# Is Performance Center Delivery Worth It?



## MasterYoda (Apr 4, 2013)

Hey Guys,

Wife and I are doing a dual ED next Friday the 26th on a '16 340 M-Sport for her and a '16 M4 for me. This is our 3rd ED and we wont pick up a car any other way. We will be gone for 3 weeks and will visit 6 countries finishing up with a week in Ireland. I wont go into the specifics of the trip and will save that for another post. 

So wife and I have spoken numerous times regarding PCD pickup for at least one of the cars (most likely the M) and each time she has declined because of the extra couple of weeks without the car. Yesterday after finalizing the M4 paperwork with one of dealers we are using she completely changed her tune and now wants to send the M4 to South Carolina. To top it off she wants to do the M school while we are there. Woman!

My question for all is PCD delivery worth it? I am not that concerned about the extra couple of weeks as we are dropping the M4 off early in Amsterdam (After the Nurburgring) and it will have a head start on its way back to the states. I know they give us a free night at the local Marriott but what other "perks" are involved?

Thanks


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## Wine-O (Feb 17, 2010)

Besides dinner and the night at the Marriott followed by breakfast in the morning, you get to drive their M4 on the track. You can do lots of things with it that you normally wouldn't do at home or with your own car. You get a true feeling of how the car drives and reacts to various conditions. Tour of the factory, driving the X5, driving laps in the M5 with a professional driver, and lunch on them pretty much fills out the day. You take redelivery around 2pm.

I haven't done the M School, but it should be loads of fun.

Do it!


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## MasterYoda (Apr 4, 2013)

Thanks guys. Looks like it's gonna be a go!


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## argh (May 25, 2015)

Totally worth it, plus you get to drive the M4 on some brilliant NC mountain roads on your way back!


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## Lionnutz (Jul 24, 2014)

Totally worth it. Do it... especially with the M car. Everyone pretty much hit on all the perks.


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## Arasirsul (Mar 2, 2013)

One way to think about it is whether or not someone who's done it would do it again. I did the Performance Center delivery of my 135i three years ago.

My 228i didn't get off the boat in Baltimore, and is currently sitting outside Brunswick waiting to go to the Performance Center. Yup. I'm doing it again...

It is a little frustrating looking at Vessel Tracker and seeing that my car's a half hour away in Dundalk and I've still got a few weeks before I see it again, but it's worth it.


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## MasterYoda (Apr 4, 2013)

My only issue is that the M4 will have 600-700 miles on it when it gets re-delivered. It's 750 miles back home which leaves me past the 1200 mile break in period. I guess I could schedule the M service at a dealer on the route back up north.


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## alee (Dec 19, 2001)

MasterYoda said:


> My only issue is that the M4 will have 600-700 miles on it when it gets re-delivered. It's 750 miles back home which leaves me past the 1200 mile break in period. I guess I could schedule the M service at a dealer on the route back up north.


Yeah once you have the PCD date, you can definitely get ahead of things and schedule your 1200 at your dealership.

Watch the cops on the route home to the NYC area.

For the benefit of others, if you do 1200 miles on your ED, you will take PCD redelivery with the M service already taken care of.


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## Shon528 (Oct 3, 2003)

Certainly worth it. I'm hoping to go again next year. Another perk is the embroidered gear/clothing that you can only get at the PC gift shop. You can use your BMW CCA discount at the gift shop as well.


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## abomb (Feb 1, 2004)

I haven't done PCD delivery yet but i've visited the Performance Center and factory. For me I will definitely do it next time I order a car but I have family in the Spartanburg/Greer area (brother in law even works at the factory on the X3/X4 line) so I can make a cheap mini-vacation out of it. I would probably consider doing PCD around the time of a M school just to get it all in one trip.


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## need4speed (May 26, 2006)

Completely worth it. a great experience.


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## turpiwa (Jun 13, 2005)

I did a PCD and M school back to back in 2009. It was amazing. Such a great experience. The only reason I didn't do it this time was because of my work schedule - I work rotation - so if I waited for PCD instead of picking up when it arrives in August I would have missed my off swing and would have had to wait to pick it up until October! That was a deal breaker


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## John Casey (Nov 4, 2015)

Wine-O said:


> Besides dinner and the night at the Marriott followed by breakfast in the morning, you get to drive their M4 on the track. You can do lots of things with it that you normally wouldn't do at home or with your own car. You get a true feeling of how the car drives and reacts to various conditions. *Tour of the factory*, driving the X5, driving laps in the M5 with a professional driver, and lunch on them pretty much fills out the day. You take redelivery around 2pm.
> 
> I haven't done the M School, but it should be loads of fun.
> 
> Do it!


Factory will be closed for tours for some time. OP should plan on everything else, but not the factory tour.


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## JimD1 (Jun 5, 2009)

I did PCD in 2009 and the two day M school in 2011. My son and I had a good time at the PCD. We did a panic braking exercise (to show you the ABS brakes work and not to pump the brakes), a wet skid pad exercise (to show you the stability control works), and a mini-autocross (just for fun). They give you lunch at the performance center and then there is a delivery experience like you would get at a dealership. We did a tour of the mini-museum before lunch and drove over in a X5 crossing the obstacle course on the way back. After lunch and before delivery there was an opportunity for a hot lap with an instructor. We live only 1.5 hours away so it is definitely worth it for us.

The Performance center has a complete shop. They can probably do your oil change if you want them to.

The M school is quite different. Speeds during the PCD are like an autocross - and not even a fast one. You don't use the high speed part of the track and they have cones out to keep you down to 45 mph or so. Fun but nothing like the hot lap. The big turn on the track allows you to go 100 mph or a little more which you will do in the M school. They teach you turn by turn how to drive the track. There are also fun exercises on the skid pads. The only one I was any good at was figure 8s on a wet track (hint drift around the cones). This is a much higher speed and much more technical class. The delivery if just fun and a little informative. Both are worthwhile.

If you have the time you should explore some scenic mountain roads in NC on your way home. It will not be the quick way home but is fun. There is a map you can get on-line. The Blue Ridge Parkway is also a possibility. It is very scenic but not at all difficult to drive. There are scenic overlooks every few hundred yards in places. It starts in the southwest end of NC if I remember right and ends in Virginia. The southern end had a bunch of tunnels through the mountains. It's fun but takes a minimum couple days to drive end to end. Some spend a week going on side trips. Asheville is another possible stop on your way home. The Grove Park Inn is a historic and nice place to stay there. There is also a huge old mansion to explore, I forget the name.


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## calbears96 (Oct 31, 2009)

John Casey said:


> Factory will be closed for tours for some time. OP should plan on everything else, but not the factory tour.


The BMW CCA Foundation (just next door to the performance center) has offered to provide tours of their facility to PCD deliveries. It's worth it. There's tons of stuff from race cars to pieces (cars) from the old Zentrum that is currently closed. It also has stuff available for sale...including pieces off of BMW race cars.


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## calbears96 (Oct 31, 2009)

JimD1 said:


> Asheville is another possible stop on your way home. The Grove Park Inn is a historic and nice place to stay there. There is also a huge old mansion to explore, I forget the name.


Believe it's the Biltmore Estate


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## DDGator (Mar 4, 2013)

Worth it? Yes. Done it twice and will do it every time, without question.


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## ksuderman (Mar 15, 2016)

Just another vote in favor of the PCD + School; definitely worth it. There is nothing like tracking someone else's car where you don't have to worry about the tire and brake wear!


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## SloTUrtle (Aug 30, 2016)

How was the food at the hotel or just not worth it and just Yelp a better place instead??


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## M2Pilot (Jun 1, 2007)

The dinner that BMW paid for at the hotel was OK but if it hadn't been free, I would have gone somewhere else & eaten better. Breakfast was convenient & good.


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## Pinball81 (Oct 24, 2006)

calbears96 said:


> The BMW CCA Foundation (just next door to the performance center) has offered to provide tours of their facility to PCD deliveries. It's worth it. There's tons of stuff from race cars to pieces (cars) from the old Zentrum that is currently closed. It also has stuff available for sale...including pieces off of BMW race cars.


I did PCD last week... Unfortunately, the CCA closed their doors to tours. Apparently it was becoming too overwhelming for them. So, our day was a little shorter than the normal experience.

And we were told the factory and Zentrum Museum would not reopen to tours until 2018!!! Hard to believe. You do get a certificate that allows you to visit again after they are open again.


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## calbears96 (Oct 31, 2009)

Pinball81 said:


> I did PCD last week... Unfortunately, the CCA closed their doors to tours. Apparently it was becoming too overwhelming for them. So, our day was a little shorter than the normal experience.
> 
> And we were told the factory and Zentrum Museum would not reopen to tours until 2018!!! Hard to believe. You do get a certificate that allows you to visit again after they are open again.


Bummer on CCA being overwhelmed.


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## Vitacura (Jul 22, 2005)

Pinball81 said:


> I did PCD last week... Unfortunately, the CCA closed their doors to tours. Apparently it was becoming too overwhelming for them. So, our day was a little shorter than the normal experience.
> 
> And we were told the factory and Zentrum Museum would not reopen to tours until 2018!!! Hard to believe. You do get a certificate that allows you to visit again after they are open again.


I did PCD last week as well. We were told that they were closed last week because they were out in CA for the week. Instead we got a short driving tour of the area, including the motorcycle track/school area off to the side and a walking tour of the buildings by the Performance Center where vehicles are prepped for delivery, repaired and where the STEP training is done.


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## SloTUrtle (Aug 30, 2016)

Man I hope the track day part makes up for everything being close


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## sweeney921 (Jun 5, 2016)

I'm interested in taking delivery of my special order F31 via PCD, but unfortunately my wife and I are unable to take days off during the work week. Does BMW allow you to schedule your PCD during a Sat/Sun, or do they force you to stick to whatever date they give you?


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## Wine-O (Feb 17, 2010)

Welcome to the Fest!!!

No, unfortunately -- only M-F.


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## SloTUrtle (Aug 30, 2016)

I asked the something and my guy said no, he did say when the car is on the boat over and I can setup my PCD, he said that I would get 3 week window to make my schl work



sweeney921 said:


> I'm interested in taking delivery of my special order F31 via PCD, but unfortunately my wife and I are unable to take days off during the work week. Does BMW allow you to schedule your PCD during a Sat/Sun, or do they force you to stick to whatever date they give you?


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