# My PCD Experience - LONG!



## iwanna330cic (Feb 21, 2005)

*Charleston, SC - The First Leg of our Trip:
*

My PCD date was April 29, 2011. We decided to do a little vacation prior to that, so my wife and I flew from home (Cleveland) to Charleston SC to do some sight seeing a couple of days ahead of our PCD. We rented a car (Nissan - eh) and stayed at the Renaissance Marriott in the heart of historic Charleston. Great hotel, terrific area - within walking distance of a ton of visitor-tourist sites&#8230;... including the market area (about 8 or 9 open area buildings covering about 10 football fields), surrounded by quaint shops and plenty of restaurants from modest priced to 4-star level. Lots of things to see and buy if one is so inclined. My wife fell in love with the hand-woven baskets that varied in price from $50 to $500&#8230;.... We got a $90 one (!)

Not having a great deal of time, we opted for a bus tour of the historic area and it was definitely worth seeing the restored buildings, homes, etc. and hearing the history behind it all. We then walked around town at dusk and enjoyed the local evening club life, horse-drawn buggies, and lots of friendly people.

The next day, we visited Magnolia Plantation and Gardens (about ½ hr north of the city). It's a fabulous place, with extraordinary Civil War era history, including four original slave shacks still in existence. It is one of if not the only PRESERVED and not restored plantation homes and collection of buildings in the area. Very much worth the visit! Beautiful grounds, too. The original rice patties (which created the tremendous amount of wealth in the area before the war) are no longer functional, but are still there. Let me repeat that - the wealth came from rice - NOT cotton! (you may have known that, but most people - including us - have no clue)

Once last home tour before leaving town brought us to Edmondston-Alston House which is another preserved home from the Civil War era, but was built in 1825, right at the east bay, next to the Cooper River. This is where General Beauregard watched the bombardment of fort Sumter from one of the three piazzas. That was, of course, the beginning of the Civil War in 1861. Anyway - you get the picture&#8230;.... This area is oozing with history and fascinating stories from the 18th and 19th centuries. If you have even a modest interest in this part of our past, then I highly recommend you visit. We're glad we did!

*Trip to Greer, SC:*

On Thursday evening, we drove up to the GSP Airport in Greer, and dropped off the rental Nissan. That took about 3.5 hours of 80 mph driving (if we drove any slower, we would have been run over several times!) Within minutes, we were picked up in an X5 by a friendly and courteous driver - and driven to the Greenville Marriott where we had a fabulous dinner. I imagine you've read others' stories about the food here, but let me tell you it was OUTSTANDING! The ceasar salad is simply indescribable (and I'm not a big salad guy) and my filet was one of the best I've had&#8230;... their potatoes were just out of this world, too. Everyone was very accommodating, extremely helpful, and made us feel just grand. Oh - and don't forget dessert. Try to be hungry the next morning if you can - because the next day's breakfast buffet was to die for. Just a great experience.

*Finally - THE DAY!*

There were 10 couples getting onto two busses on our way to the BMW Performance Center. We left at 7:45 am, sharp! After a 10 minute drive, the day started with a classroom session where we were given about a 15 minute presentation on some of the special safety and handling features of BMW's, and given an idea of what we were all about to experience:

1.	Experiencing the skid pad with and without the DSC, and understanding the HUGE difference in outcome. (and having a blast doing it, too)
2.	Stomping on the accelerator and then the brakes in a (supposed to be) controlled stop while turning into a corner. Not as easy as you think!
3.	Slalom Driving just about as fast as you dare - driving, turning, braking, and thrashing the car really hard through twists & turns, short straight-away's, hills, and hairpin turns. 
4.	X5 hill climb and handling over rough terrain and some scary hills!
5.	Great lunch!
6.	Factory tour
7.	M5 scream-slalom
8.	Personal delivery of our new BMW

At startup, were first given very practical tips on how to adjust the driver seat & mirrors. Believe it or not - their recommendations made a sensible difference! And then we were slowly taken through each step of the way. I have some pics and a couple of videos that show the skid pad and braking exercise&#8230;.... and will upload those soon. The slalom piece was tricky to video, but there are examples of this on YouTube.

I have to tell you that my wife was not quite as excited about the "race car driving" as I was. With some friendly persuasion, she agreed to give it a try. The result? She actually admitted she had fun and she laughed & smiled as she did 360's on the skid pad and slammed the ABS system into a controlled turn. She actually did really well! 
The above took us through mid-morning, and we then each drove an X5 over to the plant for a fascinating tour. As indicated, this is an assembly plant, not a manufacturing plant (picky perhaps - but nothing is actually made there except the cars!) Their just-in-time inventory keeps things moving at quite a steady pace. I have to say that I already had respect for the quality workmanship and design of our vehicles, but seeing how they build them and hearing about the methods and details of assembly, testing, and so on really impressed me (and my wife - who is a Lexus fan!). The tour was 1.5 hours and then we all went back to the Performance Center for some obstacle course - hill-climbing fun in the X5. You've probably seen the images of the X5 driving over the rocky hill with one wheel in the air? Well - when you're inside that thing, it really feels like it's going to turn over - great fun!! We then headed inside for lunch. Again - another terrific meal&#8230;... and as you know&#8230;.... All on BMW!

*The M5 Rocket Ride*

After lunch (probably not a great idea for some!) we were passengers on a M5 slalom and skid pad experience. All I can say, is Holy Crap! Of course I knew this is a powerful and dynamic machine, but I had no idea how race car-like this thing is capable of performing. We literally got tossed around inside the car with massive thrust and g forces pushing, pulling, and holding us in our seats. It was almost like experiencing 8 car accidents just before the collisions that never really happened (except inside our guts!). To watch this car perform from a distance is impressive, but it gives the observer NO idea how much skill is required to handle the thing, and what the effect is to the people INSIDE the car! I haven't laughed out loud with a simultaneous mix of joy and fear since I was a kid. You will love this!

*"The Delivery!"*

After swigging a coke to settle my gut, and then a short visit to the Performance Center gift shop, we took delivery on our new 328i X-Drive Sports Wagon. Yes - I know lots of people consider the "wagon" to be not such a hot item, but let me tell you that I find it to be a combination of typical BMW luxury & driving dynamics with a very sensible amount of cargo capacity for those weekend trips to Home Depot or the local garden shop - - Besides this is the last sports wagons BMW will bring to North America as it is being dropped as I type this post. And, living in NE Ohio, that X-Drive will come in handy in our lousy snow-filled winters! The X3? Great vehicle, but my wife has an SUV&#8230;... and I'm a sucker for the 3-series anyway. The delivery experience went just fine as my SAT radio was already ready to go, and the iDrive - BMW Assist was setup and ready for me. I actually knew quite a lot about the car ahead of time, but it was good to review things and ask a few questions here & there. It was a real hoot to see my car in their delivery bay as I've seen so many pics of other owner's cars in those spots. Oh - and the weather was fabulous - 76 degrees and sunny. Less than 2 hours later, we were ready to head on out.
The decision to do the PCD was as brilliant as the experience, the professional and friendly staff, and the sense of satisfaction of purchasing my third BMW. It is HIGHLY recommended if you have even a tiny bit of interest in having fun!

*Asheville Experience*

After picking up our E91, we drove northwest to Asheville, via route 276 where we drove up to Caesar's Head State Park. The drive into the mountains was ALMOST as fun as the Tail of the Dragon as there were many curves, turns, hills, and really fun driving along the way. For those who might want that kind of zipping along the curves but a shorter route, and without the heavier traffic and without any LEO's, this is a great substitute! Caesar's Head State Park has a gorgeous mountain top view of the Blue Ridge Mountains, valleys, rivers & lake. Worth the trip!

We wanted to stay at the Grand Bohemian Hotel, but it was full. So, we picked a local Marriott Fairfield Inn - not the same character of course, but it was very pleasant and close to downtown Asheville. We did, however, visit the Biltmore Estate and Grounds&#8230;... and were glad we did. I won't describe this here in detail as others have, and there is plenty about it online. Feel free to send me a PM if you have any questions about it. I'll just say that we are also glad we went. It's easily an all-day visit as it is huge - in fact, it is the largest private residence in the U.S. Again - LOTS of history and fascinating experiences at this place. What was most amazing to us was how extraordinarily preserved everything is. Almost like it was just built. That evening, we walked around downtown Asheville which is kind of a combo of a college town and a hippie-dippie-yuppie kind of place with bars, shops, clubs, indoor and outdoor dining, and interesting quaint stops. All within walking distance.

The next day we slept in sorta late and after an IHOP breakfast (haven't had one of those in years!) we drove our new BMW home - about a 9-hour drive. The car handled just as expected - comfortable, solid, easy to follow nav system, and very satisfying.

*Bottom Line*

I join the long list of other highly satisfied and happy folk who have done the Performance Delivery experience. Thanks to all here who have contributed their stories and advice on trip planning, etc. It definitely helped us in our situation, and I hope some of what I've written may offer some ideas for others. Just be sure to plan ahead and you will have a blast!


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## Rich_Jenkins (Jul 12, 2003)

That is an excellent write up. Thanks.

I agree with you about the wagon. :thumbup:


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## laser (Aug 2, 2004)

A great write up ..... particularly nice to include the Charleston part.

When my family moved from Washington DC to Charleston in 1957 these sweetgrass baskets were being woven and sold along the side of US Highway 17 coming into town from the North. 

Love the "wagon" or "saloon" which are so popular in Europe! :thumbup:

PCD is such a great experience, thanks for the review!


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## I-Won-Today (Feb 21, 2007)

Glad you had a great time :thumbup: Thanks for the great write-up and sharring your experience. I'm personally like the sport wagons and had a 2003 328xi sport wagon, which both my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed.

Thanks again for sharring your experience and enjoy your new BMW :thumbup:


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## que syrah syrah (Mar 24, 2011)

Great write up thank you! As a native of SC I've been to Charleston a few times, it really is a historic and beautiful city. My brother lives in Asheville and you describe the downtown very well, hippie-dippie-yuppie, kind of place. Your best descriptions though were of "YOUR DAY" and your M5 rocket ride, "Holy Crap" made me :rofl:.


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## ZymurgyBMW (Sep 27, 2008)

I'm sold what a great trip, if I wasn't doing the European Delivery I would be all over this. Nice stops before and after. I love Asheville and have been a few times and have always want to go to Charleston. My sister lives in Columbia so I really have no excuse.


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## laser (Aug 2, 2004)

ZymurgyBMW said:


> I'm sold what a great trip, if I wasn't doing the European Delivery I would be all over this. Nice stops before and after. I love Asheville and have been a few times and have always want to go to Charleston. My sister lives in Columbia so I really have no excuse.


Wait, what?

You do the ED then the PDC .... both .... not mutually exclusive! :thumbup:


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## necromancer (Sep 7, 2010)

ZymurgyBMW said:


> I'm sold what a great trip, if I wasn't doing the European Delivery I would be all over this. Nice stops before and after. I love Asheville and have been a few times and have always want to go to Charleston. My sister lives in Columbia so I really have no excuse.


Do them both. I'm waiting for my PCD date now.

Sent from my DROIDX using Bimmer App


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## JimD1 (Jun 5, 2009)

Charleston is less than 2 hours from Columbia. Easy interstate drive (I-26). 

Very nice post. My PCD experience in 2009 was great. The Performance Center is also less than 2 hours from where I live in the Columbia area - so PCD is pretty much a no-brainer. 

For those flying in, South Carolina is a small state so whereever you get the best airfare will be a short drive away. Augusta, Georgia, Charlotte, NC, Greenville, Columbia, Hilton Head, Charleston, Myrtle Beach or Florence would all be short drives to Greer where the Performance Center is. Atlanta is further, maybe 4 hours, probably a bit less, away. Savanah is also further but a nice place to spend a day or two. Great tourist places include Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head, Charleston, and Savanah. Savanah to Hilton Head to Charleston and then on to Greer would be a great short drive tour of the southern SC, tip of northern GA coast.

Jim


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## TeeZee (May 17, 2004)

Welcome to the Touring Club :thumbup: Car looks great and thanks for the write-up!


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## bigjae1976 (Feb 13, 2004)

Very informative!


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## ahimanic (Nov 15, 2007)

Terrific write up! My PCD is next Friday and can't wait.

So you're sure there are no LEOs going thru Blueridge Parkway? I'm planning to go thru there too. 

BTW, for those that plan to visit Biltmore Estates, if you order online 7 days in advance you'll save $11. You can also save about that much if you buy from the local AAA offices. There are 2 in Asheville.


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## bkmk5 (Feb 19, 2008)

Great write up! I've forwarded over a couple snippits to my wife to get her jazzed about our trip there on 5/16!


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## jbureau (Feb 6, 2008)

I'm taking delivery on 5/16 too! The wait has been killing me but from this write up, it looks like it has all been worth it. 

BKMK - Looks like you have a great ride waiting for you down there !


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## bkmk5 (Feb 19, 2008)

jbureau said:


> I'm taking delivery on 5/16 too! The wait has been killing me but from this write up, it looks like it has all been worth it.
> 
> BKMK - Looks like you have a great ride waiting for you down there !


Thats awesome, I'll see ya down there in 246 hours... yes, i'm counting the hours to be reunited with my baby!

My ED trip here:


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## Wine-O (Feb 17, 2010)

What time did you actually take delivery and head out of town? After delivery, we're heading to Myrtle Beach.


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## JimD1 (Jun 5, 2009)

You can leave as early as about noon if you want to skip lunch, hot laps, and delivery. With all those things, closer to 2pm would be my estimate. Delivery pretty much depends on how many questions you ask. Hot laps is maybe 20 mintues but depends, again, on interest. Google says it is 4.5 hours to Myrtle so you should have plenty of time. 2pm gets you to Myrtle well below dark. Even if it was 3pm you'd be there before dark. 

Jim


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## iwanna330cic (Feb 21, 2005)

JimD1 is correct. However, if you are doing the PCD, why would you want to skip ANYTHING? I would not recommend that. In our case, we left the Performance Center at 2:00. It's a very short skip over to the highway from there. However, if I had wanted to shorten the delivery portion (and I could have since I knew most of what was presented) we easily could have left around 1:15 or so. 

Doug


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## Wine-O (Feb 17, 2010)

Thanks for your replies. Don't intend to skip anything -- just asking for planning purposes. We're doing ED, so redelivery won't be an issue.


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## ZoomVT (May 30, 2008)

hey thanks for the write-up.

I am in the process of ordering the same exact colors on an e91 just like yours, also for PCD. I have been nervous about the real color of the chestnut brown, it is tough to judge from renderings and pictures. How do you like it?
I am also glad to see there are other wagon fans. 


Cant wait!


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