Bluex's 2015 SO F80 M3 European Delivery Pictorial

Vectors2final · 05-21-2015, 10:53 PM

Thanks for sharing your experience.

raysspl · 05-21-2015, 11:03 PM

Very glad to see a S/O delivery! Looks grand

1Northcar · 05-22-2015, 05:17 AM

Thanks for a great report! Impressed how much you were able to squeeze into five days and still have time to take the excellent photos

Seeing your photo of the Isetta brought back memories of our Welt experience, but it is amazing how different the setting for the castle shots have changed in just a little more than two months.

Our European Delivery reporting from March:

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=832606

fsfikke · 05-22-2015, 05:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluex

(Continued)

So we've now left the Welt, and just as we pull outside it begins to lightly rain. It also happens to be about 5pm (delivery was at 3:30.....what an efficiently run operation. Truly) and right smack in the middle of rush hour.
[...]

Oh, and 19% tip is included with the check...but it's good to add a few more Euro if the service was exceptional. We always did.

That 19% is not a tip, that's the VAT

But in Europe the waiters salary is included in the prices, so they don't soley rely on the tips, it's just a nice extra.

OneRib · 05-22-2015, 06:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsm918

3) You mentioned the factory tour is a must see but also to makes sure you don't take afternoon delivery? How do you pick the time? I thought BMW only allowed you to pick 3 dates and not the time. I remember some folks on the forum mentioned not to take delivery on a Monday? As far as I can see, the plant tour is open on Monday's. What am I missing?

6) For the cell phone, did you get a GSM card in Germany? Is the data plan recommended?

3- Easy to change the time. You can have your CA request a time when they submit your date preferences. If you get a time that isn't satisfactory, you can call the number on the reservation letter. Just tell the rep what time you would like. As long as its open your fine. I did this exact thing when my initial time was scheduled for the start of the factory tour and that was in July when things are busy. Just make sure your CA gets the initial paperwork in as early as possible.

6- I plan on getting a prepaid sim card for the trip. I have a 2nd gen Moto X on Verizon with an unlocked sim slot. Used their international plan last year on a trip and didn't like it. Too expensive for what you get. Likely to get an Ortel or Vodaphone card.

Bluex · 05-22-2015, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by F80NJM3

Haha just showed my wife the comment and she says "see, I'm not the only one" hahaha
We stayed at Regent which was a block away also, and thank god for that distance. Beer and the spot was unbelievable.

I'm happy to hear that. Without these postings, it would make it less enjoyable and less informative. Have fun... And let the grueling wait begin.

The grueling wait has begun, indeed....lol.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsm918

When does you car get here? Look forward to seeing it at the local cars and coffee from across my house

Well if it would get the hell out of port....still seems to be unassigned. But i'm guessing it will be on the 5/26 departure of the Toscana. If so, should be in NJ by the 10th of June. I'm expecting i'll be picking her up from Otto's right about at the end of the month. Provided all goes well

Bluex · 05-22-2015, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DocWeatherington

Love the updates.. Hmm your missing one tho.. lol

I'm wracking my brain on this......which update am I missing?

I'm about to post the final one......

DocWeatherington · 05-22-2015, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluex

I'm wracking my brain on this......which update am I missing?

I'm about to post the final one......

Yup the final one... lol

Bluex · 05-22-2015, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1Northcar

Thanks for a great report! Impressed how much you were able to squeeze into five days and still have time to take the excellent photos

Seeing your photo of the Isetta brought back memories of our Welt experience, but it is amazing how different the setting for the castle shots have changed in just a little more than two months.

Our European Delivery reporting from March:

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=832606

Thanks so much....beautiful photos you guys have as well. It's some trip, huh? My wife and I were amazed at how green everything was there. To those that may have thought the photos were over saturated, it's totally not the case. It really WAS that green, lol.

I could have, probably should have, taken more photos...more video....but we were having too much fun.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fsfikke

That 19% is not a tip, that's the VAT

But in Europe the waiters salary is included in the prices, so they don't soley rely on the tips, it's just a nice extra.

Good tidbit of info, thank you. I followed this extremely helpful thread in regards to tipping in Germany (and other places).

http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...7&postcount=15

Quote:

Originally Posted by OneRib

3- Easy to change the time. You can have your CA request a time when they submit your date preferences. If you get a time that isn't satisfactory, you can call the number on the reservation letter. Just tell the rep what time you would like. As long as its open your fine. I did this exact thing when my initial time was scheduled for the start of the factory tour and that was in July when things are busy. Just make sure your CA gets the initial paperwork in as early as possible.

6- I plan on getting a prepaid sim card for the trip. I have a 2nd gen Moto X on Verizon with an unlocked sim slot. Used their international plan last year on a trip and didn't like it. Too expensive for what you get. Likely to get an Ortel or Vodaphone card.

Yep, as I said before, it's very easy to change your times. I just had my CA do it and he usually came back in a couple hours with the confirmation. We changed our delivery dates and times multiple times.

I hear you on the prepaid sim.....for my own personal needs, the AT&T $30 plan was perfect. I just didn't need any more data with all the wireless availability. Your needs may require that you be connected much more often than we needed to be. I was fine turning on my data to check email or texts while sitting in a bier garten and then shutting it down till back in the hotel. Others may need to be much more connected

Ok....time for the final posting

Bluex · 05-22-2015, 09:02 AM

That Saturday, the 16th was a beautiful day waking up in Heidelberg. As this 500 year old hotel is situated in the quiet hillsides of the city, and it was a nice cool 50F + outside the sleeping was incredible. We woke up to cool breezes and the sounds of the birds....it was super pleasant. Again another blue sky day in Heidelberg. Clearly the best weather of any place we had been to so far.

We had to get going though. Our drop off appt at LogInOut Terminal Strasse Mitte was for 1:00pm and it's an easy 4 hour drive from Heidelberg. Additionally, it was a big day in the city. A big regatta was happening, as the town is considered a "rowing city", which we found of great interest, as our 15 y/o son is also a rower. Also, AC/DC was in town that evening.....our hotel concierge told us they were expecting 100,000 people for it.

The Hirschgasse Heidelberg Hotel have this great breakfast spread that is brought all directly to your table. I wish I took pictures of this. Typical selections of German meats and cheeses, but also actual fresh squeezed orange juice, mango pulp, different yogurts/oatmeals and an assortment of breads. All brought directly to your table. The coffee was fantastic. They also will make you anything you want from the grill. Eggs, omelets, ect. It's the kind of breakfast you could linger over for a long while. It better be at 25 EU a person, though

This was the only breakfast we had to pay for, however. It was highly recommended and did not disappoint.

I started the M up in the small parking lot out front and the cold start startled me...lol. Holy crap was that loud. I'm sure the rest of the hotel guests were woken up as well....lol. As usual, it lasts for a mere 30 secs at most and then she went down to her low grumble and off we went. Navigating these streets initially I just kept her in "lazy mode", which is to say D1, Efficient/Comfort/Comfort. What a snooze...lol. Even my wife said it just felt like driving in our Accord.....granted it wasn't THAT bad, but the throttle response and shifting is just unremarkable. Once we got out of the congested area it was back to S2, Sport/Sport/Sport.

We drove the A6 and A9 heading back and with perfect weather, Saturday am traffic it was a high speed cruise to be sure. Other than the plentiful speed restrictions, there were a few "unlimited" sections.

The high speed cruising was great and at one point I had this white late model GTI following me. Not on my rear end, mind you....but was absolutely following our every single move. If I moved from the left lane to the middle, so did he and endeavored to keep up no matter what. He was just trying to stay close to look at the car

I lost track of him at one point when entering into a construction zone....and we eventually like an hour later had to stop at a Shell station to get gas (our final bit...and just enough where we had under a 3rd of a tank upon drop off). As I pulled in to the pump, I see the same GTI pull in right next to us. It had 2 german couples in it...maybe in their mid to late 20's and they are grinning ear to ear looking at the M. As they were walking into the shop one of the guys says "Schoenes Auto!" which I gathered eventually to mean "Nice car!". I just smiled, a bit insecure about my German, nodded and said "Vielen Dank!"

Not that I need anyone to fawn over my car, I bought it for what I think, not others, but it was still a feel good moment.

We got to LogInOut (due to the exceptional time we made on the Autobahn) very early. I think about 12:15. Our appt was 1:00pm. Remember, on Saturday's you NEED an appt for drop off. When you're using your Nav unit to get there it will say that you have arrived, and you will be at the terminal, but you cannot see the place to drop off your car. You literally make a right at the next cross street, which is more like a little alleyway. Just know that as soon as it says you've arrived, take your first right and you'll see the building along the side.

I took some pictures, the car was exceptionally dirty at this point....well comparatively, and began emptying everything out.

Remember: take everything out that is NOT standard issue North American. We took out the warning triangle, the first aid kit, the BRACKETS that hold the warning triangle (screw driver needed) and the USB stick that held the European maps. If you dont, you will not see them again upon re-delivery.

They said we could check in the car early, so we did. We did the walk around (no damage) and all the paperwork in probably around 15-20 minutes top.

Note, I did not mention washing. That's because we decided to use LogInOut's hand-wash/wax service for mere convenience. It's 40 EU but it's nice to have it hand waxed for the trip overseas.

We packed up our bags, took a few final wistful glances at the car and headed off to a taxi. I swear it was like sending your kid off to college and turning back to see him one last time.....my wife says "you'll be ok, it'll be back soon enough". My response was just a..."yeah....."

535 miles, 22.3 mpg

Headed to Eurostars Hotel, via taxi, which is situated about 1 block from Augustiner-Keller (biergarten/restaurant), which was all done for strategic purposes. A cab ride from the airport to Munich is 70 EU.

I have nothing of importance to say about Eurostars. It's a brand new hotel and ultra European Modern. Amenities are nice and what you would expect....but no real character to the hotel. Very sterile. Nice breakfast though....but nothing out of the ordinary from say a Hilton or a Marriott. Certainly not what we had experienced the past few days.

My wife and I put on our workout clothes, hit the gym for an hour (in anticipation of our gluttony scheduled for the evening..in mourning of the M), got showered and headed downstairs to the bar for a "pre-beer". We hit up an ATM for a few more EU down the street and were at Augustiner by 4pm.

HUGE. Ton's of people that Saturday. Many dressed in traditional German lederhosen and garb....lots of singing going on. They had a reserved table for us outside (you have to find the table with your name on a placard yourself....dont expect them to take you to it) and we sat and ate pretzels, dined on good german food and drank beer after beer after beer. We didn't leave till after 10pm. Definitely a celebratory afternoon/evening. We once moved inside just for a bit to drink in a different environment.

Augustiner-Keller is a locals bier garten......amazing cask beer (naturally carbonated...poured right from the barrel), and definitely not a tourist kind of place like Hofbrauhaus. You want to go someplace where the Germans go to drink beer? You go to Augustiner-Keller. It's a must do.

We stumbled back to the hotel, woke up the next morning (surprisingly NOT hungover..not once the entire trip, despite the quantities of beer consumed by both of us), packed, had breakfast, took a cab to the airport (got into an altercation with a Turkish cab driver, which I will not go into right now by request of my wife

) and headed back home.

The trip was truly once in a lifetime....we did pack a nice amount in a short period of time. It made the whole experience of getting my dream car that much more special. So many fantastic moments. I cannot encourage anyone enough to do this, if they have the opportunity. Don't worry about going to another country, or any uncertainties you may have....explore the world, learn new things, meet new people and make it all part of your story:

The story of the time you picked up your new BMW in Germany.

Prost!

Thanks for reading everyone....just a few final pics (now direct overhead sunlight, and slightly dirty= more orange):

Thanks again to Scott Gately sgately@ottosbmw.com and everyone at Otto's for helping make this a reality and handling all the minute details as perfectly as could be expected. And of course my wife, who without her none of this would have been possible or nearly as enjoyable

Lynchmob6 · 05-22-2015, 11:11 AM

Fantastic write-up all the way around...thanks for sharing and congrats!

I lived in Stuttgart for three years and picked up a 335 through the ED process, even though we were already in-country...that was back in 2009, but your pictures brought back many great memories!

OneRib · 05-22-2015, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluex

I hear you on the prepaid sim.....for my own personal needs, the AT&T $30 plan was perfect. I just didn't need any more data with all the wireless availability. Your needs may require that you be connected much more often than we needed to be. I was fine turning on my data to check email or texts while sitting in a bier garten and then shutting it down till back in the hotel. Others may need to be much more connected

I would have done what you did if my trip was 5 days. We'll be in multiple countries over 2+ weeks so the Verizon international plan would not work well for me. It's too bad wireless carriers can get away with these plans. Outside of T mobile, they are highway robbery.

Mini rant over.

r3dbimmer89 · 05-22-2015, 12:06 PM

Great thread and I'm always a sucker for Sakhir Orange

///M/// · 05-22-2015, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OneRib

3- Easy to change the time. You can have your CA request a time when they submit your date preferences. If you get a time that isn't satisfactory, you can call the number on the reservation letter. Just tell the rep what time you would like. As long as its open your fine. I did this exact thing when my initial time was scheduled for the start of the factory tour and that was in July when things are busy. Just make sure your CA gets the initial paperwork in as early as possible.

6- I plan on getting a prepaid sim card for the trip. I have a 2nd gen Moto X on Verizon with an unlocked sim slot. Used their international plan last year on a trip and didn't like it. Too expensive for what you get. Likely to get an Ortel or Vodaphone card.

Thanks. Can you pm me what prepaid card you get? There are like a billion ones out there with misc hidden fees. Will save me some research time

///M/// · 05-22-2015, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluex

Note, I did not mention washing. That's because we decided to use LogInOut's hand-wash/wax service for mere convenience. It's 40 EU but it's nice to have it hand waxed for the trip overseas.

Can you please elaborate on this? Is this a place you get it washed and cleaned and then drive to the drop off location or is this a service included at the drop off location? Some other folks on here had mentioned it is important to have the car cleaned prior to the walk around so every minute detail can be captured incase there was any damage.

Thanks.

OneRib · 05-22-2015, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluex

Not that I need anyone to fawn over my car, I bought it for what I think, not others, but it was still a feel good moment.

...took a cab to the airport (got into an altercation with a Turkish cab driver, which I will not go into right now by request of my wife

) and headed back home.

Great thread and last post. You have set a high standard.

Now I am announcing I did get the car only for what other people think

. If I don't get at least 2 comments a day about how great my car is, I will return it to the Welt and expect a full refund and reimbursement for my hotel and airfare. Plus a little thrown in for emotional distress. I HAVE TO BE NOTICED!!!

Also you have to tell this cab story. You can't throw in that little morsel and leave us all hanging. You purposely put it in their so we would complain and show your wife how much we need to know. It's ok, blame us and the horrible internet. Just make sure the story gets told.

bigsid05 · 05-22-2015, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsm918

Can you please elaborate on this? Is this a place you get it washed and cleaned and then drive to the drop off location or is this a service included at the drop off location? Some other folks on here had mentioned it is important to have the car cleaned prior to the walk around so every minute detail can be captured incase there was any damage.

Thanks.

You can pay LogInOut when you drop off the car. They will take care of washing/waxing for you for 40EUR.

Bluex · 05-22-2015, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsm918

Can you please elaborate on this? Is this a place you get it washed and cleaned and then drive to the drop off location or is this a service included at the drop off location? Some other folks on here had mentioned it is important to have the car cleaned prior to the walk around so every minute detail can be captured incase there was any damage.

Thanks.

That's merely personal preference, not a 'requirement'. Sure, it makes sense to have it cleaned prior to the walk around so you can see for sure if there is any damage. But they are very thorough during the walk around....In fact, the woman doing it for us pointed out something that I hadn't even seen and said "hmmm is that a scratch?" and it was this tiny little light colored dirt streak down at the very bottom of the door. No scratch, just dirt.

However, I had been inspecting the car daily, I knew if there was damage or not to be sure.

The service itself is simply as you walk in to do your paperwork you say that you'd like to take advantage of them hand washing/waxing for 40 EU. They will do it for you after you leave. Make SURE you mention wax. I said "hand wash/wax, bitte" and she confirmed "wax as well?"...."Bitte."

You do not need to do anything other than that. They take care of it from that point on.

Bluex · 05-22-2015, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OneRib

Great thread and last post. You have set a high standard.

Now I am announcing I did get the car only for what other people think

. If I don't get at least 2 comments a day about how great my car is, I will return it to the Welt and expect a full refund and reimbursement for my hotel and airfare. Plus a little thrown in for emotional distress. I HAVE TO BE NOTICED!!!

Also you have to tell this cab story. You can't throw in that little morsel and leave us all hanging. You purposely put it in their so we would complain and show your wife how much we need to know. It's ok, blame us and the horrible internet. Just make sure the story gets told.

Lol....thanks. Just wanted it to be preserved for how things happened (before my brain starts forgetting the details...lol).

The good news is, for you, you most likely WILL get a good 2 comments a day (at least!)...lol.

Regarding the "incident", nope...that story will be told at another time. Almost an international incident.....expletives flew, police almost called.....some things don't need to be publicly announced. Maybe in time

Let's just say it was a cultural misunderstanding on taxi protocol that isn't quite the same in the US....lol

OneRib · 05-22-2015, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluex

Lol....thanks. Just wanted it to be preserved for how things happened (before my brain starts forgetting the details...lol).

The good news is, for you, you most likely WILL get a good 2 comments a day (at least!)...lol.

Regarding the "incident", nope...that story will be told at another time. Almost an international incident.....expletives flew, police almost called.....some things don't need to be publicly announced. Maybe in time

Let's just say it was a cultural misunderstanding on taxi protocol that isn't quite the same in the US....lol

I would expect some reaction especially with picking AY. So how high should I set the bar so that I can bitch and complain? 4?5?6? I really just want to make sure I can have an unrealistic complaint about my experience. I must feed the trolls.

I can accept that. I have time. Just make sure if you get the go ahead, you post the story. You may prevent an incident for a fellow forum member.

ZedsDeadBaby · 05-22-2015, 03:21 PM

Thank you Bluex for sharing your memories, impressions and pictures of this amazing ED. As a native German living in Frankfurt which is an hour drive to Heidelberg I am often traveling the Southern part of Germany to cities like Stuttgart and Munich for business as well as for pleasure. Reading your experiences with the Germans was so much fun! I am really happy that you and your wife had a good time. I trust that your SO beauty will be shipped to the US safely and in time. Despite the high number of nice European travel spots my wife and me choose to travel almost every year to the US. Your thoughts and comparisons between the US and European cultures a quite familiar for me e.g. service in Restaurants etc.. Like your experiences with BMW's in Munich and Mercedes in Stuttgart on almost every corner I've noticed a quite similar situation with European cars in Los Angeles compared to other places in the US. I also LOVE the Autobahns and the white and grey traffic sign you mentioned in your post, the one the shows you that there is no speed limit any more. Cars like the F80 perform great at Vmax. It's always great to hit the Autobahn with low traffic, dry and safe road conditions, either with one of my Z4 as well as my "Swiss knife" the Audi Q5. Someday I would like to pick up as well a new BMW at the Welt. Please share pictures after your M3 has safely arrived to the shores of East coast.

Rotate · 05-22-2015, 08:35 PM

Thanks for taking the time to do this phenomenal write up. Was very helpful to read all about the delivery process and you have given me some great suggestions for my upcoming trip.

The last time I was in Europe I want to the Auschwitz camp in Poland because I felt I had an obligation to as I wasn't terribly far away in Vienna. I can honestly say the horror of that day will never leave me. I'm very glad I went but it's also an experience I wouldn't wish on anyone (yet everyone should go). The way you described your visit to a camp brought me back to the moment--I appreciate you taking the time to post about that hard topic.

On a much happier note, what day did you do your factory tour? I ask because I believe my AY 15 M4 was in production around the time it seems you might have been there.

Thanks again for the amazing writeup.

05-21-2015, 10:53 PM	#89
Vectors2final Brigadier General 1357 Rep 3,349 Posts Drives: 2018 F80 YMB/SS ZCP Join Date: May 2011 Location: Austin, Tx iTrader: (0)	Thanks for sharing your experience. __________________ 2019 Ruby GT350 - Gen 5 Whipple on corn making 855RWHP. Sold: 2018 F80 Part Deux /DCT /YMB /Full SS /CF Trim /ZCP /ZEC w/Black 666M Sold: 2015 F80 /DCT /YMB /Full SS /CF Trim /ZEC /ZLP /HK /S&TVC- 18''///M
	Appreciate 1 Quote

05-21-2015, 11:03 PM	#90
raysspl Brigadier General 992 Rep 3,001 Posts Drives: walking, bicycle, & bus Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: SoCal iTrader: (0)	Very glad to see a S/O delivery! Looks grand __________________ re
	Appreciate 1 Quote

05-22-2015, 05:17 AM	#91
1Northcar New Member 5 Rep 12 Posts Drives: 435i xDrive Convertible Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: North iTrader: (0)	Thanks for the renewed memories Thanks for a great report! Impressed how much you were able to squeeze into five days and still have time to take the excellent photos Seeing your photo of the Isetta brought back memories of our Welt experience, but it is amazing how different the setting for the castle shots have changed in just a little more than two months. Our European Delivery reporting from March: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=832606
	Appreciate 1 Quote

05-22-2015, 09:02 AM	#98
Bluex Useful Idiot 1330 Rep 1,777 Posts Drives: My wife and kids insane. Join Date: May 2011 Location: West Chester, PA iTrader: (0) Garage List 2015 BMW F80 M3 [10.00]	Day 4: Drop Off/Munich/Augustiner-Keller That Saturday, the 16th was a beautiful day waking up in Heidelberg. As this 500 year old hotel is situated in the quiet hillsides of the city, and it was a nice cool 50F + outside the sleeping was incredible. We woke up to cool breezes and the sounds of the birds....it was super pleasant. Again another blue sky day in Heidelberg. Clearly the best weather of any place we had been to so far. We had to get going though. Our drop off appt at LogInOut Terminal Strasse Mitte was for 1:00pm and it's an easy 4 hour drive from Heidelberg. Additionally, it was a big day in the city. A big regatta was happening, as the town is considered a "rowing city", which we found of great interest, as our 15 y/o son is also a rower. Also, AC/DC was in town that evening.....our hotel concierge told us they were expecting 100,000 people for it. The Hirschgasse Heidelberg Hotel have this great breakfast spread that is brought all directly to your table. I wish I took pictures of this. Typical selections of German meats and cheeses, but also actual fresh squeezed orange juice, mango pulp, different yogurts/oatmeals and an assortment of breads. All brought directly to your table. The coffee was fantastic. They also will make you anything you want from the grill. Eggs, omelets, ect. It's the kind of breakfast you could linger over for a long while. It better be at 25 EU a person, though This was the only breakfast we had to pay for, however. It was highly recommended and did not disappoint. I started the M up in the small parking lot out front and the cold start startled me...lol. Holy crap was that loud. I'm sure the rest of the hotel guests were woken up as well....lol. As usual, it lasts for a mere 30 secs at most and then she went down to her low grumble and off we went. Navigating these streets initially I just kept her in "lazy mode", which is to say D1, Efficient/Comfort/Comfort. What a snooze...lol. Even my wife said it just felt like driving in our Accord.....granted it wasn't THAT bad, but the throttle response and shifting is just unremarkable. Once we got out of the congested area it was back to S2, Sport/Sport/Sport. We drove the A6 and A9 heading back and with perfect weather, Saturday am traffic it was a high speed cruise to be sure. Other than the plentiful speed restrictions, there were a few "unlimited" sections. The high speed cruising was great and at one point I had this white late model GTI following me. Not on my rear end, mind you....but was absolutely following our every single move. If I moved from the left lane to the middle, so did he and endeavored to keep up no matter what. He was just trying to stay close to look at the car I lost track of him at one point when entering into a construction zone....and we eventually like an hour later had to stop at a Shell station to get gas (our final bit...and just enough where we had under a 3rd of a tank upon drop off). As I pulled in to the pump, I see the same GTI pull in right next to us. It had 2 german couples in it...maybe in their mid to late 20's and they are grinning ear to ear looking at the M. As they were walking into the shop one of the guys says "Schoenes Auto!" which I gathered eventually to mean "Nice car!". I just smiled, a bit insecure about my German, nodded and said "Vielen Dank!" Not that I need anyone to fawn over my car, I bought it for what I think, not others, but it was still a feel good moment. We got to LogInOut (due to the exceptional time we made on the Autobahn) very early. I think about 12:15. Our appt was 1:00pm. Remember, on Saturday's you NEED an appt for drop off. When you're using your Nav unit to get there it will say that you have arrived, and you will be at the terminal, but you cannot see the place to drop off your car. You literally make a right at the next cross street, which is more like a little alleyway. Just know that as soon as it says you've arrived, take your first right and you'll see the building along the side. I took some pictures, the car was exceptionally dirty at this point....well comparatively, and began emptying everything out. Remember: take everything out that is NOT standard issue North American. We took out the warning triangle, the first aid kit, the BRACKETS that hold the warning triangle (screw driver needed) and the USB stick that held the European maps. If you dont, you will not see them again upon re-delivery. They said we could check in the car early, so we did. We did the walk around (no damage) and all the paperwork in probably around 15-20 minutes top. Note, I did not mention washing. That's because we decided to use LogInOut's hand-wash/wax service for mere convenience. It's 40 EU but it's nice to have it hand waxed for the trip overseas. We packed up our bags, took a few final wistful glances at the car and headed off to a taxi. I swear it was like sending your kid off to college and turning back to see him one last time.....my wife says "you'll be ok, it'll be back soon enough". My response was just a..."yeah....." *535 miles, 22.3 mpg* Headed to Eurostars Hotel, via taxi, which is situated about 1 block from Augustiner-Keller (biergarten/restaurant), which was all done for strategic purposes. A cab ride from the airport to Munich is 70 EU. I have nothing of importance to say about Eurostars. It's a brand new hotel and ultra European Modern. Amenities are nice and what you would expect....but no real character to the hotel. Very sterile. Nice breakfast though....but nothing out of the ordinary from say a Hilton or a Marriott. Certainly not what we had experienced the past few days. My wife and I put on our workout clothes, hit the gym for an hour (in anticipation of our gluttony scheduled for the evening..in mourning of the M), got showered and headed downstairs to the bar for a "pre-beer". We hit up an ATM for a few more EU down the street and were at Augustiner by 4pm. HUGE. Ton's of people that Saturday. Many dressed in traditional German lederhosen and garb....lots of singing going on. They had a reserved table for us outside (you have to find the table with your name on a placard yourself....dont expect them to take you to it) and we sat and ate pretzels, dined on good german food and drank beer after beer after beer. We didn't leave till after 10pm. Definitely a celebratory afternoon/evening. We once moved inside just for a bit to drink in a different environment. Augustiner-Keller is a locals bier garten......amazing cask beer (naturally carbonated...poured right from the barrel), and definitely not a tourist kind of place like Hofbrauhaus. You want to go someplace where the Germans go to drink beer? You go to Augustiner-Keller. It's a must do. We stumbled back to the hotel, woke up the next morning (surprisingly NOT hungover..not once the entire trip, despite the quantities of beer consumed by both of us), packed, had breakfast, took a cab to the airport (got into an altercation with a Turkish cab driver, which I will not go into right now by request of my wife ) and headed back home. The trip was truly once in a lifetime....we did pack a nice amount in a short period of time. It made the whole experience of getting my dream car that much more special. So many fantastic moments. I cannot encourage anyone enough to do this, if they have the opportunity. Don't worry about going to another country, or any uncertainties you may have....explore the world, learn new things, meet new people and make it all part of your story: The story of the time you picked up your new BMW in Germany. Prost! Thanks for reading everyone....just a few final pics (now direct overhead sunlight, and slightly dirty= more orange): Thanks again to Scott Gately sgately@ottosbmw.com and everyone at Otto's for helping make this a reality and handling all the minute details as perfectly as could be expected. And of course my wife, who without her none of this would have been possible or nearly as enjoyable __________________ 2015 M3 Sakhir Orange ED Pickup 5/13/15 My European Delivery Thread Last edited by Bluex; 05-22-2015 at 09:10 AM..
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05-22-2015, 11:11 AM	#99
Lynchmob6 Major 368 Rep 1,175 Posts Drives: 2015 SO/SO F80 & 135 M-Sport Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Central Florida iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 BMW 128i Conve ... [0.00] 2015 BMW M3 [0.00]	Fantastic write-up all the way around...thanks for sharing and congrats! I lived in Stuttgart for three years and picked up a 335 through the ED process, even though we were already in-country...that was back in 2009, but your pictures brought back many great memories! __________________ ///M3 SO/SO / MT / 19" Black Alloys / Executive Pkg. / Lighting Pkg. / Adaptive Suspension / Enhanced USB / HK / Full Front XPEL / 35 Tint / MODS: Custom painted engine cover and grill surrounds, Pedal Haus Kit, M-Performance Alcantara shifter/boot & e-brake boot, carbon e-brake handle, wrapped seat shells/rear headrests, M-Performance Spoiler with CRT Stripe.
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05-22-2015, 12:06 PM	#101
r3dbimmer89 Major 331 Rep 1,268 Posts Drives: P-Car Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: SoCal iTrader: (0)	Great thread and I'm always a sucker for Sakhir Orange __________________ Past: BMW (22 G20 M340i, 15 F80 ///M3, 12 E92 335i, 08 E90 335i, 02 E46 325i) Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, VW, Lexus Present: 24 992 C2
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05-22-2015, 03:21 PM	#109
ZedsDeadBaby New Member 8 Rep 11 Posts Drives: BMW Z4 Join Date: May 2015 Location: Autobahn iTrader: (0)	Thank you Bluex for sharing your memories, impressions and pictures of this amazing ED. As a native German living in Frankfurt which is an hour drive to Heidelberg I am often traveling the Southern part of Germany to cities like Stuttgart and Munich for business as well as for pleasure. Reading your experiences with the Germans was so much fun! I am really happy that you and your wife had a good time. I trust that your SO beauty will be shipped to the US safely and in time. Despite the high number of nice European travel spots my wife and me choose to travel almost every year to the US. Your thoughts and comparisons between the US and European cultures a quite familiar for me e.g. service in Restaurants etc.. Like your experiences with BMW's in Munich and Mercedes in Stuttgart on almost every corner I've noticed a quite similar situation with European cars in Los Angeles compared to other places in the US. I also LOVE the Autobahns and the white and grey traffic sign you mentioned in your post, the one the shows you that there is no speed limit any more. Cars like the F80 perform great at Vmax. It's always great to hit the Autobahn with low traffic, dry and safe road conditions, either with one of my Z4 as well as my "Swiss knife" the Audi Q5. Someday I would like to pick up as well a new BMW at the Welt. Please share pictures after your M3 has safely arrived to the shores of East coast.
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05-22-2015, 08:35 PM	#110
Rotate Enlisted Member 29 Rep 36 Posts Drives: 2015 AY M4 6SPD, 2014 Viper Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Melville, NY iTrader: (0)	Thanks for taking the time to do this phenomenal write up. Was very helpful to read all about the delivery process and you have given me some great suggestions for my upcoming trip. The last time I was in Europe I want to the Auschwitz camp in Poland because I felt I had an obligation to as I wasn't terribly far away in Vienna. I can honestly say the horror of that day will never leave me. I'm very glad I went but it's also an experience I wouldn't wish on anyone (yet everyone should go). The way you described your visit to a camp brought me back to the moment--I appreciate you taking the time to post about that hard topic. On a much happier note, what day did you do your factory tour? I ask because I believe my AY 15 M4 was in production around the time it seems you might have been there. Thanks again for the amazing writeup.
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