# First ED: E92 M3. Pics and a few thoughts



## mcultra (Apr 28, 2011)

Just finished my first ED on October 16th and wanted to post a few photos. I can truthfully say that my ED experience exceeded my expectations, which, after 5 months of planning and thinking about, had become stratospherically high. I also wanted to add a few details and opinions to hopefully benefit those currently researching every detail down to the molecular level.

So here are some car pics, 2011 Jerez black/ black w/ carbon leather E92 M3 with ZP2, ZCV, DCT, 19" wheels. 








Delivery: the Reveal









Delivered: better than Christmas









Exploring the Salzkammergut









The Mondsee









Hochosterwitz Castle in Austria, outside of Klagenfurt









The obligatory castle-and-car shot&#8230;.not Neuschwanstein









My favorite pic of the trip









Cesky Krumlov Castle at night









Pilsner Urquell brewery, tasting in the cellars

A few thoughts:

1. If you can't sleep WELL on a plane, then fly in at least the day before your delivery. I flew into Munich the morning of my delivery thinking that I would sleep some on the plane and would be amped enough about the car to overcome any sleepiness. Worked out okay, but man was I exhausted when I left and had a few hours of driving ahead of me. I don't sleep on planes and was sufficiently amped, but it would have been so much better to have arrived the day before, actually slept some, and then really been able to enjoy every detail.

2. The Welt gives you this awesome €15 gift card, but you can't use it in the gift shops, only the gastronomies&#8230;.seems pretty useless given that the Premium Lounge is giving you delicious free food/drinks already. I guess you can use it for lunch or dinner, but why? You're not getting a meal for €15, and again, the Lounge has really good stuff already included. I tried the shops on the first and second floors, but not the shop in the museum, perhaps they do take the gift card, but don't hold your breath. You do get a free engraved keychain, however, which seems a bit cheesy&#8230;.I think I would just as likely have a airbrushed license plate with a unicorn and a rainbow, or perhaps the wolf-howling-at-the-moon motif.

3. The day of the week you schedule your delivery can make a big difference. According to one of the associates, Friday is the busiest delivery day with Monday also being popular. I picked up on a Wednesday and there were 57 deliveries that day. In contrast, a typical Friday can be 150 deliveries! I'm not saying you would be rushed, but there will definitely be more people around. I showed up at 9AM and there were maybe 8-10 people in the entire lounge, seemed even more elite. Maybe not an important issue, but just sayin'. 








Not too busy at the Lounge on a Wednesday morning

4. In case you're running late- I flew in to Munich the morning of my delivery with a 9AM appt. I was picked up by Rolf at the airport at 830AM, which should have given me just enough time. He didn't seem worried about having to be there by 9AM, and in fact asked to make a little stop- had to pick up some eggs at a friend's farm (not making this up) which was on the way. We got there at 930AM but he was right&#8230;.not a problem, but I think this was because it was a slow day. According to the associate who did my paperwork, to keep your delivery time (when you go to your car) you have to be there 40 minutes prior. This is due to the fact that they have to go get the car and bring it to the delivery spot and have it prepped. Obviously, I'd advise to get there as early as possible and enjoy the awesomeness that is the Welt/ Premium Lounge, but just in case something happens.

5. Apparently, there is some type of 'show' everyday at the Welt at 11AM. On my day, it was the motorcycle show going up/down stairs, doing wheelies, etc&#8230;.pretty cool.
6. As people have stated in the ED forum, you can drop off your car at Loginout on Sunday in Munich, but there is a €200 fee to have someone there. You can avoid this fee and still drop off on Sunday as long as you fill out the paperwork ahead of time during regular business hours. After I left the Welt, I drove straight to the Loginout office at the airport (30 min drive) and did all the requisite paperwork. They will give you the vehicle condition form to fill out when you drop the car off and leave with the car. Dropping the car off was very simple except for the fact that there are only 10-12 parking spaces available. You may have to 'make' your own parking space if it's full&#8230;.I think cars are there from Saturday and from Sunday drop-offs, but not a big issue.

7. Car wash- I had all of the locations posted on the forum (thanks to everyone who posted) but the Loginout at the airport offers a carwash service as well. Granted, it is €40! but it is done by hand and I felt it was justified given the convenience factor. Apparently, they see people mess up their paint jobs by choosing the wrong program at automatic washes (good sales pitch, I know) but it is the convenience factor that I think makes the most sense, especially if you are planning on dropping off the car and walking to the airport to catch your flight&#8230;.simplifies things.

8. Undercover Polizei- So I leave the Welt and Loginout ready to start my trip towards Salzburg. Near the Austrian border I'm cruising along and the BMW 5 series in front of me puts a LED scrolling sign in the back window that says 'Polizei&#8230;.pull over'. This is like a 2004 burgundy BMW 5 series with 2 guys in the front and some 20 yr old in the back seat working the sign&#8230;.sketchy to say the least. I know nothing of unmarked cars in Germany and they didn't have any extra lights on the car- just a scrolling sign that anyone could have picked up on the internet. I try to go around and they block me&#8230;.so I pull over with them. Three big guys get out in normal clothes and I'm thinking there is a chance this might turn out badly. I immediately ask to see some ID and as the driver reaches for his wallet I see a gun and some handcuffs- don't know if this makes me feel better or worse. The badge is legitimate and they apparently are 'under cover' looking specifically for stolen cars. I'm cool at this point but my wife is not convinced so she starts taking photos of the guys&#8230;.they did not appreciate this, but were actually pretty cool about things once I explained that I literally have had the car for only two hours. They check my passport, the registration card, VIN number, and make me pop the hood to check the engine serial number plate. All is good and I'm on my way. So&#8230;.just know there are unmarked cars in Germany with LED scrolling signs&#8230;.make that sketchy looking unmarked cars with sketchy looking guys with LED scrolling signs.

Hotels​I wanted to add a few hotels that I have not previously seen on the extensive lists on bimmerfest. 
Austria:
Schloss Prielau
This castle is located on Zell Am See south of Salzburg very close to the Grossglockner. I cannot recommend this place enough&#8230;.5 stars. It is owned by Dr. Wolfgang Porsche (grandson of Ferdinand Porsche) and is a 16th century castle that is now a luxury hotel. They upgraded us to a suite, which consisted of 5 rooms and took up the entire 3rd floor (see photos). Rooms, food, staff are all amazing. It is about 15-20 minutes from the northern start of the Grossglocknerstrasse, which is nice if you do not want to drive all the way to Berchtesgaden or Salzburg. Mayer's Restaurant has 2 Michelin stars. About €180 per night.








one of our bedrooms









our dining area









view from our room










Hotel Obermayerhofen 
Located 1 hr south of Vienna, this is another medieval castle that has been renovated to a luxury hotel. Our room was upgraded for free and was the biggest bedroom I've ever seen in Europe&#8230;.maybe 30ft by 30ft (see pics). Restaurant was also amazing. Room was €220 per night


















Best Western Das Tigra, Vienna
Located inside the Ringstrasse, close to everything. Very nice, modern rooms, which were slightly cheaper than some of the other hotels seen, posted on the forum. October pricing was €134 per night.









*Czech Republic*​Pension Mysi Dira
Located in the heart of Cesky Krumlov, right next to the Old Town. This was my favorite city in Austria and the Czech Rep. It's more quaint than Rothenberg in Germany and without all the tourists. Very nice, simple pension with great staff. It sits next to the best restaurant in Cesky, the Barbakan, which feels like a medieval tavern because it is a medieval tavern.

Hotel Alchymist Residence Nosticova, Prague
In Lesser Town, 5 min walk from Charles Bridge with castle view rooms. Great deal for this much luxury. Apparently, lots of movie stars have stayed here when shooting in the area, including Vin Diesel and Keifer Sutherland. Has a TripAdvisor 5 star rating which is hard to get. €162 per night








Attic bedroom at The Alchymist

All of these hotels have secure parking available, some covered, but all enclosed and monitored. The two castles have decent outside parking adjacent to the building.
My wife has extensively reviewed all of these places and more on TripAdvisor if you would like to see more info: 
http://www.tripadvisor.com/members-reviews/CRSM

Last, but not least, thanks to all of the people who post on this forum&#8230;.this is the best resource for ED I have found. I definitely knew more than my BMW CA during this entire process thanks to the forum, saved him making a few mistakes along the way. Can't wait to get my car back and start looking at options for ED#2.


----------



## Chuck W. (Apr 27, 2007)

Great write up, thanks.


----------



## SD ///M4 (Jan 24, 2011)

mcultra said:


> Just finished my first ED on October 16th and wanted to post a few photos. I can truthfully say that my ED experience exceeded my expectations, which, after 5 months of planning and thinking about, had become stratospherically high. I also wanted to add a few details and opinions to hopefully benefit those currently researching every detail down to the molecular level.


Congrats! I'm looking forward to seeing the pictures, because they're not showing up right now.



mcultra said:


> 1. If you can't sleep WELL on a plane, then fly in at least the day before your delivery. I flew into Munich the morning of my delivery thinking that I would sleep some on the plane and would be amped enough about the car to overcome any sleepiness. Worked out okay, but man was I exhausted when I left and had a few hours of driving ahead of me. I don't sleep on planes and was sufficiently amped, but it would have been so much better to have arrived the day before, actually slept some, and then really been able to enjoy every detail.


I'd add to this that arriving the evening of the day before your delivery could be just as bad. We arrived at 17:30 the day before our delivery. Per Rick Steves' recommendation, we got a prescription for Ambien and we each took one at the beginning of our overnight red-eye flight. We both slept a few hours, but far from a good night's sleep. After we checked in, we had dinner, walked back from the Marienplatz to the Marriott (about 3-4 miles) and then went to bed around 23:00 and each took 1/2 an Ambien (again, per RS). We both woke up feeling like we really slept well but when we looked at the clock it was only 2:00! We slept fitfully until around 6:00 and then just got up and made it to the Welt around 8:00 (our check-in was 9:00). By that afternoon, after delivery, the plant tour, and touring the Welt, we were exhausted so we put off the Museum until the next morning and hung around the Premium Lounge the last couple of hours.



mcultra said:


> 2. The Welt gives you this awesome €15 gift card, but you can't use it in the gift shops, only the gastronomies&#8230;seems pretty useless given that the Premium Lounge is giving you delicious free food/drinks already. I guess you can use it for lunch or dinner, but why? You're not getting a meal for €15, and again, the Lounge has really good stuff already included. I tried the shops on the first and second floors, but not the shop in the museum, perhaps they do take the gift card, but don't hold your breath.


In May they also gave us a €10 gift card that could be used in the gift shops. Apparently they have eliminated this. We used our €15 gift card at the International Restaurant for lunch and it was really quite good, but this also took more than an hour, valuable time on that day.



mcultra said:


> 5. Apparently, there is some type of 'show' everyday at the Welt at 11AM. On my day, it was the motorcycle show going up/down stairs, doing wheelies, etc&#8230;pretty cool.


This appears to be the only show that they do for a while now. I've never seen any pictures of anything else.



mcultra said:


> 8. Undercover Polizei- So I leave the Welt and Loginout ready to start my trip towards Salzburg. Near the Austrian border I'm cruising along and the BMW 5 series in front of me puts a LED scrolling sign in the back window that says 'Polizei&#8230;pull over'. This is like a 2004 burgundy BMW 5 series with 2 guys in the front and some 20 yr old in the back seat working the sign&#8230;sketchy to say the least. I know nothing of unmarked cars in Germany and they didn't have any extra lights on the car- just a scrolling sign that anyone could have picked up on the internet. I try to go around and they block me&#8230;so I pull over with them. Three big guys get out in normal clothes and I'm thinking there is a chance this might turn out badly. I immediately ask to see some ID and as the driver reaches for his wallet I see a gun and some handcuffs- don't know if this makes me feel better or worse. The badge is legitimate and they apparently are 'under cover' looking specifically for stolen cars. I'm cool at this point but my wife is not convinced so she starts taking photos of the guys&#8230;they did not appreciate this, but were actually pretty cool about things once I explained that I literally have had the car for only two hours. They check my passport, the registration card, VIN number, and make me pop the hood to check the engine serial number plate. All is good and I'm on my way. So&#8230;just know there are unmarked cars in Germany with LED scrolling signs&#8230;make that sketchy looking unmarked cars with sketchy looking guys with LED scrolling signs.


This is an incredible story, but pretty funny in hindsight! You should this in the Wiki so more people know about this.


----------



## Meiac09 (Jan 2, 2006)

Good write up, I agree on most! Except I dropped my car off in a rainstorm, don't they wash it before shipping?

I got the "Bitte Folgen" from a marked E61 south of Munich after they followed me for a while. They never slowed, so I went to pass, and they waved their halt paddle out the window. Then a Ferrari blew by and they turned on their blue lights and left me alone. I didn't even get a second glance from Swiss border guards, wtf!?

I blew the 15***8364; on bottled water for the car on my way out. Did you meet the incredibly friendly woman who made your keychain? Great representative for BMW there.


----------



## mcultra (Apr 28, 2011)

Sorry for the technical difficulties with the pics, all looked good on the previews but something was lost in translation.


----------



## dandanio (Jun 20, 2008)

I believe you have not shared the pictures with a general public. Trying to open one of your pics gives me "Unauthorized". Maybe that is gonna help you with pics.


----------



## mcultra (Apr 28, 2011)

*fixing pics*

I just went ahead a changed the original post, sorry I'm not very slick at this.


----------



## Nefilim (May 17, 2004)

sounds like a great trip, thanks for sharing!


----------



## dandanio (Jun 20, 2008)

That PDF works, but for the future, here is what you did wrong: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2002861?start=0&tstart=0

I hope that helps.


----------



## 540gone (Feb 23, 2006)

When I tried to open it, it says ":Invalid Attachment - Contact Administrator"

I would really like to see your pictures. Thanks for trying.


----------



## mcultra (Apr 28, 2011)

OK, fixed...no I mean it, without the PDF this time. Much thanks to Dandanio for the help link- right on target.


----------



## Alfred G (Apr 1, 2007)

mcultra said:


> Cesky Krumlov Castle at night


Great to read! Thanks for posting.

I find it great you picked a few cities off the beaten path.

Just let me add a few lines about Cesky Krumlov - or as I prefer: "Böhmisch Krummau". This is a fasinating old city with a castle built on a bridge! I like it very much.










*History: *Böhmisch Krummau is an old German-Austrian city; after 1945 the Czeck expelled the population which had been living there for centuries and renamed Krummau into "Cesky Krumlov".

Imagine the Mexicans occupied Jacksonville, Florida, drove all Americans out and renamed the city into "Ciudad Jackson". How would an American feel about this? 
That's about how I feel when I hear Cesky Krumlov instead of Krummau.


----------



## mcultra (Apr 28, 2011)

Alfred G said:


> Great to read! Thanks for posting.
> 
> I find it great you picked a few cities off the beaten path.
> 
> ...


I would have to say that Cesky was my favorite place on this entire trip...definitely off the beaten path, but that's where the good stuff is! Thanks for the info, I didn't hear this about the city when we were there, but we did miss the city walking-tour due to some rain. Are you from Czech rep or just a fan like me?


----------



## ChrisM318ti (Oct 18, 2007)

mcultra said:


> 8. Undercover Polizei- So I leave the Welt and Loginout ready to start my trip towards Salzburg. Near the Austrian border I'm cruising along and the BMW 5 series in front of me puts a LED scrolling sign in the back window that says 'Polizei***8230;.pull over'.


Did you also take pictures of the car itself?
Normally you can recognize them easy because of the antenna behind / or before the shark fine. The antenna is for the terrestrial radio to contact their police station for checking your plates etc.


----------



## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

mcultra said:


> 2. The Welt gives you this awesome ***8364;15 gift card, but you can't use it in the gift shops, only the gastronomies***8230;.seems pretty useless given that the Premium Lounge is giving you delicious free food/drinks already. I guess you can use it for lunch or dinner, but why? You're not getting a meal for ***8364;15, and again, the Lounge has really good stuff already included. I tried the shops on the first and second floors, but not the shop in the museum, perhaps they do take the gift card, but don't hold your breath.


But you also get ***8364;10 for gifts and you can use the ***8364;15 for snacks or, if you dine in the restaurant (which is quite good and has great views in the evening), you can use the ***8364;15 there.



mcultra said:


> You do get a free engraved keychain, however, which seems a bit cheesy***8230;.I think I would just as likely have a airbrushed license plate with a unicorn and a rainbow, or perhaps the wolf-howling-at-the-moon motif.


I don't think getting a keychain in the shape of the BMW Welt (which is what I got several times) is cheesy. :dunno::dunno: It's a nice touch IMO.



mcultra said:


> 3. The day of the week you schedule your delivery can make a big difference. According to one of the associates, Friday is the busiest delivery day with Monday also being popular. I picked up on a Wednesday and there were 57 deliveries that day. In contrast, a typical Friday can be 150 deliveries! I'm not saying you would be rushed, but there will definitely be more people around. I showed up at 9AM and there were maybe 8-10 people in the entire lounge, seemed even more elite. Maybe not an important issue, but just sayin'. .


The fact that Friday is busy is a well-known fact here for many years although it isn't discussed that widely so it is good that you bring it up. Most people in Germany and surrounding countries want to pick up their cars on Friday. Wednesday was a good choice for you. :thumbup:

Fridays before a holiday week or weekend are even busier by the way.


----------



## MB330 (Oct 18, 2005)

Thank you, mcultra!
Great post, great photos. Will use your hotel recommendation for feature ED.


----------



## Alfred G (Apr 1, 2007)

mcultra said:


> Are you from Czech rep or just a fan like me?


I was born in Munich, but my father's family is from the Sudetenland, a 95% German inhabited area from where 3 million Germans were expelled by the Czeck after WW II.

More here on wikipedia:

_After the end of World War II, the Potsdam Conference in 1945 determined that Sudeten Germans would have to leave Czechoslovakia (see Expulsion of Germans after World War II). As a consequence of the immense hostility against all Germans that had grown within Czechoslovakia due to Nazi behaviour, the overwhelming majority of Germans were expelled.

_


MB330 said:


> Did american, before that occupations, kill thousand and thousand innocent Mexicans, man, woman, children? Use Mexicans as a slaves on their factories, testing on them their new gases, to kill more people? Use Mexican women as prostitution slaves for their soldiers? who refused get kill on spot.


This does not describe what happened in Checkoslovakia during WW II properly. Definetely the Czeck had no reason to expel 3 million Germans from what had been their home for centuries.


----------



## MB330 (Oct 18, 2005)

Alfred G said:


> This does not describe what happened in Checkoslovakia during WW II properly. Definetely the Czeck had no reason to expel 3 million Germans from what had been their home for centuries.


PM with apology send .


----------



## mcultra (Apr 28, 2011)

JSpira said:


> But you also get €10 for gifts and you can use the €15 for snacks or, if you dine in the restaurant (which is quite good and has great views in the evening), you can use the €15 there.
> 
> I don't think getting a keychain in the shape of the BMW Welt (which is what I got several times) is cheesy. :dunno::dunno: It's a nice touch IMO.


Your's sounds cool, here's what mine looked like. Kinda generic, but did have the Roundel on it at least.



JSpira said:


> The fact that Friday is busy is a well-known fact here for many years although it isn't discussed that widely so it is good that you bring it up. Most people in Germany and surrounding countries want to pick up their cars on Friday. Wednesday was a good choice for you. :thumbup:
> 
> Fridays before a holiday week or weekend are even busier by the way.


Yeah, had seen that posted...definitely one of the reasons for me choosing the middle of the week. Delivering 150-160 cars in a day is amazing to me given the level of customer service and attention that is anticipated/expected.


----------



## TeeZee (May 17, 2004)

Nice write-up and pics- thanks for sharing the hotel info :thumbup:


----------



## TeeZee (May 17, 2004)

Nice write-up and pics. Thanks for sharing hotel info :thumbup:

And congrats on the car!


----------



## gabfab (Jul 4, 2009)

JSpira said:


> But you also get €10 for gifts and you can use the €15 for snacks or, if you dine in the restaurant (which is quite good and has great views in the evening), you can use the €15 there.}
> 
> I don't think getting a keychain in the shape of the BMW Welt (which is what I got several times) is cheesy. :dunno::dunno: It's a nice touch IMO.}
> 
> ...


At least earlier in October we didn't get the 10 E for the shops. The 15E can be used at the bistro downstairs for water and goodies for the trip. My son liked the pastries, specially one with mascarpone cheese and lady fingers. Kind of a tiramisu but without coffee. I had the last expresso before hitting the road...

Agree, the key chain with your name engraved is a nice touch


----------



## dalekressin (Sep 3, 2008)

Enjoyed your write up. Need to do it again!


----------



## Zeichen311 (Mar 31, 2011)

Great write-up and photos, really takes me back. I could almost switch from ownership to leasing just to do this more often. 
Congrats on the M!


----------



## gabfab (Jul 4, 2009)

great post! I will be posting our brief Father-Son trip soon! Best to all


----------



## masti99 (Feb 14, 2011)

# 8 is popular. I had the type of experience coming back from Italy, routine check


----------



## TexasBMW (Mar 20, 2007)

Great post and information! Thx!


----------



## basiluf (Dec 16, 2010)

Can you post the pictures of that your wife took of the undercover police? Are you 100% sure they were legit even if you came away from it fine?


----------



## mcultra (Apr 28, 2011)

basiluf said:


> Can you post the pictures of that your wife took of the undercover police? Are you 100% sure they were legit even if you came away from it fine?


the picture was kinda blurry and the A-pillar was in the way. Don't think she got one of the car. I'd have to say they were legitimate given what happened. They asked for my passport and my green registration card. I gave them over, they scrutinized them, then they all walked back to their car and got in. At this point I'm thinking: 'great, just gave over the two most important documents I own and now they might just pull off'. At least I knew he wasn't going to outrun me in my new M3. Then they got out, handed me my docs, wished us a safe trip. If they weren't legit, then don't know what they gained from the stop other than scaring me to death!


----------



## 3ismagic# (Mar 17, 2011)

On a tip from a fester we used the 15 euro card for snacks for the road at the cafe in the main floor area. Bought a bunch of water, pretzels, chocolate etc.


----------



## 3ismagic# (Mar 17, 2011)

Meiac09 said:


> Did you meet the incredibly friendly woman who made your keychain? Great representative for BMW there.


This gets my vote for sarcastic BF post of the month. Seriously, that lady is like the anti-welt. Every other part of the Welt experience was great except her.


----------



## 3ismagic# (Mar 17, 2011)

Alfred G said:


> Imagine the Mexicans occupied Jacksonville, Florida, drove all Americans out and renamed the city into "Ciudad Jackson". How would an American feel about this?


Oh the irony. I think Americans are intimately familiar with that song.

Just Imagine how native americans and to a lessor extent mexicans felt. They had lived on the continent for hundreds (mexicans) and thousands (NA) of years just to see a bunch of white europeans show up one day, lay claim to everything, and then proceeded to exterminate the local population. They sometimes left the names though. How nice of them.


----------



## basiluf (Dec 16, 2010)

mcultra said:


> the picture was kinda blurry and the A-pillar was in the way. Don't think she got one of the car. I'd have to say they were legitimate given what happened. They asked for my passport and my green registration card. I gave them over, they scrutinized them, then they all walked back to their car and got in. At this point I'm thinking: 'great, just gave over the two most important documents I own and now they might just pull off'. At least I knew he wasn't going to outrun me in my new M3. Then they got out, handed me my docs, wished us a safe trip. If they weren't legit, then don't know what they gained from the stop other than scaring me to death!


"You" could be assassinating a terrorist somewhere in Asia right now. They just needed to make a copy of your passport to gain entry to the country.


----------



## mcultra (Apr 28, 2011)

basiluf said:


> "You" could be assassinating a terrorist somewhere in Asia right now. They just needed to make a copy of your passport to gain entry to the country.


glad I could help? At least if a SWAT team busts in my house ( a la National Lampoon Christmas Vacation) I'll know where to start explaining during the interrogation!


----------



## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

The sub-thread above about the Polizei in the unmarked car and soft clothes is a little disturbing. Clearly the culture in Bavaria is way different than here, but to an American, that sort of scenario could be panic-inducing. Absolutely not surprised your wife was taking pictures, and I could imagine someone else refusing to pull over - animated LED sign or not. Someone oughta explain that to the authorities, dontcha think?

I think I know the person in the Welt gift shop you're referring to. She waited on me back in June. If it's the same one, she's not rude - she speaks the tiniest bit of German and even less English, and is shy about it.


----------



## Vulpes (Nov 26, 2010)

I got pulled over near the Austrian border as well.. Cops passed me in an unmarked BMW Station wagon.. They stuck a little paddle out the passenger window, no light show at all.. 

My cousin thought they were dumping something out the window.. We were on the back roads, so they turned into a dirt road.. We pulled over (as did the three cars behind me) but we did not follow them down the road.. They came up and said "Why you no follow us".. 

Since the other cars pulled over, I suspected this was probably legit but was not going down a dirt road after them.

These guys had no guns that we could see, and no badge, just a rag eared green ID I could have made in photoshop.. They were remarkably calm for cops.. Bad procedure, they would get there asses shot if they were in the USA.. You never pull in front of someone when you pull them over, you get shot that way..

They wanted all the documentation, and got excited when they saw the registration I got at the Welt, nodding their head and saying "Yaaaw Yaaaww".. They looked at our passports and then called in our licenses on the radio.. Then let us go..

We were told "this is normal near the boarder".. I also asked early on if we were in Austria, and they seemed to find that amusing.. They were German.

I think they hadn't seen zoll plates before or they were some sort of red flag.. They probably called them in on the radio and got nothing as a response.. I dunno.. They were intrigued by the whole BMW purchasing thing.. They wanted to know why I would buy a car in Germany.. I told them it was cheaper.. In retrospect, that might not be the thing to say.. But if they are looking for chopped cars, I really don't think there is anything you can say that won't make you stand out..

Drive carefully..


----------

