Saddle Brown? US Diesel?

[///MG]

Hi, new member here. I'm a long time BMW owner/driver. Current cars include a 2001 540, a 1999 M3 convertible, and my wife's 2007 XC90. We got the XC90 back in July of 2006, a little before the E70 was available in the US, due to the E53's really small cargo area (we had an Audi Allroad before the XC90 for the same reason). Now we're looking to pick up an E70, but I cannot decide whether to go for the 3.0si, or wait for the diesel, which is supposed to come to the US in the fall. Can anyone who has driven both comment on whether there are any adverse handling impacts due to the increased weight out front with the diesel (I've read that the diesel engine weighs about the same as the V8). Any other pro/con comments about the diesel would be greatly appreciated.

Also, I've seen a number of pictures of E70s with "saddle brown" interior, but I cannot find that option on the BMW NA website, nor does that interior color appear in the 2008 E70 brochure. The closest color appears to be "tobacco brown," but that choice doesn't have the black lower doors, dash, etc., which I really like in the saddle pictures I've seen. Is "saddle" available in the US? If so, how does one go about ordering it if it does not appear in the brochure or on BMW's website?

Thanks in advance for the advice.

///MG