# FLYGA3's ED Report - VERY LONG!



## flyga3 (May 8, 2007)

Here is my extremely long report. I know I violated the 12 hour rule, but I wanted to make it one big report. 
I want to thank everyone for their help and information. It made this trip very fun and enjoyable, being my 1st ED. All the details really helped make it a stress-less trip and so I hope my report will help those waiting for their special ED day! 

I will post pictures after this thread. I start out with a daily report, followed by my thoughts on the factory tour, feedback on the car, and final thoughts. My ED pick-up date was Monday 3-Sept-07.
So here is my trip:

*Saturday & Sunday: Day #1.5:*

Departed Saturday evening via British Airways, and flew in First Class. FC to Europe was just amazing. I read about someone doing First Class with Lufthansa, so we just had to experience it for this special occasion. BA was a good choice for us in Phoenix as it flies direct to London via 747 for 10 hours, then another 2-hour leg to Munich. Given the evening departure, it worked great as we arrived in Munich after 20:30, just in time for bed.
The journey was excellent, food was the best ever had on an aircraft, and the service was exceptional. Love the blue LED lighting at night and the power fold-down beds, pajamas, personal kit, &#8230;.. (OK, OK, I'll stop now) 
In London, we had no issues with connections, transfers, nor security given our 4-hour layover. The BA waiting lounge for "First" was again the best experience, and the free internet connection was appreciated before heading into Germany. All the food and drinks one could stand, but by that time, I couldn't eat a thing as they already stuffed us for 10 hours. The new Terminal 5 at Heathrow opening next year should be incredible and no more Terminal-4 to Terminal-1 bus transfers.
When we arrived in Munich, I was ready for the BMW hood sign that everyone takes their picture by, as well as the Deutsche Bank ATM. Unfortunately, arrivals via Terminal 1 do not get this nice greeting in baggage claim, so I was a little bummed, but it was made up for shortly. So, if you arrive Terminal-1 (basically non-Lufthansa) then your get the plain-jane baggage claim-no sigh, no DB ATM.
Once we got our bags, we started searching the main Terminal for the DB ATM. After about 30 min, we found one and it worked great and no fees. Just make sure you don't try to pull more then your normal US limit and only 1 draw per day (but 2 if you have a wifeee with another ATM card! ?)
So here we are at the airport at 21:30, and we figured we just get a cream colored taxi. Given I didn't get the longed for picture in front of the BMW grill in baggage claim, the first taxi in line outside the terminal was a clean cream colored 750li! Niiiiice! Wife turned to me and said, "Looks good to me!" Definitely.
Herr BMW Taxi man and his 750 loaded us up and before we knew it we were going 120 mph on the Autobahn down into Munich. That car is so stable; I had no clue to our speed until I read the gauge. Amazing for that car to be a taxi, so I just soaked it in. Now the taxi fair was not bad, given that the hotel wanted to do the same transfer in some Jaguar at a steeper price. Our fair was a little more then half of that so, I gave him a tip and he was thrilled.
The first 2 nights in Munich we were staying at the King's Hotel First Class in downtown Munich. Figured we take BMW on their special rate and check it out.
King's Hotel First Class was a nice small boutique hotel. All the creature comforts you need with a nice German atmosphere. We figured we always stay in US hotel types, so it was time to taste German hotel living. FYI-there was a garage for parking, but that is no longer available. Only backside parking, which was fine. A parking garage is about 2 blocks away. And you have to use your room key to turn the lights on in the room-interesting way to save power.
Great start to day 1.5!

*Monday: Day #2:*

With jet lag still in effect, we decided to skip the hotel breakfast and get a taxi directly to the Euro Delivery (ED) center. With one cream colored Merc taxi ride aside, we were at the ED center by 07:25 and were number 2 in line. Taxi driver had no problem finding the place; just showed him the address from the little book we get from BMW NA on ED delivery.
We checked in, gave the lady my passport and were told to wait upstairs. She didn't need to see my driver's license. Cool.
Given we were 5 min early (open at 07:30), the café wasn't ready, so we chilled upstairs and I started my rounds of the place. I noticed the large brochure cabinet downstairs, so I had to help myself to the 1-series brochure (135i will be a very nice track car!) Give the brochure is in German, I may need JSpira's help to translate! LOL!
I found the waiting time useful. As I was outside checking out all the different cars, I took my TomTom and booted it up to start its GPS acquisition. It took about 2 minutes to acquire being in Europe for the first time, but after that the Quick-Fix made start-up within seconds. I later noticed someone else doing the same thing.
At about 07:45, a fast-paced guy came running up the stairs with my Passport and called out my name. Our delivery guy was Sebastian. Now, Sebastian was a cool guy, its just that he was 15 espresso shots past normal, if you know what I mean. We just went through everything so fast. We basically zoomed through paper work in less then 5 minutes. Then before we knew it, and before I could absorb the moment, we were through the double glass doors and staring at my baby! She has been born!! My wife April reminds me that I had a tear in my eye, but I plead the fifth.
After a 10-minute demo, a slam of the trunk here, a slam of a door there, and a high rev of my engine (all not done by me of course), we were done. It was explained that Monday was going to be very busy and that 100 cars were scheduled to be delivered that same day, thus the explanation for the VERY quick delivery. To be honest, I appreciate Sebastian's promptness and professionalism, but when I have been waiting 4 months for this moment, I want it to last a little more then 15 minutes. I wanted to have everything explained, but given the delivery comment, I held back my concerns and didn't want to challenge the German way. I also was not too happy about him slamming the trunk of my car and hood, and then revving my engine. But I then remembered I bought the100K warranty, so I let my blood pressure come back down. I like driving my cars hard, as they were designed; I don't like treating components as they should not be treated. April took video of the whole delivery, so I think he was playing to the camera more then anything else. I think my mistake was telling him that I already owned BMW's so I think he thought that was a sign to expedite the delivery; maybe I should have said no.
The Smell-I just love the smell of a new BMW. It's so intoxicating. My brother in-law was with me when we picked-up our new X5 a few years back and after 5 miles I had to pull-over so he could throw-up. Apparently the smell killed him. I told him, "What the hell?? I pay big-bucks just for this smell!"
FYI-the garage doors to exit the ED garage are automatic if they are closed. Just pull-up and they open automatically. (Sure this will be a moot point by October for you Welt ED folks!)
By 08:30, I was outside taking pictures of my freshly minted baby. The sun just had peaked out of the clouds at the moment I was taking pictures, which made up for all the body slamming to my car. Ahh TiAg in the sun, I personally just love that color!!
Now it was off to the BMW dealer on the Frankfurter Ring for the vest and to ADAC for the toll sticker. The map ED gives you is perfect for this, or you can load it into the Nav. Before the dealer, we found the M-Division building. Amazing that a building, which is so understated, creates the most incredible and life changing automobiles.
There is a guard at the entrance to the parking lot for the dealership. He was selecting who to let in. As soon as he saw the license plate (and the car of course) he suddenly smiled and waved us in to a front spot. Cool, like parting water.
Very nice dealership. Lots and lots of stuff out in the parts department to buy. We had to buy a few things. April ran over to an X5 3.0d on the floor and asked if we could ED this. Unfortunately I had to tell her they were made in the US, but the Spartansburg delivery was an option once the diesels come to the US. ? 
After cruising both floors of the dealer, we walked over to the ADAC across the street for the vignette. I asked for the "D" sticker, and she said we did not need one. I explained the temp tags on the BMW, and she said that as long as you do not leave any EU country, that a country designation sticker was not required. So no "D" sticker for me, nor did anyone ask.
Its now 10:00 and we have the Factory Tour at 11:30. We decided to head right over there to make sure we know the story on parking and generally taking it easy. (Personally, I really wanted more time to soak in the smell of fresh BMW leather!)
After a quick 10 min we were at the factory. I remember what Sebastian said about parking at the factory: "just ask the guard at the gate and he will tell you where to go." So we just pulled right up to the gate. Guard came out, looked at the car, the plate, then us, and told him we were here for the tour and asked where we could park. He said, "oh, you just park right here, follow me." He grabbed his keys and waved us over 25 feet right to the spots in front of the factory sign right at the gate! They had these lock bars for each spot, but he just went over and unlocked one, and waved us to park there. Sweet! Front row parking! Very cool! He just had a big smile and said "Enjoy the tour". Man, ED delivery has its privileges so far! So there we were, parked at the factory gate and right at the base of the BMW tower building. I asked April for "the pinch" to make sure the jet lag was not effecting my senses.
We walked around the local area. Took pictures of the 4 cylinders, the Welt and the factory perimeter. We bought some baked goods from the local bakery round the corner and just sat outside. This would actually be the best weather of the entire trip, so I'm thankful it happened on this day. And the E92 M3's are coming out in force now. Saw 2 within the span of 20 minutes driving past the factory in full production gear and badging. I figure they are standard issue now in Munich. They sounded so good. One guy was heal-toeing down to the light, and once he saw me with the camera, just started to rev his engine until the light went red-yellow, then just peeled out before the light went green. 
The factory tour started inside a room just to the left of the guardhouse. No check-in required. Just follow the guide up the stairs to get started, drop off personal items, grab an audio device (very handy given the noise) and safety glasses. Details on the tour I have written below, but overall, it was an excellent tour. I found it even more informative since I support a semiconductor-manufacturing environment.
After the tour, we loaded up the TomTom and headed downtown to the hotel. After about 15 mins we were there, took a quick nap to shake off more jet lag. We then jumped on the U-bahn down to Marienplatz for some food. We could not go to Munich without going to the Hofbrauhaus. We were lucky when we arrived as there was a table available, and we order the official "Original" beer. I don't drink beer, but this was amazing stuff. We ordered the traditional schnitzel and strudel and left satisfied. I know there is probably much better food found for those who have ventured Munich more, but for us 1st timers it was excellent. And not too crowded on a Monday.
Walked around downtown and strolled back to the hotel by foot. This was the most perfect day of the trip. Could not ask for more.

*Tuesday: Day #3:*

Breakfast was very good at the Kings. Typical European sandwiches, pastries, fruit, and yogurt.
Given we had a few things to get done online, we found an Internet café up the street that was 1 Euro per 20 minutes, which was decent. Once we got our 20 min of business out of the way, it was time to pack-up and head out to the Neuschwanstein castle.
The drive out of Munich and on the Autobahn was effortless, thanks to the Nav. The navigation helped given the traffic was a little slower. Rain followed us the whole way to the castle.
Once at the castle, with a light drizzle, we pulled over and took a few shots, then it was up the hill to find parking. On the way, there were so many tourists. Buses and buses and the line for the tickets were very long. So given the rain and the people, we opted to just head out and spend more time in Seefeld and our next hotel. 
On our way out, we got a quick break in the weather and the sun tried to peak out for a few minutes. Given the opportunity, I wanted to try to take a few more pictures of the bimmer and the castle. I ended up with some of the best photos of the trip with the car and the scenery. Given this was only a 5MP pocket camera, they turned out great. I think a DSLR would have been perfect, but they look good anyway! 
Once we completed our photo taking, we headed out of town and wanted to get a quick bite to eat in Fussen. We found a McDonalds and figured what the hey; let's have a German McRib. What was different at this McDonalds was that we got ice in our Coke without asking! Cool. McRib (or faux BBQ) was actually better then the US. After our quick meal it was time to get back in the car. It's at this moment that I had my first incident. Trying to back out of a tight spot, I turned while backing out of the spot and did not realize the nicely hidden granite curb rocks that blend with the parking lot, and all of a sudden (~grind!~). Curbed wheel--$hit!  Thank God for insurance. Its not too bad, but sounded much worse.
We drove the back roads into Seefeld, and avoided all freeways. The country roads were beautiful and very well maintained in Austria. The tunnels and the lighting were very good. But with all the rain, we didn't see mountain views, other then what was noticeable at 3-mile visibility. I'm sure the views are wonderful though.
With a few tight turns, we finally started up the road into Seefeld. As the temperature dropped so did the viability. Heavy rain started just as we found the hotel, Hotel Klosterbraeu. We parked in the parking lot and mad a run for it. We checked in, and found out they had garage space available. We unloaded the luggage, parked the car in the garage, and went searching for a place to eat.
Oh, did I mention it was raining?
We found this nice little restaurant about 200 feet from the hotel with a nice menu of home cooked meal. Well it was Schnitzel for us again, this time true Schnitzel (veal) and thinly sliced-perfection. We did notice that Europeans seem to allow pets into their restaurants and allow them to sit under the table. We were joined by a black lab next to us who was definitely NOT a service animal. We were a little shocked, but the dog was quiet and stayed under the table, so we forgot about it. 
After a great dinner, it was time to retire at the hotel, hangout at the nice fireplace in the lobby and eventually turn in for the night.

*Wednesday: Day #4:*

Well, we knew it was going to be another wet day, but we were not prepared for the snow. We woke up, opened the curtains and it was SNOWING! OK, I started thinking we don't have clothes for this, I'm on summer tires, and I don't want to be stuck here (or maybe we do?) It was 30F and snowing. 
Our itinerary for this day was to drive over the Grossglocker in southern Austria. Given it was snowing at our elevation and the Gross is higher then this, we decided that we would have to scrap the Grossglockner due to the snow and sleeting conditions; not chancing it on summer tires. Plan-B is to just take it easy, slow breakfast, and a leisurely drive to Salzburg.
After another very satisfying European breakfast, we packed up, wrote a few postcards, and loaded up the car. I was able to take few shots of the car in front of the hotel. The hotel entrance is accessed through a pedestrian walkway, so it was interesting to drive my car up the way, but we did as the hotel said. Given the good looks we were getting, I assumed it was because of the gleaming car with no snow on it (glad I did the garage!).
Well, we left Seefeld shortly after Noon and headed down the road. As soon as we did, the snow turned back to rain, temps climbed to 42F and stayed there for the rest of the day.
We decided to take the back roads instead of the Autobahn into Salzburg (171). This road paralleled the river and went into numerous small towns.
Well, we ended up having a great drive until we reached the small town of Schwaz, just past Pill Austria. As we were driving in the rain, my wife noticed a bank of apartments on the right side of the road and noticed a kid on a balcony, but we didn't think anything of it. As soon as we passed, we heard 2 load "cracks" on the window. At first we thought they were large water drops, but we noticed that it was louder then that and there were no trees by the road. After a few seconds, we put together that someone threw something at our car. I immediately drove off the road, onto an access road that goes right between the apartments and the main road. We slowly drove back to where we heard the sounds, and we looked up to see that same kid on the balcony that my wife saw earlier. Well, we slowly drove by the apartment, looking up at the kid through the sunroof, and he was looking back at me. As soon as I looked down because the car was moving, I hear a load "crack" again! Damn kid just had the balls to throw something at my car, AGAIN!  Even while looking at me! So we jumped out of the car, and the kid disappeared. Right in front of his balcony, you could see a layer of acorns that were all over the main road. This kid was throwing acorns at cars as they drove by. Acorns were littered right in front of his balcony! And there were no trees around! We eventually found his apartment door, and knocked. The kid answered the door and just looked at us. This kid was not more then 9-10 years old. We asked for his parents, but then it was obvious we had a language barrier, but we let him know we weren't happy. The kid just stood there looking at us, as though it didn't phase him. Well, after our ranting, we left and watched to make sure he didn't try to throw any more acorns. The car didn't get any damage, and it appears the kid (AKA "Acorn Boy") only hit the glass. I doubled checked the body when I dropped off the car and we found nothing. Lucky kid!
After our blood pressure settled back to normal levels and a few roundabouts later, we were traveling the nice curvy roads in the Berchtesgaden area. We eventually came into Salzburg the back way. It was raining the whole day, so the scenery was minimal, but it was nice and green.
For the next 2 nights, we were staying at the Hotel Sacher in Salzburg. Great hotel, and we were lucky enough to score a hotel facing the river and a wonderful view of the Fortress and of downtown Salzburg. 
Parking for Hotel Sacher is a parking garage a block down from the hotel. It's a public garage, so public prices are in effect. The spots are very tight, but if you happen to score parking spot #409 it is the best spot in the garage. It's an oversized spot that is NOT marked as handicapped, so its perfect for freshly minted ED cars! ?
For dinner that evening, we decided just to do the Sacher Grill, one of the restaurants in the hotel. After another Schnitzel (yes, we ate many Schnitzels, but they were too good), we had a slice of Sacher Torte before heading back to the room. For our bed turn-down service, we received 2 little Sacher Tortes on our pillow. Another great day, minus Acorn Boy and the rain.

*Thursday: Day #5:*

OK, I know I have been talking about the rain, but this day would be the rainiest day of all the rainy days. It will later be called a day that "Germany and Austria hasn't seen this cold and rainy weather this early in September", with heavy rain and snow in the higher elevations. Perfect! We come here and get caught in a freak weather event all because of global warming.
Café Bazar right outside of Hotel Sacher is a great alternative to hotel breakfast. Very spacious, great service, and breakfast there hit the spot with their Bazar specials.
The itinerary for this day was to make a quick trip to Eagles Nest in Berchtesgaden, then back into town for sightseeing in Salzburg. By 8am, it was raining hard, but I wanted to drive. So we started driving towards the Nest and noticed we were the only ones on the road. We passed the touristy bus area and kept driving up the mountain, still no cars. Then we got all the way up to the restricted gate area. Now it was sleeting, with the occasional snow flurry. Given the freezing weather and snow, it just wasn't the time to see a nice mountain view, so we drove back down. At least I did get some more seat time in the car! Sweet. So back to Salzburg.
Once back in Salzburg, with the car back in the garage, we start our wet foot trip around Salzburg, focusing on the Mozart stuff. We toured his birth house and his second home. We walked the main streets as much as we could. We took a coffee break at Café Furst and had a few pastries. Good stuff! We just love the little cafes dotted everywhere. We did a little shopping, bought a few Christmas ornaments, and strolled the platz.
With umbrellas and driving rain, it started to take a toll, and we didn't want to get sick, so we decided to turn in by 6pm and head back up to the room for a bath.
After we freshened up, we really didn't feel like enduring any more rain at 21:00, so we just decided on the Sacher Grill once again, but this time for some Austria hamburgers. Interesting yet good. Not sure what kind of cheese that was&#8230;.

*Friday: Day #6:*

Another great breakfast at Café Bazar, then packed up and headed down to the lobby. I headed to the garage in the drizzle to get the car. I had a few minutes to really get a chance to look at the car, pop the hood, and go over the body before getting back in the rain. Car looks great! Just love the way this coupe sits. I'm not a coupe guy, I prefer sedans, but this body work is awesome! BMW did good! The car even looks great after all the rain, dirt, and miles we put on. TiAg, such a great color!
A note on the garage, its 5 levels, and was packed both days. As mentioned, spot #409 was the best in the garage (yup, I checked all levels). Make sure to pay for parking by the elevators before you get to your car. Had to find that out the hard way the first time. Oops!
Trunk full of luggage, wifeee on board, and TomTom loaded, we headed out of Salzburg to join the Autobahn for a swift journey into Munich, with our destination of Dachau. And then the rain stopped. Great, we could have used that yesterday! After about 15 minutes on E60, we came to a complete stop on the road, both lanes. What I noticed as we started slowing down quickly, everyone ahead turned on their hazard lights. This was to alert us to the stop-and-go traffic ahead. This little detail made driving something very different then in the US: people actually caring to notify one another. I'm not sure if its law, but it sure made it comfortable knowing that when you saw the hazard lights, get ready to slow down fast.
Well the stop-and-go lasted for about an hour over 4-5 miles. It was due to some construction work west bound toward Munich. Major bridge work, narrowed down to 1 lane.
Once we cleared construction, we were back up to speed. Then we finally got a "no speed limit" sign and I cranked it. Asked April to get the camera ready, but before I broke 100, a speed limit of 120 km/h was there. Then 100. Then 120. The speed limits change much faster then in the US. It seemed like every 2-3 miles it changed from 100-120 km/h to unlimited, then back down. So I only had a few bursts of a little north of 120 mph before backing off either for traffic or a speed limit sign. It started reminding me of when we have passing lanes in the US on a 2-way road. As soon as you get that extra passing lane for a short distance, its basically "US unlimited" to pass whoever you want to.
Going 120mph on the Autobahn was solid and much calmer then I expected. The car was just solid and it easily wanted to go faster. :thumbupI'm really going to have to watch myself in the states!) But usually traffic or a limit sign would approach. The Germans are very aware of their surroundings, and no one stays in the fast lane for long. I also noticed the biggest difference of driving in Germany then the US: drivers kept their distance between cars. I remember seeing something on History channel about German police cracking down on tailgating and they would even write tickets if you did not keep at least 2-3 car lengths behind the car in front of you. Well, its working. Even at high speed, it sure made driving comfortable-you didn't feel like you were going to get nailed every moment on the road. Something we Americans can't seem to understand-sure explains the frequency of our rear-end crashes.
After a few more jaunts at 120 mph, we strolled into Dachau, and found the parking area for the Dachau Concentration Camp. Everything was very well signed and lots of space to park (very important).
There was a small building off to the right as you approached the front of the camp entrance. It wasn't as noticeable next to some construction they are doing on a new visitor center, but in there they have self-guided audio tours for 3 Euro-a must. It provided all the detail you need to go at your own pace. Given we had only an hour and half before we had to drop-off the car at Harms, we were a little rushed, so we focused on the highlight sections of the tour. If you have more time, 2-3 hours is really needed to complete the tour leisurely.
As expected, it was very eye opening and depressing. The history was perfect and I was glad to see the younger generations learning of these horrible acts, as these can never be repeated for man kind.
After our tour, we were pressed for time and had 45 minutes to make the deadline of turning in the car by 4pm. Thank God for navigation and that I had the drop-off center preloaded; we selected it and drove hard. We were back on the Autobahn and we were lucky to have a few sections of unlimited speed, which gave us a nice stretch to 120mph, which we finally photographed clearly. This speed also let us stay below the 4500 RPM limit as required by the break-in period. 
With less then 10 minutes to spare, we made it down the street for drop off. There was no HARMs sign, but I remembered this "ramp" that we had to go up. If they just put a little sign that shows HARMS with an arrow up, is sure would make it easy for those folks in a rush as we were. Once up the ramp, the sights looked familiar from those who have been there.
Thomas was an awesome guy! A true European car nut! There were 2 other parties dropping off their cars (1 Land Rover and 1 Volvo who actually had to pay for their transport). But once we said BMW, the paperwork was flying, and we went down to inspect the car. Thomas started talking about how much he loves BMW (driving a 745 himself) and how the 335s are just awesome. He said that the 335s are making the Porsche Carrera (non-turbo) folks ticked because 335s are killing them on the streets of Germany. Sweet! Once he went over the car, complemented me for my color choice and that it was a 6MT, another 5 minutes later we were waiting for our taxi back to our last hotel. Very smooth process and no worries. Got my license plate and wished my car the best on its journey to AZ.
Our last night in Munich and of our trip, we stayed in the Movenpick hotel by the airport. Given we had a 7am flight the next morning, we didn't want to get up too early and we just wanted to roll into the airport.
As we pulled up to the airport, a fleet of silver X5s were lined up in front of the hotel, in their own parking area. It appeared they were for BMW driver training. Once inside the lobby, there was a BMW booth by the front desk that was for driver training of all types. Sweet! Too bad we weren't there longer-would have loved to sign-up.
Given the last night in Munich, we got the hotel van to drop us off at the airport, then we took the U-bahn into town for a quick 40 min journey downtown.
Well, that 40 minute journey almost last 2 hours. After the first 2 stops, the train started slowing down and stopped. I originally didn't notice and was zoning out as I thought it was a stop that sometimes requires the operator to stop to allow the timing to sync up because they are ahead of schedule. After about 10 minutes, April and I started wondering what was going on. Everyone was quiet, as we were sitting in a stopped train, rain outside, and we were NOT at a train stop. The operator said something in German over the loud speaker about the train, but I had no clue what it was. I understand Swedish (a Germanic language), but German is not that close. Then the lights went out. So here we are in the dark, in a stuck train, raining outside. Then we had other trains pass us both ways on the other track! So it was definitely our train with the problem. Interesting how no offer was made to transfer us to another train. Well after about 1 hour sitting there, we started moving after several stop/go attempts and limped to the next train stop. Instead of getting everyone out, they did a normal stop, then kept going in limp mode! WTF? So the very next stop, we didn't want to take any chances and hoped off the train, and waited for the next one about 5 minutes later. Interesting train operations. Not sure what happened, but we were hungry and just wanted to get down to Marianplatz for a bite.
Given all the fun on the U-bahn, we decided to stick with the tried and true, and decided on Hofbrauhaus one more time. It was Friday night and its was packed, but we lucked out and found a small table in the back. Ordered up a "Radler" beer and had another Schnitzel! As mentioned, I don't drink beer (or now after this trip maybe I do?); I'm not fond of the bitter taste. But this Radler beer, which is Hofbrau with lemonade, was an excellent concoction! It took the bitterness out and made it smoother. Now that was a beer I could drink! With beer, pretzel, schnitzel, strudel, and Bavarian crème loaded and singing, it was late and time to catch the U-bahn back to the airport. Luckily, we made it in 40 minutes without incident.

*Saturday: Day #7:*

We got to the airport in good time. No problems through passport control nor security. (they let you keep your shoes on!)
Loaded up on the flight to London business class, with no issues. Slept most of the way. Breakfast on this flight was excellent. German sausage! Tasty!
We had originally planned a long layover in London to give us a chance to take the train into downtown, ride the London Eye and see the Westminster area. But once we arrived, it took us over an hour, just to get off the plane, go through the transfer to Terminal 4, then through security (we were First Class and did the "Fast Track" without any gain in time. And finally made it to Terminal 4 after 9am. Our next flight was at 14:30.
After checking into the First Class Concorde Room lounge, we were told that trying to get back into the airport after leaving would not be wise. We didn't want to risk it, as this was intended to be a relaxing trip. So we settled in the lounge, and opted for the complementary massages again in the Molten Brown spa. The back message was excellent! Food was good, lots of great chairs and space-no complaints!
After spending 6 hours in the Concorde room, we were ready to head out to Phoenix. After a 20 minute delay on the ground we settled in our first class nests, drank a pre-flight mimosa, then settled back for the journey.
Food was excellent in First. Filet with some amazing sides I can't pronounce. Drinks, dessert, just so much food.
After a few movies, food, and reading, we landed in Phoenix. 
What an excellent trip and the hospitality was great from British Airways, BMW, all our hotels, and the German & Austrian people. :thumbup: We WILL be doing this again! Next time, Italy! 

*Munich Factory Tour Notes:*

All cars are tested for wheel alignment and headlight alignment right after the car comes off the line-very automated system. One tech in the pit, one up top; computer rolls all wheels both directions, computer/lasers determine adjustment, and techs executes the adjustment per spec. Makes a wheel alignment look effortless and fast-took <90 seconds.
After alignment, all cars are tested to 152 km/h and go through an entire battery of driving tests using all gears, reverse, braking fast/slow, A/C on/off, DTC/DSC on/off, etc. Glad to know my car has hit at least 95 mph before I get it to 120 mph!  The visual display of this test (at the end of the tour) was cool to see in real time as your see the car moving and jerking under the load of the test.
Paint shop was very interesting. Surreal given the rushing water flow underneath the paint booths. The door and hood opening by the same painting robots were cool; robot movement was very smooth-almost human like.
Amazing the number of robots at the final welding point. (Sparks everywhere so use your safety glasses!) I think there were 12 working at exactly the same time when welding the final body panels to the body cage, right after the epoxy stage. I can't image what would happen if the robotic points got out of alignment.
Everyone wears the same BMW overalls????
Lots of RFID technology used there. Lots of techs armed with RFID readers to read the data pods on each car that contains all the model data, including your name & contact info if its your order.
800 cars a day leave the Munich factory. 3er sedans and wagons. Given how many wagons the Munich police use in town, I can see who are the larger buyers of those models-makes sense keeping it close to home. 
5500 employed at the Munich factory.
We had a very interesting discussion about custom orders: 80% of all vehicle orders are custom, which really means they are configured per buyer specs-who are either end consumers like us or dealers who need to fill their lots. But when we order a car, the car comes from an existing stock of painted vehicle bodies. When a BMW actually becomes ours is when the factory places it into production and the body is actually pulled robotically from a stock of already painted bodies. It is when the computer pulls the body from the rack, is when the vehicle is stamped with the VIN, and then an RFID tag is attached and is ours from that point forward. (You can see a clear sticker placed over the VIN on your shock tower as the stamp has gone through all layers of paint into the open metal.) All bodies and decision on how to paint each body is determined by marketing analysis, and not based directly on our order. So for example, my E92 was pulled from an existing stock of E92 TiAg bodies on hand, then it was stamped with a VIN and then the VIN assigned to me. So now I question the vehicle status we get of 151 and 152 for body and paint and if that is really true, because its not until the VIN is stamped does the car actually belong to us. The rack was full of bodies and different colors in that storage area (lots of black)-seems like a bottleneck for production but the wait time is required for the paint to cure.
Wish we could see more of vehicle assembly. Wasn't able to see the insertion of the dash unit into the vehicle. All seat construction and leather sewing is done onsite. When you walk by that area, divider glass was installed so that if you walked by it, you could see in, but as soon as you stopped the glass went opaque. Looks like they don't want folks to truly see how these seats are manufactured. But boy it smells good in there!
All engines are checked using visual and x-ray scanning technology. Basically each engine is scanned and compared to a master image. (think OCR). It checks for all parts and their orientation for proper installation. Given techs put the entire engine together (no robots) this is the quality control check. It was mentioned that it checks even for wire placement, screw height, and if it does not match, the motor is routed by conveyor for inspection, correction, and re-scan. The test is very sensitive and a 6mm screw is left out on the inside of the engine periodically to test the scanning system. Each time it is found. We saw the V8's, and only 1 was off on the "inspection" conveyor. ?
Human assembly of the entire engine is considered one of BMW's strengths. It was explained that a few years ago robots were used as a pilot to try to speed up production. But over the 2 year pilot, quality decreased 20% requiring additional human labor to fix the issues. Given the "touch" needed, BMW feels engines will continue to be hand build for the foreseeable future. Perfect.
All engine types are manufactured at Munich, including the M engines. No tours of the M-engine areas because "tours cause disturbance of workers and would take away from their undivided attention to engine manufacturing." Agreed-let them work their perfection!! ?
Our tour guide, Bernard, has worked at BMW for over 35 years. He was the typical German engineer I imagined! Very knowledgeable, passionate, and stern about every little detail; started in R&D and worked in manufacturing management. Retired now and does these tours.
Its comforting that all aspects of building a BMW happen in the factory (body panels, engine, interior, leather work, etc). It's the materials that are delivered JIT, and most components assembled/constructed locally.

*Car Notes:*

I can confirm what everyone said about the 335: One word: TORQUE!
Did I say awesome? I LOVE the sound then you start it. I had to start the engine a few times every morning when in the garage. Exhaust was better then I expected and it sounded better then the demo cars I test drove. As the wife said when it first started "Wow, throaty!" Yeeees ma'am!
Blipping the throttle is extremely easy-almost no effort need-motor responds almost instantaneously. It was as though the motor was waiting for the blip and executed promptly. Made up-shifting very enjoyable (and I did a lot of them). And then of course the sound of doing so was sublime.
The car sounded so good, we spend most of the time driving with the radio off. So no real test of the stereo nor my iPod. Given the German radio stations we heard, sounded great. Something to look forward too when I get my car back.
The view from the driver seat, which hasn't been discussed much, really looks good. The long hood, with the ever so slight hump in the middle of the hood gives you the feeling you are driving something powerful. 
Did I say how good the interior smelled?? April tells me I just buy BMW's for the smell (which I won't deny). I wish I could bottle that smell. Its definitely my drug of choice.
Love the "A" button for the automatic wipers. I'm used to the movement of the wiper stalk "up" when you need to activate auto-sensing wipers, but when you turn the car off, you forget to move the stock down to re-start (your have to move down, then back-up to re-activate). So with this button, it automatically turns off and is ready to turn back on. Given all the rain we experienced, that was a nice little touch. (Just a little hard to see behind that nice fat steering wheel. ?)
Comfort Access: Best $500 I spent. Loved walking up to the car in the garage, and about 25 feet away, the parking lamps would illuminate. Then if you didn't open the car after about 10 seconds, the parking lamps would DIM off, not switch off. Nice touch! And all the issues about delays on unlocking when you grab the handle were not there. As soon as I grabbed the handle, and before I would pull the door open, it unlocked. I tried this over and over, as I would normally open a door at speed, and there was no delay. Worked very well. Maybe they did a tweak. I think this should be standard issue on all BMW models.
While in the garage, noticed the inside high beam lamps dim-on and dim-off individually as you turn the wheel with the adaptive headlights. I like this dimming thing.
I question the effectiveness of the high-beam flash from the Xenon headlights, when your headlights are off. I video taped the flash, and it appears that its not as bright as the old halogen "inner" lights. I wonder if this has any impact on the longevity of the xenon system, given you do a quick on-off surge with the Xenons for this quick flash.
Cruise control: finally a display on the exact speed set and the dial indicator is just icing on the cake. Love it.
Glad I didn't get I-drive. The interior looks so clean and flowing. And my TomTom worked flawlessly mounted on the left side of the windscreen. No issues with setting it in the glove-box when parked. I think I'll devise a little USB power outlet and short cord for the left side. 
Love the phone button dialing on the radio when manually dialing the phone. Great for voicemail access, phones menus, etc. No scrolling for individual numbers, like on the Nav units.
Given all the rain and the speeds driven, I can see how very useful the rear fog lights are. Everyone had theirs on making them very visible through the rooster-tails. So, I just ordered my rear fog light switch!

*Last Thoughts:*

Driving in Germany and Austria was awesome! I worried much more then needed. After returning from my trip and on my first commute back to work in Phoenix, driving in the US is crazy. The nicest thing is 1) the left-hand lane passing only and 2) more importantly: everyone kept their distance between cars. This is a big deal when driving fast and when driving in the cities. The only time your get tailgated is when you hog the fast lane, which is understandable. This distance keeping sure brought the stress-level down, given I was already on high-alert driving in a different country. Other then "Acorn Boy", driving was great! You guys will love it if you haven't driven there before. No worries, just enjoy the flow!
Driving: When slowing down quickly on the Autobahn, everyone switches on their hazard lights for a few seconds. This notifies you that they are slowing down quickly or stopping. You should also do this for the person behind you. Again very helpful when driving and great for situational awareness. Now I see why the hazard light switch was mounted down by the gear lever for the longest time: easy for your right hand to reach and it happened often. (but now its unfortunately mounted far away by the air vents ? ) Driving in Germany is so involving and logical-I loved it! Makes US driving feel so unorganized.
Germans sure know their cars, and there was folks checking out our car left and right. Maybe the silver made it stand out with all the other dark cars on the road, but people checked us out. On the road, at stop lights, even an old man did the complete 180 turn at the light just to see us pull-up then drive by-just was too cool to drive there. A very car driven culture-just love it. And there were no jalopies on the road-all the cars were kept up.
Weather: Forecasts can change very quickly in Europe. Too much rain!! So pack an umbrella for each person regardless. We were caught off guard with the rain and the sudden cooler temps (sometimes 0C). The weather made the news as "unusual weather for Germany this time of year". The rain/snow was a bummer and we had to cancel a few things, so have a flexible itinerary--don't plan too much. 
I don't drink beer, but Munich beer was very good-was fresh tasting! Not sure if I will find anything close to this in the US-probably why I don't drink beer here. LOL!
The Welt looks amazing outside. Cheers to those taking delivery there in October. Make sure to take lots of pictures for us!!
Given the Welt is coming, it was nice to be able to experience the ED process as it was originally done-out of a small old train maintenance building and those tiny doors to drive out of. It will make future ED's that more humbling.
With an E92 335i 6MT on the Autobahn, my final comment on my 1st BMW ED:
*"I drove it hard and put away wet!"* :rofl::rofl::bigpimp:


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## flyga3 (May 8, 2007)

Day #2 Pictures:

1. 750li Taxi from airport
2. My TiAg Beauty!
3. April & I with new baby! :rofl:
4. Sebastian & I
5-6. Car


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## flyga3 (May 8, 2007)

More Day #2 Pictures:

1. Black w/GrayPop
2-4. Outside ED Center
5. 3 miles! Looks like got 1 extra mile then other folks.


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## flyga3 (May 8, 2007)

More Day #2 Pictures:

1. M3 Poster at Munich Dealer
2-3. Then actually a White M3 by the factory!
4-5. Parked in front of Tor 1 for the factory tour.
6. Parked at the Kings Hotel.


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## flyga3 (May 8, 2007)

Day #2/3 Pictures

1-2. Hof Dinner
3-6. 335 at the Castle & Fussen.


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## Wingboot (Jan 8, 2002)

Nice car and nice writeup...congrats!


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## flyga3 (May 8, 2007)

Day #3 Pictures:

1. View from our balcony at Hotel Klosterbrau in Seefeld. Snow!! :yikes:
2. Porsche checking-in
3. Nicely parked in her garage in Seefeld.
4-5. Packing up and ready to leave Hotel Klosterbrau


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## flyga3 (May 8, 2007)

More Day #4-5 Pictures:

1-2. Salzburg view from hotel room
3. Parking spot #409 for those staying at Sacher! 
4. As far as we could go to Eagle's Nest. Was sleeting.
5-6. Dachau


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## flyga3 (May 8, 2007)

Last Pictures:

1. Finally Drivin'! :thumbup:
2. MINI Clubman on the road
3-4. Drop-off; Final mileage 464.
5. Spotted another Bimmerfester :bigpimp:
6. Heading back in First


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## claud 3 (Jun 27, 2005)

Great post!! Lots of detail we soon to ED want to know. Sorry about your weather--Snow????


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## Skiddy (Apr 12, 2007)

flyga3 said:


> Last Pictures:
> 
> 1. Finally Drivin'! :thumbup:
> 2. MINI Clubman on the road
> ...


Great write up....:thumbup:

Oh, and No 5.... that would be me! :bigpimp:


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## MB330 (Oct 18, 2005)

*ONE of the BEST report I read on this thread!*
I feel like I was with you from the time you board your BA flight from Phoenix to the time you get your new car from Sebastian and later on!.
BRAVO! :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Thank You!!!! :roundel:


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## mscamp (Jan 31, 2005)

Awesome write-up! :thumbup:


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## CarSwami (Oct 2, 2005)

Flyga3

Sebastian was the CA who helped me with my E93 when I did ED in May this year. I recognized him from the photograph with you. I agree with you that he was really hyper, but he took 45+ minutes to walk me through everything in the car, and only left after I had no more questions for him. So I'm guessing that he was probably telling you the truth when he said that there were going to be 100 ED's that day and so he could not spend too much time with you.

CarSwami


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## bagbklyn (Apr 28, 2006)

Great write up! 

I feel you on the Acorn Kid, after planning such a trip, the last thing you need is some kid throwing Acorns at your new Bimmer. 

He is lucky, other people would've done worse probably, he is lucky he didn't meet someone with a shorter temper.


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## guppyflyer (Oct 26, 2006)

Congrats on the new car (nice color)! Great write-up, here's to a speedy re-delivery!

Erik


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## jagu (Nov 7, 2006)

Great write up. I went on the Munch factory tour and I had forgotten the details of that tour until I read your report and it all came back to me. Thanks!!

I was on a first class BA trip to London too, last month. Awesome is all I can say about it. You never know who you'll see in first class. Rapper "Akon" sat next to me.


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## Northcar (Sep 21, 2005)

Great write-up and photos. Glad to see that you didn't let the rain dampen your spirits. Experiencing snow in September will be something you can report on for years to come - especially down there in Phoenix! Some interesting comparisons regarding the factory tour in Munich as opposed to ours in Regensburg. No engines made in Regensburg (or at least none that were included on the tour) and seats are not made on site, but by suppliers. Also got the impression that the bodies are assigned earlier to each car since it was pointed out that things like antenna placement would differ from car to car. There was a "warehouse" with hundreds of prepainted bodies, but we were told it was as a backup and would be used to subsititute when needed. In any event here is a link for comparison.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=216003&highlight=regensburg


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## flyga3 (May 8, 2007)

nivki89 said:


> *ONE of the BEST report I read on this thread!*
> I feel like I was with you from the time you board your BA flight from Phoenix to the time you get your new car from Sebastian and later on!.
> BRAVO! :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
> 
> Thank You!!!! :roundel:


Its a long read, but I'm glad you liked it! I felt it was my only way to payback the favor of eveyone elses great posts!


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## flyga3 (May 8, 2007)

CarSwami said:


> Flyga3
> 
> Sebastian was the CA who helped me with my E93 when I did ED in May this year. I recognized him from the photograph with you. I agree with you that he was really hyper, but he took 45+ minutes to walk me through everything in the car, and only left after I had no more questions for him. So I'm guessing that he was probably telling you the truth when he said that there were going to be 100 ED's that day and so he could not spend too much time with you.
> 
> CarSwami


The dude knew his stuff and he was nice, it was just so rushed but I can understand. Hopefully the Welt deliveries will be more paced in the future.


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