it was quite a lot cheaper to buy in the first place.

[ShereKhan]

The only thought in my mind would be if there has been a "CE type certification" for the car as it may be customised for use in Middle East.

Might be worthwhile checking it against another at a "independent BMW" dealer to see if you can spot any differences. You'd need to look for something with a similar build date (see under bonnet).

[LRS]

Thinking about this a little more; there are No Arabic Middle East countries that drive on the left, so a right hand drive car would be a bit senseless. The only exception to this is Somaliland which drives on the left.

Does the VIN provide information on the cars original intended shipping destination once it leaves the factory?

Does BMW hide – under carpets or interior panels, any factory paperwork that would indicate the cars originally intended country of destination? My old 1969 General Motors, Chevrolet had hidden paperwork behind the door panels.

The mystery continues…

[ShereKhan]

Whether or not the arabs drive on left or right is irrelevant as they will pay to have the car made to what they want.

I've seen some unusual cars that the arabs have when out in Monaco and French Riviera. A lot of them are customised.