Does BMW stick to roll-out schedules?

Had been thinking of getting a new E90 at the end of my current lease,
which is up in March 05. At the end of the lease I can go month-to-month
until the new 3-series arrives at the dealers. BMW website talks about
first introducing the car in the US at the NY Auto Show that starts
March 26 and then send it to the dealers during the summer of 05.
Summer can be June-July-August (early Sept ?) so it appears iffy exactly
just when the car will be available to a buyer. I really don't want to
go much beyond my current lease if I were to switch to a month-to-month
basis until the car is available (interest payments for current lease is
based on 36-month to end in March and not on either 39 or 42 months).
Does BMW tend to stick closely to planned roll outs or have they been
know to produce "vapor" products that are delayed way beyond expectations?

PRNole wrote:
> Had been thinking of getting a new E90 at the end of my current
lease,
> which is up in March 05. At the end of the lease I can go
month-to-month
> until the new 3-series arrives at the dealers. BMW website talks
about
> first introducing the car in the US at the NY Auto Show that starts
> March 26 and then send it to the dealers during the summer of 05.
> Summer can be June-July-August (early Sept ?) so it appears iffy
exactly
> just when the car will be available to a buyer. I really don't want
to
> go much beyond my current lease if I were to switch to a
month-to-month
> basis until the car is available (interest payments for current lease
is
> based on 36-month to end in March and not on either 39 or 42 months).

> Does BMW tend to stick closely to planned roll outs or have they been

> know to produce "vapor" products that are delayed way beyond
expectations?

It depends what you mean - these aren't software updates, after all.
BMW has an unfortunate history of releasing new cars for sale just
before they are actually ready - usually in response to pressure in the
domestic and key export markets (and never, it must be said, because
the car is lo longer competitive or failing to meet sales targets).

The E36 was launched with significant quality issues in 1990; neither
was the E46 trouble-free in 1998. These days BMW launches directly
into the US market, without give the car time to settle in first in the
domestic market. If the website is right, and the car is launched in
the summer, I would cross your fingers that the E90 doesn't repeat the
problems of its two forebears.