BMW Welt servers primarily as BMW delivery center where people across the Old Continent and North America come to receive the key to their new car. The experience is truly unique and it is by far one of the best car purchasing experiences I have ever had.

Today, BMW released new photos of the Welt, along with a couple press releases that tell the story of the BMW World building. To let in a little secret, a week from this Saturday, yours truly will take another trip to Munich and of course, stop by the Welt for more photos and live reporting. Stay tuned for more information on that!

BMW Welt Donwload1 | Download2

Basic data BMW Welt Building.
Start of construction: 1 August 2003
Start of building construction: June 2004
Completion of building shell: 1 July 2005
Grand Opening: 17 October 2007
Contractors: 100
Max. length of building: approx. 180 m (590 ft)
Max. width of building: approx. 130 m (426 ft)
Min. width of building: approx. 50 m (164 ft)
Max height of building: approx. 28 m (92 ft)
Size of land: approx. 25,000 m² (269,000 ft2)
Floor space, gross: 75,000 m² (807,000 ft2)
Building capacity, gross: 531,500 m3
Roof area: approx. 16,500 m² (177,500 ft2)
Glass facade: 15,000 m² (161,500 ft2)
Stainless-steel facade: 10,000 m² (108,000 ft2)
Size of Double Cone: approx. 600 m² (6,500 ft2)
Daytime Storage Capacity: 25,000 m3 for 284 vehicles
Warehouse area: 1,400 m2 (15,000 ft2) (underground)
Loading yard area: approx. 1,700 m2 (18,300 ft2)

The BMW Welt in Figures.
No. of floors: 9
No of rooms: 1,154
Operating hours: approx. 4,000 p.a.
Concrete used: 55,000 m3
Reinforced steel used: 9,000 tonnes
Stainless-steel elements: approx. 80,000 (total number of all elements)
Technical systems area: approx. 7,900 m2 (85,000 ft2)
Weight of roof: 3,000 tonnes
Elevators: 18 with 93 stops
(11 passenger elevators, two vehicle elevators, one number plate elevator, one baggage elevator, three cargo elevators, three elevator platforms)
Photo-voltaic modules: 3,660

Annual energy yield
photo-voltaic system: 650 MWh p.a.
Car washes: 2, with biological water conditioning
Heating: 3.8 MW
Cooling: 2.7 MW
Ventilation: 400,000 m3/hr
No of sprinklers: approx. 10,000
Smoke detectors: 1,750 (individual detectors)
Cables: 150 km (93 miles)
Lights: 15,000
Underground garage: 580 parking spaces on two levels

The BMW Welt Experience.
No. of visitors annually: approx. 2 Million
Employees: approx. 400
Vehicle deliveries: approx. 100 per day
Shops: 2 (BMW Lifestyle & Accessories with
650 m2 on two floors and the
BMW Welt Shop with 60 m2)
Catering: Restaurant International, Bistro and Coffee Bar with a total of 450 seats
Forum: Space for approx. 700 people

After all, we’re all used to just go to a dealerships, scout the showroom area or the parking for that car that we want or like, then get into a painful negotiation game and hopefully driving off with the car you wanted. But the BMW European Delivery program really takes the shopping experience to another level. First of all, all the hassle and negotiation techniques are far limited, almost non-existent. Then, it’s the price which most of the time is around 10% lower than the regular sticker.

We have talked about the BMW European Delivery program many times and we’ll leave it up to you to read more on it in our ED section or you can follow my last European trip here.

And to really prove our point of how exciting this program really is, the following video and photos will tell this story even better. The story starts with four friends going to Munich to pick up a gorgeous Montego Blue BMW 135i Coupe, then taking the car through Switzerland, Austria, Italy and France.

Did they have the time of their life? Let’s find out.

Click here to view the embedded video.

More photos on the Picasa folder

BMW Museum with its 53,000 square foot becomes one of the largest car museums in the world. It accommodates around 400,000 visitors per year, up 150,000 compared to the previous facility. There are over 120 exhibits displayed in the museum.

Now, let’s see what Jedrzej has prepared for us, this has proven to be an entertaining and informative series. You can always catch the other episodes by heading over to our BMW European Delivery section.

Video courtesy of PostCardsFilms

BMW Welt was opened in late 2007 and even though BMW has not disclosed the cost of the Welt project; people close to the company said the price tag was significantly more than 200 million euros, or about $275 million.

About 170 vehicles a day are delivered to the cathedral-like showroom at BMW Welt. Rather than picking up a new car at a local dealership, drivers who pay 457 euro ($674) for the privilege to come here to receive delivery of their vehicles, finding them bathed in a spotlight and rotating on a turntable.

I had the opportunity to pick up my car at the Welt and all I have to say is that the buying experience has been taken to a whole new level by BMW. You can read my story here

But let’s see the footage filmed by Jedrzej from PostCardsFilms

The first two episodes after the jump:

Travel Show: BMW European Delivery Part I

Travel Show: BMW European Delivery Part II

Jedrzej is also a producer of a web travel series on a site called Tripfilms.com as well as a filmmaker with a documentary and film background.

Our BMW European Delivery section will tell you all about this great program.

The ED program gives you one of the most amazing experiences that you could get when purchasing a BMW. On top of the great experience of picking up your car at the famous BMW Welt Delivery Center, you can save serious money on a new BMW, usually anywhere from 7% to 10%. But I won’t be getting into all the details now, you can read more in our BMW European Delivery section.

Last summer, one of our readers, Jedrzej Jonasz, sent us email explaining his upcoming video project: a series of episodes on the BMW European Delivery Program detailing the entire process from purchasing the car to picking it up and to exploring the more unique European destination and roads.

Jedrzej is a producer of a web travel series on a site called Tripfilms.com as well as a filmmaker with a documentary and film background.

Today, we have the first episode with more to come every week.

BMW European Delivery is one of those perks that us, bimmer fans, are spoiled with. The purchasing experience, the delivery and the Europe vacation are something that we will remember forever, and most likely we will be bragging about it to our friends, while already planning for the next one.

Last week, BMW’s Manager of European Delivery Program, Mrs. Keri-Lynne Shaw, talked to us openly about the program, what makes it special, what the benefits are and what the emotional return is. I strongly encourage you to read the interview if you missed it, lots and lots of good information in there and please, if you still have questions, feel free to ask.

Now returning to our M5, what you will see below are some great photos that were taken in Europe recently. Our friend Irv Robinson put us in touch with Mark, the lucky owner of the M luxury sedan. We didn’t have time to get all the details from Mark yet about his trip, but he was kind to share with us some photos.

Now tell me if they don’t make you jealous.

Thanks Mark and Irv

With that thought in mind, about a month ago, I contacted the Head of the BMW European Delivery program in the U.S, Mrs. Keri-Lynne Shaw, requesting an interview. Keri-Lynne agreed immediately and below, you will see one of the best interviews I have conducted to this date. Despite her important role and title, she was a great person to talk to, very enthusiastic, outgoing and with an impressive knowledge of the BMW brand and family.

The interview was an hour long and time just flew by. I really hope you will enjoy it since a lot of work has been put into this and in the same time, I am hoping that it will answer many of the questions that you might have had, regarding the BMW European Delivery process.

Horatiu: When did the European Delivery program first take effect?
Keri-Lynne Shaw: I don’t have the exact year, my records only go back to 1994, but I understand that it’s been around since the 80’s.

Horatiu: What prompted BMW to start such a program?
Keri-Lynne Shaw: Build owner loyalty. Any kind of program that connects the customers to the brand and immerses them in the world of BMW, is a positive brand loyalty experience. Our customers are more likely to buy a BMW again if they take part in this program.

Horatiu: How did it expand and evolved in the last few years? What factors were key to the rapid evolvement of the program?
Keri-Lynne Shaw: Since I have been here, we almost doubled sales, interesting with a declining dollar against the Euro. We had a little downturn this year with the economy and European travel, and of course the Euro hasn’t helped us, but since I got here in 2004, we almost doubled sales. So, we were very very successful.
So, it has been a positive increase and much of that has been exposure with the dealers, because if we don’t have the dealers buy in, we are never going to get the customer. We have to convince the dealer that it is not additional work and that it is a special way to not only connect their customer to BMW but to their BMW center as well.

So, the key is to get the dealers to get it and really believe in the program, and that’s what we have worked on for the past four and a half years, to make sure dealers are on board. Having advocates in the store is the key and we’ve enhanced the program internally to make it easier to use.

Horatiu: How is the BMW European Program unique and does it help build brand loyalty among consumers? What makes the BMW ED program stand out from its competitors?
Keri-Lynne Shaw: If I’m being frank, it’s our cars, but it’s tough to say in the end. Ultimately, if you look at some of the other competitors, and there have been a lot of articles out there about what makes each program unique, but in the end, we all offer a similar program.

Porsche charges, we offer discount. Mercedes offers more of a discount, but does that make their program better? Do we sell more cars than them? Yes we do. I think it comes down to the cars, I don’t think the customer says: “Hey, do you know what? I want to take a European Delivery, which car should I buy?” Customers are saying “I’m going to the local BMW center and tell them I’d like to take European Delivery. Or, I’m going to be in Munich for business, I’m going to pick up my car there”, or they might be saying “I always wanted to pick up my BMW where it was born.”Granted, there are many factors that play a role in the car buying experience and I’m thrilled that we have an offer that is unique and offers customer’s something special. Many of our competitors, including the Japanese don’t have the ability to connect to their customers in this way, which really sets us apart.

Everybody offers a great program, there are nice facilities out there, but the BMW Welt is the newest and most exciting aspect of our program. It’s interesting to mention that we still sold more cars than anybody through European Delivery, even when we had the old Freimann center. So, honestly it is not necessarily about where we deliver, it’s about the car and about the experience, and making the customer feel special. Now we have all the tools, the factory, the BMW Welt, and the new reopened Museum. Now, I think we have everything covered. I don’t think it necessary matters as much where, but rather that people just want something different, something perhaps that their neighbor doesn’t have.

Horatiu: I think this is what sold me on before. I loved the fact that I could save money and enjoy a great experience.
Keri-Lynne Shaw: And that’s the whole thing, if you have taken delivery before, you don’t want to take it any other way.

Horatiu: What is your title and how long have you been involved with the ED program?
Keri-Lynne Shaw: Manager, European Delivery, but I also manage Military and Diplomatic Sales. I have been here for just over four years.

Horatiu: Would you please describe some of the challenges you have experienced due to the increased volume of European deliveries?
Keri-Lynne Shaw: An important challenge is making sure we offer the best possible service and experience to our customers when they are thousands of miles away. Bridging the gap between two cultures and managing American expectations in a country with completely different views.
But every day is a challenge, you know, we think we got the process down, but then we decide to make it better, we streamline constantly. We have put new systems in place, in the last couple of years, completely new systems, and we are now totally connected to the rest of BMW. Before, we were completely separate and very manual, so we certainly are more sophisticated than we have ever been.

So, now we have better ability to pull information from what already exists, much easier, but we are constantly looking to make it better. If I have “n” dealers calling me one day on a particular issue, then we need to send out the information and we try to make sure they are in loop. The call volume is massive and our employees also need to focus on processing orders. And they are not just handling paperwork; they also answer hundreds of calls weekly. So, it takes them away from processing the papers. And the papers have to be accurate, 100%, or Germany will refuse the order.

Horatiu: True, I did hear before about orders that were incorrect and they needed to be fixed.
Keri-Lynne Shaw: Now we have the dealers build the cars online, we don’t build them anymore. When you grow that fast, you have no choice but work together and make it better. And the whole team contributes to that, it doesn’t matter what level they are at. We are always brainstorming, and finding ways to make things more efficient.

Horatiu: I think you guys are doing a great job with such a small team, it’s just amazing.
Keri-Lynne Shaw: I think so too, we have the right team in place. As far as the BMW Welt, the customer service is top notch at the Welt, I mean really top notch. And they are so efficient, if a customer shows up late, it causes problems for them, but they always make fantastic accommodations. They really get it, they do understand that the customers have certain expectations and standards, but because of their efficiency, I think the flexibility portion is sometimes a little more difficult to handle.

If a customer doesn’t show up on time or a day later, or their flight is delayed, and since we don’t know if a customer’s flight is delayed, it causes them ( the BMW Welt staff) to be a little bit on their toes. But I can tell you, in all years I have been here, the amount of customer complaints, is absolutely minimal. And that makes me very very happy.

Horatiu: The Welt is indeed amazing, I mean in comparison to the old delivery center Freimann, it’s so much different, the experience has reached new levels, but even there, BMW customer service was impeccable.
By increasing the capacity with the new Welt, does it help you process more orders and deal easier with the production slots?
Keri-Lynne Shaw: The issue with the slots is that we are fighting with the other markets to get the slots, with Germany and other European countries. It’s first come, first served, if you have a hot car and you don’t get it in fast enough, then we have to give our customers the opportunity to choose another date.
So, unlike Freimann, where we knew exactly what we had per day, it is a little bit more challenging now, but it’s better now in comparison to when Welt first opened. We do have a certain allocation, but after an amount of time, it can be taken by another market.

It is also a little bit more challenging to do the short term deliveries, because that was something that really increased our business. We could have turned it around in three weeks from the moment the customer would place the order. Germany will work with us if there is a slot open, but it is more challenging.

And certainly, the system is ‘just-in-time’ now, they build the cars 10 days before pick-up, it is like clockwork, we no longer have cars just sitting there built. The system is much better; cars are delivered to the Welt from the factory just a day or two before the delivery.

Horatiu: Here is a little secret, I was one of the guys that in December last year had to change my pick up date a week before I was scheduled, but you guys were great and very accommodating.
Keri-Lynne Shaw: Oh, so you were the one. (Here is the part where Keri-Lynne was jokingly giving me a hard time). Yes, we are accommodating when possible and do our best to satisfy the customers, within reason of course. A great customer experience is our number one goal.

Horatiu: Even though we touched this subject a bit, I still would like to ask you how many people are currently working in your team. Do you feel you need to increase the manpower in order to keep up with the escalating number of orders?
Keri-Lynne Shaw: We have 6 people on our team.
There is always the need for more people, but in today’s environment we do the best with what we have and ensure we have the right people in place to manage the orders. We have a brilliant team and will continue to work with available manpower for now. That is the reason for constant change, to stay ahead of the increased number of orders and the needs of our dealers and customers.

Horatiu: What type of support are you receiving from corporate?
Keri-Lynne Shaw: Limited as far as budget is concerned but again, we are in a tough economy and BMW has many areas to focus on. We have a strong customer support network that promotes our program. Marketing does support us with several ads each year as well. But on some level, we are dependant upon our customers to spread the word.

Horatiu: I have a question regarding the BMW dealerships. Since you guys work so close and you basically rely on each other work, is there anything that they can do to help you more?
Keri-Lynne Shaw: Sure, promote our program! Besides our customers, they are our biggest advocates.

Horatiu: It might sounds like a cliché, but would you please describe the most rewarding part of your job?
Keri-Lynne Shaw: Customer satisfaction. I’ve made so many special friendships as a result of this position and watched many people glow with excitement and pride of driving their car on the roads it was meant to be driven. It is a special bond with their car and of course with BMW and we are so happy to have hosted them.

Horatiu: How has the fluctuation of the dollar over the past year affected European Delivery sales?
Keri-Lynne Shaw: Steady growth and as I mentioned before, the numbers are still way up from previous years. I think the economy itself has had an impact on car sales overall.

Horatiu: Considering its recent gain to the Euro, have you seen an increase in sales volume?
Keri-Lynne Shaw: Too soon to tell, it is still fluctuating and we don’t see changes until a few months afterwards, since our customers generally plan a months in advance of pick up.

Horatiu: I have recently heard from several sources that the Military and Diplomatic sales have increased in the past year or so. Any reason to that?
Keri-Lynne Shaw: An increase in the amount of troops overseas is the most significant reason. And many of them deployed several times. Sales are through the roof with Military. We are up 50% this year and that’s very significant, but this could change in the future, based on many external factors.
I can’t tell where the bulk comes from, but there are many overseas agents in many different countries that work directly with BMW AG, we handle the delivery process, but they negotiate everything with the customers. So, the North American dealers don’t get involved until the end of it, when the customer’s car is shipped here. Diplomatic sales have not seen an increase.

Horatiu: So, basically the customer can choose their U.S dealership and have it arranged to pick up the car there?
Keri-Lynne Shaw: Yes, that is correct. It is definitely a simple process and it has been improved over the years as well.

Horatiu: In January 2007, BMW decided to offer Performance Center Delivery in conjunction to the ED program. Can you please tell me if it had any positive effect on the ED sales and if yes, then could you give an estimate, in percentage maybe?
Keri-Lynne Shaw: Let me first start by saying that it’s a little bit of a challenge for us. The Delivery Center is working with a limited capacity as well, so we have had to look at a way to make this work, since those customers already had a very formal delivery in Munich. The question was if there is a way to shorten it a little bit at the Performance Center? We had to make some accommodations, just because of manpower and space to make sure they are not completely overwhelmed. Don’t get me wrong, we are very pleased when a customer chooses to take delivery at both places.

I can’t provide a percentage on European Delivery sales as a result of, but so many of our customers had been asking for this and we finally implemented it. We’ve had great success with it and it is a win-win for everyone.

Horatiu: As you mentioned earlier, the Welt in itself is a state of the art delivery center. Do you think it will prompt more BMW customers to want to experience the European Delivery program?
Keri-Lynne Shaw: Absolutely!! It represents the history of BMW. Couple that with the new museum just opened and total access to the 3 Series factory, it’s a magnificent set up. It’s really something for everyone.

Horatiu: What is the most popular car in the program?
Keri-Lynne Shaw: The 3 Series.

Horatiu: Are the twin-turbo engines the ones that pushed the sales more?
Keri-Lynne Shaw: Definitely, it’s a large percentage. 3 Series are 60% on average, 1 series went up, they are now number two, 15% and the 5 Series is about 13%. And that fluctuates every month, in September, 1 Series was at 18% and the 5 Series at 14%. So, a significantly portion is the 3 Series.

Horatiu: It is interesting to see those numbers; I know the 1 Series Coupes weren’t doing too great for a while. Did the fact that vehicles were coming out of the dealerships’ allocation, had anything to do with it?
Keri-Lynne Shaw: Well, they still sort of are. We do get a small portion, our fair share, but once we max out of our share, we need to ask the dealers to give up one of their allocations. But in the beginning, of course, with any new product, they don’t give us a full allocation.
So, when we ask the dealers, it does affect our sales just a little bit. But we pretty much fall on line with what the sales are like out at the dealerships.

Horatiu: And since we’re on this subject, as a personal curiosity, can you tell me which of the 3 Series body type is most popular as far as ED sales go?
Keri-Lynne Shaw: Are you reading my mind?? Last year coupes and convertibles were exceptionally hot, but they were new. When the sedan was released, it was the number one seller. So this varies based on what is hot and new in the market.

Horatiu: The first BMW diesels, from what we hear, will be available before the year end, or early 2009. Will the BMW 335d be available for European Delivery right from the beginning? And will they come out of the dealer’s allocation?
Keri-Lynne Shaw: I am working on getting my fair share, that’s my fight. So, we should get our fair share from the get-go, but in case we won’t, then I need to ask the dealers to give some of their allocation.
Ideally it will come from our pool, but initially it may come from dealer allocation as we have done in the past with other hot new products. We only get our share of the allocation and that’s not always enough to meet demand.

Horatiu: Well, I can tell you right now that, based on the amount of emails and questions I receive, the demand for the diesel engines will be fairly high, especially the 335d.
Keri-Lynne Shaw: Yeah, it’s exciting and believe me, I am looking out for the interest of this program and if I can help the dealers gain extra cars, because we were able to support the allocation, that’s what I’m ready to do.

Horatiu: Same question for the new 7 Series, a car that created some controversy among the BMW fans, but in the same time, it is one of the most awaited releases in the past years. Will ED be available as soon as the car is being released?
Keri-Lynne Shaw: Yes. We can generally release the first car two weeks after retail launch date in the US. The new 7 Series will probably come out of the dealer’s allocation at first, so it will be based on what the dealer gets and in what production month they have allocation.

Horatiu: The new BMW Z4 will go into production soon at the Regensburg Plant in Germany, after its recent move from Spartanburg. Do you anticipate the 2009 BMW Z4 to be part of the European Delivery program?
Keri-Lynne Shaw: A very enthusiastic YES! We are very excited about that, the new Z4 will be available through the European Delivery program as soon as it becomes available to order. But again, it might come out of the dealer’s inventory, it just depends on what production looks like and if production moves around the world, we have to take whatever we can get and if the dealers support it and gives us a car then we’re in great shape.

Horatiu: Since we are getting closer to the end of this interview, would you like to share with us the most fascinating BMW European Delivery experience or story that you have heard so far?
Keri-Lynne Shaw: I will have to think about that one. There are many!! I love the one where a father brought his three daughters to Munich and told them that he was picking up a car for himself. He brought them to the delivery center (against their will I might ad) and surprised them with 3 identical 3 Series for each of them. I wonder if he might adopt me.

Horatiu: Well, we can always ask him. Let’s pull out his name from the database. I’m joking of course, and yes, it is indeed a great story, something to remember.

Keri-Lynne, thank you so much for the great interview and sharing with our readers all these information about the BMW European Delivery program. It was a pleasure talking to you; keep up the amazing work and good luck with everything.

If you’re interested, here is a PDF version of the interview

Last time I was there was back in January and I had an amazing time, I spent almost 12 hours, just walking around and enjoying BMW’s art piece. So, yesterday, when one of our readers, Rimfire(his screen and company name), emailed me some photos that he recently took at the Welt and the newly opened BMW Museum, I became nostalgic and realized how much I would love to go back. I became even more jealous, when Rimfire told me that he received a private showing of the 2009 BMW 750Li.

Enough said, let me just give you the opportunity to enjoy these great pictures. Oh, and there are some pretty cool cars displayed in the Museum, so I’m sure you will dig those as well.

after some pictures of the architecture of the BMW Welt it is time to show you some of the cars you can see in the BMW Welt. After this there will be another story with pictures from the BMW Museum, but this will take some time since I took so many pictures there of so many different cars, all deserving to be published here…

A 135i Coupé to start with, standing within the double-cone and very nice to look at in that colour.

The next 1er Coupé, this time a 123d (Yes, it’s a Diesel, 2-litre, 204 bhp with a twin-turbo for those of you who don’t know) with most of the parts of the Performance-Line:

Look at the black kidney-grille, the racing-stripes and the different front-spoiler!

You can see the carbon-fiber rear-diffusor and rear-spoiler on this picture as well, but I give you two more detailed fotos:

The next picture will show you the new BMW Performance rims and the new brakes underneath:

The engine-bay with BMW Performance carbon-fiber-strut:

And now the interieur, also equipped with some nice carbon-fiber-parts:

I think thats enough of the 123d, we get to the next Diesel-car, the 330d Convertible, equipped with the M-sports-package here:

And for those of you who don’t like Diesel-engines that much but love the 3-Series Convertible, there is something very nice too:

And if you just don’t like convertibles, maybe you like SUVs more? Or should I say SACs, Sports Activity Coupés?

Oh, I see, the X6 just isn’t fast enough for you? Maybe this can help you:

Still not fast enough? Okay, one last try:

This thing is powered by this nice little powerplant, only a 2.4-litre but still good for almost 800 horsepower:

Very nice to see how small this engine is compared to the normal V8-engines found in the 5, 6 and 7-Series!

Four wheels are too much for you? Well, there are some motorbikes shown too. But of course the Welt is more about cars than about bikes…

Still not happy? Don’t like Diesel? Don’t like petrol? Don’t like emissions? There is a solution, even for you

The BMW Hydrogen7:

That’s it for the moment, Museum-pictures still to come

I hope you will enjoy it and this really shows how much BMW "bends over" for their customers. Kudos BMW and also the Welt staff!

Teri and I scheduled our European Delivery and destination wedding to occur on as bookends to the same weekend. We started planning back in October/November of 2007 for an April 25, 2008 wedding day. Thus, our delivery date had to be April 28. Because we were planning an entire wedding around this delivery, we had to be sure things would go smoothly. Irv's reputation of being a stand-up and honest salesman, and his years of experience, made it an easy decision to buy through him. Irv was great through the process, keeping in contact through the months, and making me feel like I was his only customer, even though I know he's a busy man. Along the way, Irv suggested we wear the wedding attire to the Welt, and we both actually liked the idea a lot.

We spent a week in Munich (with a day trip to Füssen) preceeding our delivery and wedding. The wedding was a beautiful Catholic ceremony in a church consecrated in 1485, and conducted by Fr. Bill Buckley, of the English Speaking Mission in Munich. We had a small, intimate mass and dinner with our closest family, including some that live in Ulm, a short distance from Munich.

Delivery Day!! We showed up in our wedding outfits, and we were treated like kings, but even more than the normal reports! Extra photographs of us, a small dessert as a gift, everyone congratulating us and even special accommodations for Teri to change out of her gown before the factory tour! We got in at 10:30AM to everyone rushing to our assistance (we did have 4 suitcases and two day-bags!), and we went right to check-in and the lounge for about an hour, before Bernard met us. We spent so much time talking (about the car and the wedding) that before we knew it, it was time to see my car! I would have loved to take more time except I didn't want to miss the 1:30 factory tour and it was already 12:40! So we got our big chance to walk down the stairs, and right at the bottom, center and across from the restaurant, was my new 335xi, black and gleaming under the spotlight! We took pictures, and were presented with our gift, plus a release form for the photos – maybe we'll be in an advertisement!! We were running late for the tour, so we were given valet parking instead of self-parking so we could make it. After the tour, we were able to relax in the lounge for a little bit longer before hitting the road.

The car drives like a dream (except that the run-flat tires exacerbate all imperfections in the road), and has such great handling, power, comfort, and convenience. Despite what critics say, IDrive, combined with the bluetooth and USB options, is a fantastic system that takes barely any time to become accustomed to. The voice command system really does help in this situation, too!

First stop was Innsbruck, Austria, for two nights. And with less than 200 kilometers on the car, I got a speeding ticket just entering Austria!! Luckily, I was given a warning and the minimum fine. After enjoying this quaint town, we were quickly off to an afternoon in St. Moritz, Switzerland. We had lunch at a ski lodge with an altitude of 8,830 feet, before a fun alpine pass through to Italy, where we ended at Lake Como for two nights. Lake Como is absolutely beautiful, although the roads can be a little tretcherous given how narrow they are. From Lake Como, we spent a day in Milan, where we had tickets to see da Vinci's Last Supper, plus il Duomo and some other sights. Once leaving Milan, we headed to France. Driving through the French Riviera was great, and although we didn't stop in Monaco with the car, we made sure to visit the casino that Saturday night, where I was glad to do some gambling, and gawking at the impressive array of supercars.

After Nice and Avignon, we headed north through the Burgundy region for a few days, stopping for a few wine tastings in Beaune, before ending up in Paris. Talk about a crazy driving experience, this city makes New York City seem tame by comparison. We dropped the car off with 1305 new miles, and used the public transportation in Paris for a few days, including a trip to Versailles, before heading back to Philadelphia after 21 wonderful and unforgettable nights in Europe. Now, we wait for redelivery, which will be taking at the Performance Driving Center in Greenville, South Carolina, which we can't wait for either!

What fun memories this whole experience has yielded!

Mike and Teri Ann Pirone

A few days later, Oleg sent me his best photos and once again, WOW!! Nice shots! 

The photos posted below are a little smaller to fit in the page, but if you click on them,  the full size should come up. Enjoy them and once again, if you have any questions for us or Oleg, feel free to post them here.

Continued here

By Lee E. Munson

If you have decided to spend that startling amount of money on a car, you may have to admit it’s not really an investment, but do we have to call it an expensive toy? No, not if we make the acquisition a memorable experience.

Picking up a new car in Germany comes with valuable features that don’t appear on the sticker. Aside from the fact that you don’t have to rent a car and pay for the insurance for your travels around Europe, you are going to get a factory tour and then drive away on the autobahn in your own car at and if you wish, a smooth but very exhilarating 150 mph. Imagine the pictures you will bring back. If all this sounds good remember that European delivery is really about one core idea, saving money! Should we expect anything less?

We already know that the best way to save money on any vehicle is to narrow the spread between the wholesale price the dealer pays and the MSRP. With premier makes like BMW, this can be difficult. Dealers have a set allotment and take part in a bonus pool based on a multitude of factors including how close to the MSRP they sell the cars. European delivery, however, is not included in this allocation bonus pool!

That gives us two distinct advantages coming from abroad. The wholesale price is several thousand dollars cheaper because the cars are not part of the bonus pool and dealers can negotiate down in price. Irv Robinson from Motor Werks was exceptional in helping me navigate the process.

There’s more! If you join the BMW CCA club at least one year before you travel to Europe for your car, the club’s European Delivery program will actually pay you between $500 and $1500 just for participating in the program. So join now.

Too good to be true? What’s the catch, airfare? Not so. There are even more savings, secondary to the actual purchase. Lufthansa provides a two- for-one round trip ticket option for travelers picking up a new car in Europe. You simply have to pay the tax on the second ticket and provide the car’s VIN number by the time you travel. When you get there, you have 14 days of insurance on the car at no cost (you can buy more time, but you must deliver the car for shipping within six months).

Continued here

So, considering that you will spend at least $100 per day on a horribly inelegant economy box, this will save you over a thousand dollars. Hot, jet setter wheels, is prohibitive for the rational tourist and less than convenient. For the new car on the trip home, drop off is easy with over 20 locations in Europe. There are no extra fees or shipping charges, it just comes on the boat with the other new cars and arrives at the dealership you purchased it from in about six weeks. If you purchase it out of state, the dealer can arrange local transport. It may cost a little bit more, but is still worth it for the total amount of money you can save even if the local dealer does not want to negotiate.

Let’s recap the savings: lower base price, negotiation power, check from BMW CCA, half price airfare, no car rental fees, no insurance fees, and no econo-box nightmare without trunk space. Added up, it is a luxury experience that makes sense. I estimated that when all was said and done, European delivery made up for the first nine months of depreciation, or a free trip to Europe, depending on how you look at it. Financially, you are still spending an extravagant amount of money for “mere” transportation, or, if you see it that way, the world’s most fantastic driving experience, or for what some consider is essentially just a toy. What is wrong with that? Just make sure you gain some advantage when you splurge.

Oh, did I mention no speed limits on the Autobahn?

Lee Munson is the Chief Investment Officer of Portfolio, LLC. He lives in Albuquerque with his wife Alison. They are expecting their first child this year. He can be reached at lee@portfolio.com or through the firm's website at www.portfoliollc.com

The following photos that we will be showing you, are probably the most AMAZING shots we have ever seen from someone that picked up their BMW through the European Delivery program. We won't get into the details of what the BMW ED program is, but if you would like to find out more, you can always visit our BMW European Delivery section or www.edbmw.com.

When we saw the photos, we knew that we have to share them with our readers. You know what they say: a picture speaks a thousand words. We contacted Oleg and with his permission, we will relate his entire trip, along with his amazing photos. I also have to admit that Oleg's itinerary was perfect, very well planned and with numerous worth seeing places. 

At the end of this article, if you have questions regarding his trip or just general questions on the BMW European Delivery, feel free to leave a comment and we will reply to them. 

Also, before we start, let me give you the link to his photo gallery. Throughout the next days, Oleg will add more photos in there, maybe even some high-quality ones that can be used as wallpapers. I am using one right now

http://picasaweb.google.com/oleg.berfirer/EDTripApril08 

Oleg's Amazing BMW European Delivery Trip 

Itinerary

Day 1: Munich – sightseeing Marienplatz, Viktualienmarkt !!!! car pickup !!!!

Day 2: Munich sightseeing (BMW factory tour, Hofbrauhaus, museums…)

Day 3: Drive to Hohenschwangau village to see Neuschwanstein castle (~100 miles) => continued driving to Luzern, Switzerland through Austrian Alps (~200 miles)

Day 4: Sightseeing Luzern, Weggis; cable car to The Pilatus peak !!!

Day 5: Drive to Rothenburg ob der Tauber (~300 miles) => Marktplatz, walking tour of the town, museum of torcher => Drive to Ulm for the night (~60 miles)

Day 6: Ulm sightseeing: Ulm Munster, walking tour of the city, shopping => Drive to Dresden for the night (~ 250 miles)

Day 7: Dresden walking tour, Zwinger, Frauenkirche, Hofkirche => Drive to Frankfurt for a drop-off (~ 300 miles)

Day 8: Drop-off at Frankfurt and flight home

Continued here 

Day 1 The pickup day:

We took a gamble and flew in the morning of the delivery day, which worked out perfectly. We arrived on a 8 am Lufthansa flight, bought a daily unlimited group train pass and took the (excellent and unbelievably quiet!) train to the Regent hotel. We were able to do an early check-in at around 9 AM, dropped our things, freshened up and took the train to Marienplatz. The Welt check-in time was at 3:20 pm, so we had about 5 hours to kill before heading to the Welt. We walked around the Marienplatz streets and were lucky enough to see the noon "performance" of the famous clock Rathaus-Glockenspiel, which is a part of an exceptionally ornate New Town Hall. We even had time to sample excellent beers, sausages and herring!! sandwiches at Viktualienmarkt. It was time to head to the Welt.

We used the by-now-familiar metro to get to Olimpiapark station and just as we came out from the train station, there it was in all it's glory, the Welt. The "four cylinder" BMW headquarters building is not too shabby either, and to get them both in the frame is a sweet eye candy! The check-in was smooth, but we were told it was too late for the factory tour, so they rescheduled it for the next morning. I killed the next hour admiring the Welt's amazing lines and checking out individual spec and other cars, then cozying up in the VIP lounge, drinking espresso and waiting for my name to show up on the plasma. Finally, it was time!

Tom took us to the orientation room, which reminded me of a "Need for speed" setup with the wheel and pedals in front of a plasma. This, apparently, was a crash course to iDrive and some other functions like DTC. Tom drilled me on the miracle knob functionality and I have to say, it was helpful! Then we went down "the stairway to heaven" towards my new baby. It was rotating coyly on a platform until, finally, our eyes met… it was love at first sight At this point I fell unconscious and don't remember what happened later… I came back to senses on a gas station near Welt while shelling out 1.49 EU per liter of super, which is around 10 bucks per gallon! The sticker shock had a worked better than the espresso.

One minor snafu during the key hand-over was the fact that I didn't have the "6FL" Y-cable to connect my iPod. Somehow I assumed I only needed a regular iPod USB cable that I had. My bad, should have read some more posts here. Tom mentioned that I could buy the cable at the gift shop and then the US dealer would reimburse me for it because it's included in the package. Beware – they charge 50 EU for the cable!

The Welt

BMW Headquarters

Oleg's BMW 335i 

Day 2 Munich

The BMW factory tour was very entertaining. Sparks flying, presses thumping, robots and production insights were very cool. I always wondered why the factory paint quality was impossible to reproduce in body shop conditions – now I know – the shops don't have the ostrich fevers… let me leave it at that.

Day 3 Neuschwanstein/Luzern

The Neuschwanstein castle is a must see! We were lucky to check it out in foggy and sunny weather and it was just stunning! A drive through the Alps was one of the most scenic roads I've seen, with lots of twisties, mesmerizing views as we kept climbing higher and higher…. until we hit a dead end… That's right, the road was blocked by a huge pile of snow and mud. To be fair, there was a "do not enter" sign a few yards from the rubble. I knew that some roads were closed during winter, but this was April 16-th! Navi didn't warn about a closed road, and was merrily showing a path right through the snow and mud. That's when I regretted about not getting an XI

Most Swiss autobahns are limited to 130 km (~80 miles/hr), which was perfect for further proper break –in and as I heard Swiss penalties for speeding in were pretty steep, we kept under 100 mph. We stayed at Gotthard hotel in Weggis, which is about 5 miles East from Luzern center. The place is right on the lake and has beautiful views of Luzern and the mountains. Excellent service and very pleasant overall atmosphere. Highly recommend! Luzern itself is beautiful and tranquil. Don't pass the opportunity to dine at one of the excellent "fondue done right" places…

Hohenschwangau

Day 4 Switzerland/ Pilatus Peak

The highlight of the day was a trip to the Pilatus Peak, which is just 15 minutes away from Luzern, and, once you're on top the views are quite stunning. The cable car that takes you there is not cheap, about $65 p/p, but I thought this was worth it. The air is crisp and the natural beauty is just spectacular. We spent the rest of the day reflecting on the alps trip, wondering around town and shopping.

The Alps

One of my favorite pictures 

Luzern

Day 5 Rothenburg

…And then there was the real German autobahn! We were destined to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a cozy little "fairy-tale" Bavarian town and what separated us were about 300 miles of pure joy. Finally I could open it up a bit on the nice stretches. I tried to keep it close to the recommended < 4,500 RPM, but not so much to recommended speed of < 100 mph and frequently found the speedometer needle south from the 130 mark… and that was pure adrenalin. What felt even better was that I was not expecting stupid flashing lights and sirens behind me… Rothenburg "old town"turned out prettier than my best expectations. Beautifully preserved, the medieval town defies time. A view from the top of the town hall revealed a miriad of red roofs and chirch towers sinking in the green fields. If after flying on the autobahn anyone forgets what it feels like to get a speeding ticket in the states, a torture museum is conveniently located in the middle of the old town to remind you of such occasions…

Day 6 Ulm

We spent the night in Ulm, with its massive Gotic cathedral, 500 years in the making, which, apparently, is the tallest chirch spire in the world. My wife liked the shopping there and I kept "discovering" new types of excellent Hefe-Weissen and sausages on the street fair. We had a blast!

Day 7 Dresden

We were on to our last destination, Dresden. Another 300 miles of pure excitement… too bad it was raining and I rarely went over 130 mph. Dresden is the most beautiful city in Saxony, located on the former Eastern Germany territory, leveled by the British air bombardment at the end of the World War 2, and amazingly restored since them. Everything seemed cheaper there. Restaurants' menus looked weird after Bavaria with prices slashed almost in half. Excellent food nonetheless.

I love to take photos at night, and Dresden did not dissapoint with spectacular views of the cathedrals and Frauenkirche across the river. The next day we bought museum passes to Zwinger, a collection of museums holding some of the most famous works of art. I had a weird feeling while staring at a 300 year old canvas depicting the Zwinger palace itself. Apparently, the picture was displayed at a spot from which it was painted – you could see the scene on the canvas if you looked out the window next to the canvas itself… There's lots to see in Dresden and we only had one day for it. Will have to come back during the next ED.

Day 8 Frankfurt

Drive to Frankfurt was another 250 miles. We arrived late night and did not get to see the city at all. I booked the hotel right in the airport and close to the Harms drop-off location. the plan was to drop the car off as early as possible and make it on the 1 PM flight. It was tight, but we made it perfectly.

The drop off was no hassle – by the time I signed the papers, the car was already inspected and the Harms agent was kind enough to call us a taxi. 15 minutes and 30 Euros later we were in the airport and had an hour to kill before the flight back to New York.

That's what I call a perfect vacation!

And in the end, let me give you some statistics about my trip.

Stats:

Top 3 destinations:

– The Welt
– Neuschwanstein
– The Alps and the Pilatus peak

Top 3 beers – All "Hefe-Weissen" all the time. Yum yum!

– Franziskaner
– Paulaner
– Erdiger

Top speed : 150 mph, although a brief sprint
Total pictures : 2,500
Total distance traveled : 1,250 miles or ~2,500 km, which means I took one picture per each KM traveled. 

Edit: Here is our ultimate favorite photo from the whole trip. Oleg lost us there when we saw the photo

Once again, THANK YOU Oleg for sharing your story with us! 

Here are the latest information from BMWNA:

If you have an order in the system as of May 9, 2008 and customer delivery is prior to September 1, 2008, you will be price protected.  

I hope this clears the confusion and answers your questions 

The stories were fascinating and we enjoyed hosting them. Due to the interesting stories and photos, many people have become even more interested in this amazing program that BMW offers. So therefore, we decided to revive our European Delivery section by posting weekly or monthly, a story submitted by one of our readers.

If you would like to have your name featured on one of the largest BMW blogs, please feel free to submit your experience and photos by email, at

If you recall, I have also done myself an Euro Delivery back in January and you can find the full story here:

BMW European Delivery Saga 

BMW VPC 

Now, since I've caught your attention, I would like to inform you that BMWCCA is organizing a tour at the NJ location.

AN EXCLUSIVE BEHIND-THE-SCENES TOUR OF
BMW'S VEHICLE DISTRIBUTION CENTER (VDC)

When your car arrives from Germany, it doesn't head straight for the dealer.  It is goes to the VDC.

See what goes on behind closed doors as cars arrive from Germany, get processed, updated, repaired, and prepped.

Join us on 5. April 2008 for this exclusive event.

Each member can bring up to three guests (members and guests must be preregistered)

Registration Fee (includes lunch): $15 per member or guest preregistered; $30 at the door if space is still available.

Your day will include

• Tour of the BMW Vehicle Distribution Center
• Lunch (German cuisine)
• Gift from BMW NA
• Door prizes courtesy of BMW NA
• Presentations by BMW on new vehicles
• Q&A with BMW
• New BMW models on display

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS EVENT IS FOR BMWCCA CLUB MEMBERS AND THEIR GUESTS ONLY.

When registering, Club members must ensure that they provide their Membership Number.

Guests  must also register individually and  provide the name of the Member who they are accompanying in the "membership number" field during registration.

It is important to note that each attendee must have a uniques email address.

No one under the age of 16 can be admitted on the compound and anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

*****Given the commitment that we have to make to BMWNA, and the nominal registration fee, there will be no refunds or substitutions for cancellations*****

Please note: photography inside the VDC is not permitted due to security concerns.
Please bring a photo ID for admission.

To register, go here : Registration 

Posted by Tim W.

First Part and Second Part 

I’m not an instant-gratification kind of guy. I have tremendous patience. That is, until I custom-ordered my first BMW.

I thought it would be wise to order my 2008 328xi EXACTLY as I wanted it. My CA told me it would take 6-8 weeks depending on conditions in the Atlantic. Well, what he left out was the plant shut down over the Christmas holiday. So, what do you do with two months of waiting on your hands? You surf BMW websites, forums and blogs. And that’s where I discovered other nuts. Um, I mean, “enthusiasts.”

I’d never been much of a car enthusiast. But by January I was a regular poster on BMW forums and even started topics where others with January production runs could track their cars. Once your dealer provides you with your order production number (or VIN) you can track your BMW’s build through the BMW Owner’s Circle website or via BMW NA’s 800#. I called daily. Sometimes twice a day. I knew to the day when my car entered production, when it entered the body shop, the paint shop, assembly. I knew when it got transported from the factory to the port of exit in Bremerhaven, Germany.

That’s when it gets even harder. Once in port, you car sits there and waits for a spot on a shipping vessel.

Suddenly, I became an import/export mogul…tracking ships across eastern Europe and the Atlantic to guesstimate what vessel I would be loaded on (and when).

At last, I was loaded on a ship called the Otello. Myself and dozens of others with Bimmers on the Otello commiserated in online forums. I registered for free with shipping websites, tracking the boat’s every movement via satellite until it finally docked in NJ.

For the next couple of days, it was a guessing game. How long until my car made it through the VPC. At last, I received the call from my dealer. “The car will be here on Valentine’s Day. We’ll clean it up, get the registration taken care of, and you can pick it up first thing Saturday morning.” Saturday, February 16th. Christmas.

This is the third in a series of entries about the BMW experience from a non-enthusiast’s perspective.

Next up: Delivery.

With this occasion, I would like to thank the guys at edwintertires.com for their support. Here is why we strongly recommend using their services.

FOR SAFER DRIVING ON OUR ROADS

RENT WINTER TIRES FOR YOUR NEW BMW

Driving in the Alps with Summer tires in wintry conditions is not only a severe risk to you, your passengers and your new vehicle, but in the event of an accident you would almost certainly be considered to be at fault. In Austria, the law requires that cars be fitted with Winter tires if they are being driven on roads that have snow or ice on them. The police are not only fining drivers who do not comply but are often not allowing them to complete their journeys.

ED Services of Ismaning near Munich provide an economical rental program specially for BMW's European Delivery customers. Buyers of vehicles factory-fitted with wheels that have Summer tires on can temporarily fit replacement wheels fitted with Winter tires. A full set of Run-flat Winter tires, fitted with Tire Pressure Monitors and mounted on alloy wheels, can be rented for any duration.

At our depot in Ismaning. the factory-fitted wheels with Summer tires are removed and replaced with ones fitted with Winter tires. The original wheels are safely stored inside the depot and then re-mounted onto the vehicle at the end of the rental period. From our depot it is then just a 5-minute' drive to the Munich Automobile Drop-Off Agency at EH Harms in Garching. Alternative arrangements may be available for customers dropping off their cars at other locations.

Typical all-inclusive rental prices:

BMW 335i, 3 days € 175, 6 days € 299, 10 days € 399

BMW 535i, 3 days € 245, 6 days € 329, 10 days € 449

Call Annette Wagner on 0173 692 72 32

Rental equipment offered by John Lance (trading as ED Services)

Max-von-Eyth-Strasse 13, 85737 Ismaning

www.edwintertires.com info@edwintertires.com

If you already booked a drop-off in Italy or reserve it by 1. February 2008, the fee will be waived.

Your BMW dealer will have a form for you to complete. Payment will be to the driver at the time of pickup (cash only).

You should have a full tank of petrol in the car and you need to leave both license plates on and give the white folder (with registration information) to the driver.

Insurance and registration must be valid for at least three days following the day of drop-off.