Shipping a BMW to Dubai??

[w_man]

So at first I didn't consider taking my car with me - thought it would be too costly and there maybe issues with import/export. Then while searching forums I came across a company called West Coast Shipping which has fairly decent rates for shipping a car to the UAE.

I have a quote request out to them but I would basically have to take my car to California and they will put it on a ship for me to pick up in Dubai.

The real issue that I'm facing now is conflicting information on a Canadian car in Dubai. I guess the car specs are different compared to what is sent to the UAE by automakers to manage high heat/humidity. Some say if the car is less than 15-20 years old, I should be fine but other say the UAE spec cars have 'bigger AC and radiators' to manage the heat so I might have problems with the car there.

Any insight on this topic? Anyone have experience shipping a Canadian car to a hot climate? I wonder if southern US cars (Texas/Arizona) have different specs from Canadian cars as they have similar hot weather.

Thanks for your input.

[scat330]

I will tell you what I know.

BMW have three types of cars. Normal, Cold Climate, and Hotweather.

I know programming is different on cold weather and hot climate, footfell flaps don't open on start etc. etc. And packages, cold weather gets headlight washers and heated seats and a hot car wouldn't get that.

Not sure about physical differences and you can get your car programmed differently if need be.

[Onassis]

Given the abundance of luxury cars in Dubai wouldn't it be cheaper to pick one up second hand ?

[Scope951]

Originally posted by Onassis
Given the abundance of luxury cars in Dubai wouldn't it be cheaper to pick one up second hand ?

exactly what I was thinking.

What is most convenient to you? It seems having to get the car to cali and then ship it seems like quite a hassle. You could just sell the car here and purchase a second hand as soon as you land.

seems overkill for a 06 325i.(unless it is like your most favorite oneee)

[w_man]

Yes - over all the cost of purchasing a car in Dubai seems to be cheaper but also considering the amount of money I'll lose on my car if I sell right now - I will certainly need to do my math before making this decision.

I guess I want to know if the car will have any over-heating or mechanical problems in that type of climate to see if it's even feasible to look down this path.

I might try to call the local dealership to find out what they say. Do we have anyone from a BMW dealership on the forum?

BTW - Thanks Scat - that's interesting information.

[BrknFngrs]

Is this a permanent move or is it for a set term?

[w_man]

Initially for 3 years but open ended.

I don't particularly love the car to ship it across the world. At the end it will simply come down to the numbers making sense (money I'll lose selling vs. shipping).

[CapnCrunch]

Originally posted by w_man
Initially for 3 years but open ended.

I don't particularly love the car to ship it across the world. At the end it will simply come down to the numbers making sense (money I'll lose selling vs. shipping).

Are you going to bring it back with you? Then figure shipping costs x2. If not, figure in the resale value for a car built for sub arctic conditions selling in on of the hottest places on earth. Way too much hassle imo.
I'd sell it, take a hit now, and not worry about any bs later.

[asifka]

Bmw from Canada fails in Dubai. You have to upgrade cooling system. My brother lives in Abu Dhabi and thats what he told me.

fyi, http://dubizzle.com = kijiji of dubai

[w_man]

^^ Yikes.

Thanks Asifka - I have been fairly active on dubizzle.com for housing/cars. I have spent a few afternoons on that site.

That's what I wanted to see if we'd have to upgrade or swap things. I am still wondering if north american specs are the same so if I take this car to texas or phoenix - would I have to do the same swaps? The temperature reaches the same 40 degrees there as in the UAE (40-50 degrees).

[Justin-88]

Originally posted by asifka
Bmw from Canada fails in Dubai. You have to upgrade cooling system. My brother lives in Abu Dhabi and thats what he told me.

fyi, http://dubizzle.com = kijiji of dubai

Ahah checked out the site for shits and gigs, holy shit nice Jags and Beamers and Cedes for like 10000$ Cad, Man id check out some cars before you think your guna ship.

[davidI]

As others have said, cars are cheap in Dubai due to the lack of taxes. There has also been a mass exodus of expats in the last couple of years so I would expect there to be a lot on the used market.

Depending on how long you're going over for, I'd sell or store your car in Canada and pick up a new vehicle in Dubai.

[911fever]

Originally posted by davidI
As others have said, cars are cheap in Dubai due to the lack of taxes. There has also been a mass exodus of expats in the last couple of years so I would expect there to be a lot on the used market.

Depending on how long you're going over for, I'd sell or store your car in Canada and pick up a new vehicle in Dubai.

bingo x2

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by w_man
^^ Yikes.

Thanks Asifka - I have been fairly active on dubizzle.com for housing/cars. I have spent a few afternoons on that site.

That's what I wanted to see if we'd have to upgrade or swap things. I am still wondering if north american specs are the same so if I take this car to texas or phoenix - would I have to do the same swaps? The temperature reaches the same 40 degrees there as in the UAE (40-50 degrees).

Sounds like too much work and too much $ for a 325i.

Storing it, you'll lose $$ over time anyway. Unless you got tons of mods on it, take the lost and get one over there. No point tying money up in a car you don't use and not a collectible.

[w_man]

Agreed - Heard back from West Coast Shipping and they will ship a car from California to Dubai for $900 - That's bloody cheap!!

BUT!! they can't ship a car out of the US if it's registered in Canada so that just spells out too much trouble and plus I still hear conflicting information on whether a Canadian car can handle the heat or not.

Cheers for all your responses - I think it's time to sell the car and start fresh in sandlands.

[davidI]

Enjoy the heat. I go through Dubai quite a bit so if you ever want to grab a beer or something drop me a PM.

[w_man]

^^ Will do David. Once we get down there, it'll be nice to meet people from Calgary/Beyond.