[tahoejoe]

I just got back from a trip to Germany to pickup my 335i. Thought I’d share with everyone a quick synopsis of the trip. Thanks in advance to all the people on the board, as I couldn’t have done it without the use of all the information here.

I was looking for a new car for about a year. Ultimately the decision came down to a Porsche Cayman or a 335. I ended up choosing the 335 because it has a back seat, more luggage / trunk space, is considerably cheaper, and in my opinion didn’t compromise in terms of power. That being said, the two cars drive completely differently so it is hard to compare them directly.

I decided on the 335 in September after a test drive. I knew that I wanted to do European Delivery because of the fun of the experience and the cost savings. I believed (wrongly or rightly) that with such a new model, I wouldn’t be able to find a dealer willing to give much of a discount for a regular US purchase, but I would be able to find a dealer willing to negotiate on an ED purchase.

After speaking to a few dealers, I finalized my order with the following options:
- Premium package
- Sport package
- Park distance control
- Comfort access
- Sparkling graphite exterior color
- Black interior color
- Brushed aluminum trim

I decided to skip the navigation option as I found it expensive at $2K and I plan to invest in a portable navigation system that I can transfer between cars when necessary.

I placed my order in September. Tracking the car online, I found it was built within a matter of a few weeks and just awaiting my arrival, which was scheduled for mid-November.

As I planned my European trip, the nature of the trip changed quickly from a driving vacation with my wife into a pure one-day transaction to pick-up the car. There were two reasons for this. First, as my wife and I planned where to go from Munich after picking up the car, we came to realize that she wasn’t interested in a driving vacation (i.e., spending a few hours a day in the car). She prefers to spend a few days at a time in a major city to see the sights, experience the nightlife, etc. Second, I needed to be in Europe (outside of Germany) for business immediately after my planned pick-up date.

The result of these factors is that I experienced European Delivery purely as a transaction to sign for the car and drop it off in Munich during an extended layover between the US and my business in Europe. This is definitely less than ideal but the best I could do given the circumstances. I expect, however, that I will have future opportunities for a more leisurely European Delivery experience.

My itinerary for the day:
- Arrive in Munich from the US at 1900 the night before
- I stayed at the Le Meridien Munich immediately adjacent to the Haupbanhof (main train station). This was extremely convenient as there is a 10 euro Lufthansa airport bus from Munich airport to the Haupbanhof, which takes 45 minutes (S-bahn train takes approximately the same amount of time). This location is also within easy walking distance of the main sights in the old downtown portion of Munich.
- 0400 next morning, woke up due to jet lag
- 0800, took a taxi to the delivery center (30 minutes, 20 euros)
- 0830, arrive at the delivery center, check-in, and eat breakfast while the BMW personnel process the paper work. There were only three or four other people waiting for a car pickup at that time.
- 0900, I’m called to pick-up the car, review the paper work, and get a quick rundown on the car’s features. I found this to be a bit disappointing relative to my expectations. An office woman handled the paperwork part of the conversation, then took me to see my car. I then expected a silver-haired German engineer to give me the full briefing on the car. Instead, the same office person conducted the briefing. Her first sentence was, “This is your car, are there any questions I can answer for you?” I didn’t know where to begin, to be honest.
- 0930, I’m off for the autobahn to take the car for a spin. Distance traveled: 60 miles. Top speed achieved: 116 miles per hour in sixth gear at 4000 RPM. I was hoping to hit 120 but this was not possible as 1) I was advised not to go over 4500 RPM for the first 1200 miles to allow proper engine break-in and 2) It was a rainy day and there were limited patches of dry pavement. I’m sure some of you are cringing at my break-in etiquette but I couldn’t help myself.
- 1030, fun on the autobahn is over. I drop off the car at the shipping agent for processing. The Munich agent is only about a 5 mile drive from the European Delivery center.
- 1100, leave the shipping agent and arrive back at the hotel at 1130. I spent the next few hours walking around downtown Munich, having a brawtwurst, etc. before catching my onward flight in Europe for work.

All in all, a great trip. Obviously the car experience portion of it was short, but I didn’t mind combining the personal and business aspects of the trip and making it efficient. Now the hard part begins – the wait!! The car is expected to arrive in the US around mid-December, so I should get it from the dealer during the second half of December.

Edit: photos will have to wait. Haven't figured out how to cut them down to size so they'll post.

[sflgator]

Sounds like a great experience; great choice btw. I'll bet you'll be really itching for the next several weeks until your car arrives here in the U.S. So, because your wait will be hard enough, here's your car (+ the Navi system and ACC and - PDC). Anyway, good luck!

[Gripster]

Congrats! The wait is painful, but we're your support group.

Looking forward to seeing pics of your ED.

[tahoejoe]

Is there any way to track when the ship is supposed to dock in the US? I've been informed that my car is on "Hual Africa" and scheduled to arrive into Port Hueneme, Oxnard, CA on Dec 12th.

[F30Toad]

Originally Posted by tahoejoe

Is there any way to track when the ship is supposed to dock in the US? I've been informed that my car is on "Hual Africa" and scheduled to arrive into Port Hueneme, Oxnard, CA on Dec 12th.

Try this thread.
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37602