# Expilot's Welt Compliance



## ktula (Feb 12, 2013)

Don't know if San Bernardino Pass is anywhere near your planned route. We did San Bernardino Pass last year, on our way from Lake Como to Kufstein. It was spectacular. According to the Top Gear guys, it's one of the best driving roads in the world.


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## Popoemt (Aug 9, 2012)

ktula said:


> Unfortunately, coding a little bit more complicated than just a thumbdrive
> 
> You'll need a cable, E-Sys (software), and a portable computer capable of running Windows (I have a Windows Vista virtual machine running in my MacBook Air). There may be other coders living closer to you so the best place to find them is in the coding forum here.


Ahhh yes, I'm always confusing!!  I meant the thumb drive related solely to vehicle settings like radio stations, seat settings etc, sorry for the confusion!

Sent from BimmerApp mobile app


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## expilot (Mar 20, 2013)

ktula said:


> Don't know if San Bernardino Pass is anywhere near your planned route. We did San Bernardino Pass last year, on our way from Lake Como to Kufstein. It was spectacular. According to the Top Gear guys, it's one of the best driving roads in the world.


It is actually a little West of where we want to go. 
More importantly here is what Wikipedia has to say about it:

"*The pass road is only open in summer.*
The pass is featured in an episode of the BBC television show Top Gear in which the three presenters try and find the best driving road in the world."

Therein lies the rub; SNOW. not good with summer performance tires even if it were open :yikes:


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## SSStang (Apr 27, 2014)

Conrats on the new car and adventures in Europe. I recently did a road trip around Italy. Just watch out for the speed camera's!


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## SJAPoc (Apr 14, 2007)

Very much enjoying following this thread ExPilot! Car is gorgeous and you are obviously enjoying it. Can't wait to see the wheels in black :thumbup: And there are a number of passes that wouldn't be snowed in this time of year. When planning our 2008 ED (20 plus passes), I did a bit of research *HERE*. The French Maritime Alps have some great roads too.

Have fun!!!


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## expilot (Mar 20, 2013)

ktula said:


> Did your bags fit in your wagon OK based on the measurements you made before the trip?


PERFECTLY 
Photos 1 & 2 are of the five bags that must go into the car.
Photo 3 is the space where they must all go.
Photo 4 & 5 - Mission Accomplished :beerchug:

This car holds an amazing amount. Not quite as much as my 2007 5er Wagon, but it holds more under the floor, and because the rear seatbacks fold 40 - 20 - 40 instead of just 60 - 40, there is more flexibility in loading.

Now if I can just remember to put the cargo cover back down before closing the hatch, getting in the car and seeing nothing out the rear window, I will be good. The 5er has an automatic motor driven cargo cover and I have gotten spoiled. If I can't start remembering soon, I will have to put a big reminder sign by the close button


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## ktula (Feb 12, 2013)

Great job fitting everything in there!



expilot said:


> Now if I can just remember to put the cargo cover back down before closing the hatch, getting in the car and seeing nothing out the rear window, I will be good. The 5er has an automatic motor driven cargo cover and I have gotten spoiled. If I can't start remembering soon, I will have to put a big reminder sign by the close button


You won't believe how many times during ED that i started driving while the cargo cover was still up and then had to stop to put it back down. I still do that occasionally


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## ktula (Feb 12, 2013)

You didn't happen to stay at the Four Points, did you? The parking lot in the second photo looks very much like one at the Four Points near the Welt.


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## expilot (Mar 20, 2013)

Yes we did. 
#1 I used SPG Points but #2 or maybe even #1 it was an easy walk to the Welt with the U-Bahn station right in between.


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## expilot (Mar 20, 2013)

*DAY 3 Milan*

Yesterday we departed Munich heading for Milan. I had long ago given up on the possibility of going over the Stelvio Pass, as it was still covered with snow. To see what the Stelvio looks like right now click Here 
So we headed for Italy via the Brenner Pass (Photo 1).

We stopped in the town of Wattens, Austria, about 20 Km East of Innsbruck, at the Swarovski Krystal Welten. There they have the factory where they have been making the Swarovski Crystal products for over 100 years. They also have a very strange but nice tourist attraction / exhibition. You walk through various different artistic and technical / mechanical exhibits, some of which are really weired, but overall really enjoyable. (Photos 3, 4 & 5). 
Of course at the end of the exibition is the Swarovski Store, with every piece of crystal and jewelry that they make. Obviously, we couldn't leave without a beautiful necklace / earirng set to make my beautiful wife look even more beautiful. (Did I say beautiful enough in that last sentance?)

We had lunch in the little town of Hall In Tyrol, and then headed over the Brenner into Italy. (Photos 6, 7 & 8).
That, unfortunately, was the end of the photo taking for the day, as it soon started raining. And then it proceeded to pour.

We arrived in Milan, in the pouring rain and right into unbelievable traffic. It was, after all, May Day, when every crazy in Europe heads for the big cities to demonstrate for workers rights or free love or whatever turns their crank.
We finally got to the hotel, found a nice little restaurant near the hotel and away from the demonstrations, where we had a very enjoyable, real Italien meal.
Upon returning to the hotel, I found that the Wi-Fi connection was sooo slow that I would still be trying to upload these photos. So we called it a night.

The plan was to spend the morning in downtown Milan seeing the Duomo and other sights, but we awoke to more rain. Really hard rain.
So we scratched the Milan sightseeing to head south to the French Riviera. Down the Autostrada we went in the downpour at 140 kph (about 90 mph), trying to stay out of the way of the crazy Italian / French drivers. THe car by the way, handles beautifully in the rain. Although at times the windshield wipers couldn't quite handle all the water. No problem, just went "on instruments" like in the airplanes I flew for years. (Just keep all the needles pointed straight up, and she'll be good).
We stopped in Nice and visited the Matise Museum. Still raining, no photos, and we then continued south to our hotel in Saint Rafael, by the marina South of Cannes. The rain finally stopped and we found a really charming French restaurant right by the waterfront. A great meal, a fine wine. and soon to bed.

Tomorrow we will drive North along the Cote d'Azur through Cannes, Nice, Antibes and Monaco, and then on to Florence.

Will write more from Florence.


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## Gary J (Dec 18, 2013)

So you are backtracking through Nice again? Might as well take the spectacular tram ride to point Michel ! Was that the Matisse museum by the olive grove?


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## 97X (Sep 19, 2007)

Great report so far. Very enjoyable. 

Who did you fly for? What equipment?


Sent from BimmerApp mobile app


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## expilot (Mar 20, 2013)

Gary J said:


> So you are backtracking through Nice again? Might as well take the spectacular tram ride to point Michel ! Was that the Matisse museum by the olive grove?


Well not exactly. The plan was to drive all the way to our Southernmost point Saint Rafael on the Autostrada, and then drive up the coast along the water today, seeing all the little towns as we went. Depending how much we stop along the way, it will be a very full day of driving to get to the Villa in Florence where we will stay for six nights. Although I love cable cars / trams up the mountains, not this trip.
Because of the rain we decided to duck down into Nice and do the Museum, as it was too rainy to see anything else.
Yes, that is the Museum by the olive grove, where the old men were out under the trees playing Bocce in the dirt.


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## expilot (Mar 20, 2013)

97X said:


> Great report so far. Very enjoyable.
> Who did you fly for? What equipment?
> 
> Flew B-52s in the Air Force 1961 - 1966 After Pilot Training in the T-37 & T-33 from 1959 - March 1961.
> ...


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## expilot (Mar 20, 2013)

*DAY 4 Saint Raphael, France*

As I mentioned in my Day 3 post, it was raining our whole time in Milan, so we left early to go down to Saint Raphael on the French Riviera South of Cannes. The 1st photo is what it looked like leaving Milan, in fact it was so bad, even the birds elected not to fly (Photo 2). Photo 3 shows our great all-weather friend safely tucked away for the night. Photos 4, 5 & 6 are of the Marina from our hotel balcony after the rain had finally stopped.

Next post, the drive up the coast in the sunshine, I hope.


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## expilot (Mar 20, 2013)

*Day 5 Cote d'Azur To Florence*

We left Saint Raphael Saturday morning early. The rain had quit the evening before in time for us to have a nice dinner down in the town, and now it was looking beautiful for our drive up the coast.

The day before, driving down, in the rain, we stuck to the Autostrada (freeway), but today the plan was to drive up the coast as close to the water as possible. It took a while to get through all the towns, but being Saturday morning, the traffic was relatively light.

On the Cote d'Azur the hills come right down to the coast. So the road and the towns are cut right into the hillsides. The engineeing in building these old roads and cities is amazing. (Photos 1 & 2). The first major town was Cannes, home of the big Film Festival, (we were not invited, again ), (Photos 3, 4 & 5).

In Cannes we needed to make a "Pit Stop". We found a nice parking spot (Photo 6) and then I tried to figure out what coins to put into the Very Fancy, High Tech, public rest rooms they have by the beach. (Photo 7). Although my French is not great, I figured it out. I did translate that the time limit inside was 20 minutes! Not sure, for what they thought you would need more than 20 minutes!! The beach at Cannes goes on for miles, is all free and open to the public. Unfortunately the "beautiful people" must have still been in bed. (Photo 8)

The next town along the way, as you can see on the Nav screen was Antibes (Photo 9).
By the way, have I said how impressed I am with the new generation Hard Drive based Nav System? It is fantastic!! Fast and so far, accurate, I really don't know how we would have done this trip with just paper maps!

The streets of Antibes, like in most of the towns, are narrow and challenging. (Photo 10) You just point the car at the opening and listen, if you don't hear anything, the space was big enough. The 328d Wagon is just the perfect size car for us. Big enough to handle all of our stuff with ease, but small enough to get through the small towns.

Again, note the wide open beach areas with a wide sidewalk for folks to walk, jog, bicycle and roller blade. (Photo 11 & 13) In many places the snow covered French Alps seem like they are right next to the town. (Photo 12)

In Nice, as in almost all the towns, there were some very nice places that would be perfect to rent (or own), for your next winter getaway. (Photos 14 & 15) And of course there are many, many places for your boat, or yacht as the case may be. (Photos 16 & 17)

Continuing to navigate North (Photo 18), we found a nice little park in the town of Beaulieu, where we stopped to eat a picnic lunch overlooking another marina. (Photo 19)
Also right by the park is a magnificent hotel, the La Reserve de Beaulieu. (Photos 20, 21 & 22) As they say, "if you have to ask the cost per night, you probably can't afford it"!!!

Back on the road we entered Monaco (Photos 23 & 24). I tried to follow the route of the upcoming Formula 1 Grand Prix, for which, they were busy preparing the city. You could drive right up the same roads that would be used in the race, right between the Armco Barriers, fencing and grandstands where the race will be run. I think the race car drivers will have it much easier during the race, as they won't have as much traffic, only 21 other cars. We saw the back of the pit road buildings, put couldn't actually drive up the pit lane, which is also a public road, as it was closed off for the preperations.

We continued past the Casino Monte Carlo, and we didn't lose any money!! Mainly because it was not yet open for the day. (Probably would not have been welcomed in my Levis, and with my small bankroll.) (Photo 27) Monaco would be an impossible place in which to live. Everything is built up the hills, the streets are narrow and clogged with traffic beyond belief, and besides, it would probably be well outside of our financial means. :rofl:

It was now time to head toward the freeway for our 3 hour drive to Florence. Of course that meant a winding drive back & forth up the hills above Monaco, through Very Narrow streets (Photo 28). But never fear, the intrepid pilot is at the controls and totally calm & unflappable. (Photo 29)

We arrived at our "Villa" in a small town just South of Florence. To put it mildly, it was a major dissapointment. The Wi-Fi in the room was sloooow, (like back in the dial-up days), so needless to say I was unable to upload this report yesterday. However the major problem was that the villa we had, although nicely furnished and well equipped, was FREEZING COLD. Only 62 degrees!!! Well, being as how May 3rd was in the "official summer", the heat had been turned off on May 1st, and could not be turned on again until the official start of winter. After shivering through the night, we packed up and left our prepaid villa. We found a nice hotel right in Florence, with secure off-street parking and a nice fast Wi-Fi. 
Now I will have to fight with Interval International for a partial refund on our "Pre-Paid Getaway".

We have put just over 2,000 km / 1,250 miles on the car, which means it is officially broken In. So now we can drive even faster 

Tomorrow, we will do a local area drive to Pissa, Sienna and down into the Umbria.

More after that drive.


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## Trinitony (Feb 10, 2010)

expilot said:


> *Day 5*
> Tomorrow, we will do a local area drive to Pissa, Sienna and down into the Umbria.


If you have time make a stop in San Gimignano, Medieval Manhattan:
http://www.contemporarynomad.com/2012/11/the-towers-of-san-gimignano/


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## SmallTownBoy (Dec 18, 2013)

Trinitony said:


> If you have time make a stop in San Gimignano, Medieval Manhattan:
> http://www.contemporarynomad.com/2012/11/the-towers-of-san-gimignano/


+ 1. Absolutely must-see.


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## expilot (Mar 20, 2013)

Trinitony said:


> If you have time make a stop in San Gimignano, Medieval Manhattan:
> http://www.contemporarynomad.com/2012/11/the-towers-of-san-gimignano/


Thanks, a very timely suggestion as I found your post just before we were ready to leave for the day. I have adjusted our route to stick it in between Pisa and Siena with a short trip down the coast on the way.

Will report back tonight.


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## ktula (Feb 12, 2013)

Trinitony said:


> If you have time make a stop in San Gimignano, Medieval Manhattan:
> http://www.contemporarynomad.com/2012/11/the-towers-of-san-gimignano/


+1. My wife and i did a cycling tour of Tuscany 3 years ago and the climb up San Gimignano was fun!


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## hyperzulu (Jul 12, 2011)

ktula said:


> Have you tried pressing and holding the volume button until iDrive reboots?


+1
ctrl alt del that badboy.


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## expilot (Mar 20, 2013)

ktula said:


> Have you tried pressing and holding the volume button until iDrive reboots?


I did not try that, as I had not heard of that trick. I asked the BMW technician who ultimately got it fixed, (see post below) the next day, whether that would have worked, and he said that because it was operating with the nav "stick" it probably would not have. However, we will never know.

Thanks anyway


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## expilot (Mar 20, 2013)

*Day 20, 21 & 22 Hermannsburg And Back To Munich*

When we last left our adventure, we had arrived at Marga's sister's house in Hermannsburg with a slightly ill Bimmer. The Nav system had failed out of Berlin and left me navigating the old fashioned way. The first thing in the morning we called the BMW dealership in Celle (about 24 Km South of Hermannsburg and about half way to Hanover), and they said bring it on down (or the equivalent in German). So my brother-in-law and I set off, with Klaus's job to interpret for me.

We arrived at B+K BMW in Celle (Photos 1, 2 & 3) and began what would turn out to be a six hour adventure with the dealership's Master Technician, Fred Zarumba. His English was worse than my German, and my brother-in-law's English is only marginally better, but we were able to explain the problem, and the fact that this was an American car with American Nav System operating with a thumb drive for the European Maps. He tried a few things, scratched his head and wasn't sure what to do with this "Foreign" car.

I called my wife Marga on the cell phone and asked her to call the Welt, get hold of the ED department and ask for their help. They said they would get hold of someone in BMW Tech Support and a techie would call me back. Five minutes later they called, I gave the phone to our new friend Fred, and so began a loooong back and forth with Munich. They had the car connected to Munich over a LAN network and they started a number of Software re-loads of the Nav System. At almost 4:00PM, after six or seven tries, Wha-La it worked, and has worked perfectly ever since. That was a huge relief as I really didn't want the car held up at the Vehicle Processing Center in Georgia, for who knows how long, while they tried to fix the Nav System.

The next day I got to give the car it's first proper bath. (Photo 4) My sister-in-law Wally, helped point out any spots I might have missed. (Photo 5)

Today after a tearful goodby we left Wally and Klaus, after a wonderful visit, and headed South, (with a perfectly working Navi) towards Munich. First though, we made a stop at the Margaret Steif factory and Museum (home of the stuffed animals with the "Button In The Ear") in Giengen, (about 148 Km West of Munich). (Photos 6 & 7) We found a nice place for the car to wait for us, (Photo 8) and went into the Museum, and a step into a child's wonderland. There were also many adults, carried back to their childhoods, that were also in wonder, including Marga, who definitely made a new friend. (Photo 9)

Upon arriving in Munich, I put a splash of Diesel in the tank, to get us to the drop off place at the airport with the minimum amount of fuel. I also washed off the bugs that we picked up on the drive, so that the car would be nice and clean for U.S. Customs.

I already got us checked in, and printed out our boarding passes for our Lufthansa flight that leaves tomorrow at 4:10PM for the almost twelve hour flight to San Francisco. I will try to get some photos of the car at Log In-Out, after dropping it off. That will put an end to our European Delivery adventure, covering some 6,400 Km / 3,950 Miles in 24 days, and start the ten weeks wait until we see the car again at the Performance Center in South Carolina, the end of July.


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## Asteroid (Aug 17, 2005)

Thanks for your report expilot. 
You're catching up to my miles. I'll hit 4,000 today sometime.


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## expilot (Mar 20, 2013)

Asteroid said:


> Thanks for your report expilot.
> You're catching up to my miles. I'll hit 4,000 today sometime.


Read your post of your December ED. So your car is home now, right?
How many miles did you do on your ED?
I ended up with 3,980 at drop-off. (See below)


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## expilot (Mar 20, 2013)

*Drop Off & Departure Day*

Drove out to the Munich Airport this morning and Dropped Off the car at Log In/Out. (Photos 1, 2 & 3)

Total mileage for the trip, 6,406 Km (Photo 4) / 3,980 Miles (Photo 5)

Avg. fuel consumption 32.7 Mpg (A good deal of that at 100 mph+) at an average speed of 79.5 Kph / 49 Mph in 82 Hours 41 Minutes of engine on time. (Photo 6)

We board our flight home in an hour, and then start the long wait until re-delivery.

A wonderful trip, from start to finish.


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## Trinitony (Feb 10, 2010)

expilot said:


> *Drop Off & Departure Day*
> 
> Drove out to the Munich Airport this morning and Dropped Off the car at Log In/Out. (Photos 1, 2 & 3)
> 
> ...


You have set the reporting standard by which all future EDers will be judged. Great combo of text and photos. I particularly appreciated having each photo identified in the text.

So now you have a couple of months of separation that you can use to assemble a photo album. Unfortunately you have done such a thorough job of documenting your trip that it will only take about a week to create the album. How are you going to spend the other 7 weeks?


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## ktula (Feb 12, 2013)

Trinitony said:


> You have set the reporting standard by which all future EDers will be judged. Great combo of text and photos. I particularly appreciated having each photo identified in the text.


+1. Instead of posting thousands of photos with little or no description, Expilot has done a great job in describing his wisely-chosen photos. I especially enjoy his humorous posts.


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## Gluhwein (Aug 21, 2011)

expilot said:


> The obvious changes are huge. In the area of the Brandenburg Gate, there is still the Tiergarten to the Western side, but with more big buildings around it, but on the Eastern side, where Potsdamer Platz was just a large empty, mostly dirt area, it is now all new. Tall modern glass buildings, fight for space with all the new Federal Government buildings, since the capital moved to Berlin from Bonn.
> 
> Farther into what used to be the Eastern, (Russian) zone, you can still see the difference in the way the buildings were re-built, or not, after the war. Although there are no longer "rubble piles", it is still easy to tell you are in the former Eastern zone.
> 
> ...


You must've been amazed at the transformation of the Reichstag building. That whole area has been rebuilt and rejuvenated with some amazing displays of architecture and landscaping. The re-designed Hauptbahnhof is equally beautiful. I hope you grabbed a Currywurst while in town.

I worked for Pan Am in Washington DC from 1978-1989. Mostly in the CATO offices in federal government buildings - State Dept, Pentagon, Senate and House and the Department of Agriculture, Mostly worked in reservations then moved out to Dulles Airport for the dying days. I might have gone over to Delta as well but instead decided to go with a "sure" thing and took a government job with the postal service. I still miss those glory days of airline travel - back before frequent flyer programs killed pass riding.


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## SJAPoc (Apr 14, 2007)

Bravo... Well done :clap::clap::clap::clap::clap:


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## Asteroid (Aug 17, 2005)

expilot said:


> Read your post of your December ED. So your car is home now, right?
> How many miles did you do on your ED?
> I ended up with 3,980 at drop-off. (See below)


I turned it in with 1,490 miles in Paris on Dec 12, and got it back here on Feb 4, 54 days later. Hoping you have a quick redelivery. :thumbup:


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## stp80 (Dec 17, 2013)

Great trip report. Glad you enjoyed yourselves. 
Wow almost 4000 miles. We picked up our cars on the same day but I've been back home for 3 weeks already! I'm definitely jealous about that.:rofl:

Can't wait to see more from your continued journey at the PDC and across the country after your car makes it's trip across the Atlantic.


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## expilot (Mar 20, 2013)

Trinitony said:


> You have set the reporting standard by which all future EDers will be judged. Great combo of text and photos. I particularly appreciated having each photo identified in the text.
> 
> *I read all the compliance posts since, like, last October, and learned a lot from them. The hardest part was selecting from the 200 - 300 photos we got each day, which 20 or so would tell the best story. *
> 
> ...


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## expilot (Mar 20, 2013)

ktula said:


> +1. Instead of posting thousands of photos with little or no description, Expilot has done a great job in describing his wisely-chosen photos. I especially enjoy his humorous posts.


*Thanks. It probably would have been better if I could have figured out how to do full size pictures inserted in the proper places in the text, as it went along, instead of as referenced thumbnails at the end. Unfortunately once I started with the thumbnails, I just stuck with that format. Perhaps someone could give me a quick tutorial on the other way to include photos.*


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## expilot (Mar 20, 2013)

gluhwein said:


> you must've been amazed at the transformation of the reichstag building. That whole area has been rebuilt and rejuvenated with some amazing displays of architecture and landscaping. The re-designed hauptbahnhof is equally beautiful. I hope you grabbed a currywurst while in town.
> 
> *The area has certainly undergone a huge transformation. Some of it really nice, some of it just making Berlin into just another big city. Except for the atrocity of The Wall, we rather liked the way it was in the past. Our favorite curry wurst stand was on Savigny Platz, unfortunately the owner has long since retired. He and his wife would arrive in the morning in a big Mercedes and unload supplies for the day, and then one or the other would be working all day over a hot grill. They were the best in town. There is a stand on Tempelhoferdamm that is still there that is almost as good.*
> 
> ...


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## expilot (Mar 20, 2013)

SJAPoc said:


> Bravo... Well done :clap::clap::clap::clap::clap:


*Thanks SJAPoc. It was regukar encouragement from you and others that kept me keeping on with it.*


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## expilot (Mar 20, 2013)

Asteroid said:


> I turned it in with 1,490 miles in Paris on Dec 12, and got it back here on Feb 4, 54 days later. Hoping you have a quick redelivery. :thumbup:


*WOW, under 8 weeks is really good to the West Coast. We are doing Performance Center re-delivery and they say 10 weeks, but here's hoping it will be quicker. Otherwise it will be South Carolina and then back through the plains states at the end of July / early August. Thank God for A/C*


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## expilot (Mar 20, 2013)

stp80 said:


> great trip report. Glad you enjoyed yourselves.
> Wow almost 4000 miles. We picked up our cars on the same day but i've been back home for 3 weeks already! I'm definitely jealous about that.:rofl:
> 
> *Really too bad we didn't meet up that day at the Welt.*
> ...


+


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## Trinitony (Feb 10, 2010)

expilot said:


> I will definately plan on doing a PDC re-delivery "compliance". Not sure where to post it though, here or in the regular f30 forum??


My vote is post it here


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## sno_duc (Sep 3, 2008)

expilot said:


> *Thanks. It probably would have been better if I could have figured out how to do full size pictures inserted in the proper places in the text, as it went along, instead of as referenced thumbnails at the end. Unfortunately once I started with the thumbnails, I just stuck with that format. Perhaps someone could give me a quick tutorial on the other way to include photos.*


PM sent.
Great write up :thumbup:


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## expilot (Mar 20, 2013)

sno_duc said:


> PM sent.
> Great write up :thumbup:


Thanks for the kind words. Also for the PM and link.
After reading the link explaining what is involved, I will stick with thumbnails.
As it was, I spent so much time on the laptop posting to this thread, that my wonderful wife was ready to shoot me. 
The additional steps required to post the photos directly into the text would have "broken my back like a camel"


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## expilot (Mar 20, 2013)

The car is booked on the ship HONOR, departing Bremerhaven 5/30

Delivery: Tuesday 04/29
Drop Off: Thursday 05/22 - Munich
Honor Scheduled Depart: Friday 05/30
Brunswick, GA Scheduled Arrival: Tuesday 06/17 
PCD Re-Delivery: ?????? Hopefully around the week of July 7 - 11


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## miata13 (Nov 22, 2007)

expilot said:


> The car is booked on the ship HONOR, departing Bremerhaven 5/30
> 
> Delivery: Tuesday 04/29
> Drop Off: Thursday 05/22 - Munich
> ...


Expilot - Have the same idea ED +PCD....we did our ED 3/17 over spring break; drop-off was in Munich 3/22. Caught an early ship 4/1 and the F31 landed in Brunswick 4/20 and I was offered first available PCD date of 5/19. Unfortunately my work schedule and co-driver's availability have delayed Spartanburg pickup until.....NEXT MONDAY June 2nd!!!

Am getting anxious...we depart Saturday for the cross country journey....in the Miata.. Zoom..Zoom indeed but imagine I'll enjoy the return trip in the new BMW much more. The combo of the Miata thru the Tail of the Dragon followed by return trip in the BMW will be amazing.

Best to you on your PCD adventure and thanks for your ED documentary....THAT should be be archived as a "sticky" in this forum!


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## expilot (Mar 20, 2013)

miata13 said:


> Expilot - Have the same idea ED +PCD....we did our ED 3/17 over spring break; drop-off was in Munich 3/22. Caught an early ship 4/1 and the F31 landed in Brunswick 4/20 and I was offered first available PCD date of 5/19. Unfortunately my work schedule and co-driver's availability have delayed Spartanburg pickup until.....NEXT MONDAY June 2nd!!!
> 
> *Oh, that must be tough to have to wait that extra two weeks.*
> 
> ...


*Have fun on your re-delivery and drive back home.*


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## expilot (Mar 20, 2013)

Re-delivery date at the Performance Center is confirmed for Friday July 18th.
Leaving on Wednesday evening July 16th on the red-eye via Portland and Detroit.
(Just 24 more days of waiting until embarking on stage two of the "Great Adventure".)
Photos and commentary from the Performance center "coming to a computer near you soon".
: popcorn:


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## Glengarylead (Nov 15, 2013)

expilot said:


> Re-delivery date at the Performance Center is confirmed for Friday July 18th.
> Leaving on Wednesday evening July 16th on the red-eye via Portland and Detroit.
> (Just 24 more days of waiting until embarking on stage two of the "Great Adventure".)
> Photos and commentary from the Performance center "coming to a computer near you soon".
> : popcorn:


First off, expilot, thanks for keeping such an interesting, well written and detailed log of your ED experience: well done! Am curious...were you given a choice of PCD redelivery dates?


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## nihoole (Dec 4, 2011)

expilot said:


> Re-delivery date at the Performance Center is confirmed for Friday July 18th.
> Leaving on Wednesday evening July 16th on the red-eye via Portland and Detroit.
> (Just 24 more days of waiting until embarking on stage two of the "Great Adventure".)
> Photos and commentary from the Performance center "coming to a computer near you soon".
> : popcorn:


Hello Expilot! My wife and I have been following and enjoying your posts. Thank you so much for the great job!

We have our ED scheduled for pick up on September 5th and dropping off in Bremerhaven on September 18th. I was hoping for the Performance Center re-delivery sometime in October but after seeing how long you've been waiting, it looks like I was too optimistic. Looks like we'll be driving home to Oregon in November, despite my efforts to NOT have to drive cross country in winter. Oh well. Best laid plans you know.

We look forward to the continuation of your journey!


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## expilot (Mar 20, 2013)

Glengarylead said:


> First off, expilot, thanks for keeping such an interesting, well written and detailed log of your ED experience: well done! Am curious...were you given a choice of PCD redelivery dates?


Thanks for the kind words.

From the my post in the Online Redelivery Reporting thread:

_"LOADED ON VESSEL - BREMERHAVEN 30-05-2014 07:15:46

DISCHARGED - BRUNSWICK, GA 18-06-2014 10:35:42

NOTIFIED BY CA 6/19 of available PC delivery dates of 7/14 - 7/25

SELECTED Friday 7/18 for Delivery

E-MAIL FROM PERFORMANCE CENTER 6/20 confirming 7/18 for delivery.

First available delivery date of 7/14 would be 3 days shy of 8 weeks from drop - off in Munich.

Actual delivery date of 7/18 will be 8 weeks + 1 day" _

So I was actually given a choice of the ten weekdays between July 14th and July 25th. Almost four weeks notice. Much better than I had been expecting. Was able to get a very good deal on my flight, and booked all my hotels except one on points.


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## expilot (Mar 20, 2013)

nihoole said:


> Hello Expilot! My wife and I have been following and enjoying your posts. Thank you so much for the great job!
> 
> We have our ED scheduled for pick up on September 5th and dropping off in Bremerhaven on September 18th. I was hoping for the Performance Center re-delivery sometime in October but after seeing how long you've been waiting, it looks like I was too optimistic. Looks like we'll be driving home to Oregon in November, despite my efforts to NOT have to drive cross country in winter. Oh well. Best laid plans you know.
> 
> We look forward to the continuation of your journey!


Glad you enjoyed my posts. It was a great experience.

The official line is to allow ten weeks from drop off for PC re-delivery. However, based on my experience and the fact you are dropping off in Bremerhaven and not Munich as I did, and given a little luck, you could get a re-delivery date the week of November 10th. That would get you back to Oregon well before Thanksgiving, even if you have to take the Southern route via I-10 through L.A.

Where in Oregon?

Wishing you a super ED and re-delivery


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## nihoole (Dec 4, 2011)

expilot said:


> Glad you enjoyed my posts. It was a great experience.
> 
> Where in Oregon?
> 
> Wishing you a super ED and re-delivery


Thanks! We're excited and a little terrified at the same time.

We live in Eugene although we ordered our car in Salem.

Enjoy your PCD! We look forward to reading all about it!


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## 3ismagic# (Mar 17, 2011)

Great trip report. This is making contemplate ways that the wife and I can find a way to leave the kids behind and road trip around Europe. Perhaps ED #2?


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## expilot (Mar 20, 2013)

3ismagic# said:


> Great trip report. This is making contemplate ways that the wife and I can find a way to leave the kids behind and road trip around Europe. Perhaps ED #2?


Thanks.

Driving around Europe is outstanding, particularly Germany and Austria. Excellent roads and competent disciplined drivers. 
Italy was fun, but more of a challenge. 
ED #2 sounds like a definate must do.


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## expilot (Mar 20, 2013)

*Day 1 Performance Center Re-delivery*

Well the second section of our adventure has begun.

Last night at 7:10PM (Pacific Time) we departed the Medford, OR airport on the first leg of our journey to South Carolina.

Fifty minutes later we were in Portland, for a three hour layover. We had dinner and tried to kill time.

At 11:30PM we departed Portland on the Delta Red Eye to Detroit, arriving at 6:15AM (Eastern Time). After a total of about 23 1/2 minutes sleep, (Full Plane and an Infant right behind us), we watched the sun rise over Lake Michigan as we began our descent into Detroit. (Photo 1)

Two hours in the Detroit airport and we were on another plane to Greenville - Spartenburg.

We arrived in Greenville, 12 hours and 5 minutes after departing Medford the night before. That is just about one hour longer than it took to fly to Munich from San Francisco 

We called the Marriott and ten minutes later a new silver BMW X5 pulled up for the ride to the hotel. (Photos 2 & 3)

The Marriott is really nice and the staff are all super friendly and helpful. They seem to truly appreciate having all the BMW Delivery folks staying with them.
BMW has litterally thought of everythng, and I think has gone above and beyond in making you feel welcome.

Although we arrived at 10:30 in the morning our room was ready and we got some much needed sleep.

We then went down for dinner. (Photo 4) they have a special menu for the BMW people with a nice selection. The food was excellent, the service was warm and friendly, and you just sign the bill and BMW picks up the tab.

Tomorrow morning, early, after eating breakfast, also on BMW, we will be taken by the hotel to the Performance Center to start, what should be, a really fun day.

Will post more after our re-delivery, exactly eight weeks + one day from our drop off in Munich May 22nd.


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## nihoole (Dec 4, 2011)

I'm excited to be soon following in your footsteps! Can't wait for our PCD experience too!

We're still having a difficult time with our itinerary after the Welt, but I think it is slowly coming together. Found a great apartment in Prague - with a washer too! 

For us, it looks like Frankfurt rather than Bremerhaven or Antwerp for drop off. Renting a car in Frankfurt will cost less than train fare/taxis plus extended insurance/registration costs. Sixt Car rental is 900 meters from the Frankfurt drop off point.

Hopefully our experience will be as excellent as yours!

Thank you again for the great posts and for taking the time to share your experience!


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## expilot (Mar 20, 2013)

*Day 2 Performance Center Re-delivery*

Our day started off with a fantastic breakfast buffet at the Marriott. Not the Bellagio, but close. There were six couples doing deliveries, plus at least twenty other BMW people going to the Performance Center for various programs. I met at least six "Geniuses".

At 7:45 we all loaded up into the hotel vans for the ten minute drive to the PC. Unfortunately it was a bit of a rainy day again, but that didn't seem to dampen anyone's spirits.

We pulled up in front of the Performance Center, to the sight of a beautiful M3, (Photo 1) unfortunately not one of the cars we would be driving.

We were welcomed into the Performance Center (Photo 2), and then went into a briefing room where we met our instructors and were given a briefing on the day's events. We were also given some basic instructions about driving on a track, where to look, etc. For those who had never driven in a high performance environment it was thorough, but not overwhelming. ((Photo 3)

We then went outside where we were assigned cars, that were very close to our own. I was given a Melbourne Red 328d sedan, (not a wagon like mine), sport line (not M-Sport), but it did have DHC, so it's handling would be similar. For the exercises we were to do, it was fine.

We were divided up into three groups of three cars each. We headed for the track with each group doing a separate exercise, and then rotating to the next one.

We started with a braking exercise. 
Accelerate to about 45 mph, then when passing through a pair of cones, apply FULL brakes and attempt to stop before the cone "obstacle". This is all done on a slightly curved portion of the track, and oh yes, did I mention the track was wet?
At 45 you could pretty much stop straight ahead, short of the cones, if you applied FULL brakes and held them until you were stopped. The next run was at fifty mph, and you had to steer left a bit to miss the cones before stopping. At 55, you absolutely had to steer while braking, and if you weren't looking left where you wanted the car to go, as instructed, you would get a couple of cones. 
This was all to demonstrate that a modern car with ABS can brake and steer at the same time, while stopping in the minimum distance. 
Just apply FULL brakes, don't attempt to "pump" them (like the old days), look where you want the car to go, and let the excellent BMW brakes save your bacon.

We then went to the "Autocross" exercise.
It was a section of the track that included a four gate slalom a decreasing radius turn followed by a very tight hairpin and a higher speed turn. (Photos 4 & 5)
There were times during each exercise when you could switch drivers, or your passenger could get out for a bit if the motion was getting to them. The whole thing was orchestrated by our instructor, Jim Clark, who instructed us constantly on the radio, maintained spacing between cars and kept everyone moving safely, learning and having a ball. And he did this all while mostly standing in the rain. (Photo 6)

We then went over to the 300 ' diameter skid pad. (They didn't have to flood it with water, as mother nature did that for us. We would one at a time get into Jim's 335i with him in the passenger seat. He would turn off the DSC have us drive the circle and then on his command, floor the throttle. That produced the desired result of having the back end break loose and pass the front end, resulting in 2 or 3 donuts. We then repeated the exercise with the DSC back on. The computers did a remarkable job of mostly saving us fro our own ham fisted attempts to wreck the car. (Photo 7)

Next, we parked "our" cars and got into a new X5. We drove in a caravan on the regular road, noting what a nice road car it was, to the "Off Road" facility. We proceeded to ford a section of road filled with about a foot of water, go up and down hills, half the time leaning over at an impossible angle, while being assured on the radio that they hardly ever have anyone actually roll over. :yikes: (Photos 8, 9 & 10) Why anyone would actually take a BMW X car through the kind of terrain we did, is beyond me.

We then drove our X5s over to the factory for the "Delivery People" tour. Seperate from the regular tours and of course a much smaller group. Unfortunately, as in Munich, no photos allowed. 
Speaking of Munich. If you did the factory tour on your ED and think that another one would be no big deal, you would be Very Wrong. 
The Munich factory, because of lack of space to expand, had to grow upward to five levels, and evrything inside was incredibly compressed, making a lot of the operations difficult to see. 
The Spartanburg factory, on the other hand, is Huge spreading over some 1,200,000 square feet, all on one level. It is incredibly light and bright and you can see things that simply were not possible to see in Munich. 
The best solution of course would be to Do Both, as we were able to do.

After the factory tour, we drove back over to the Performance Center to collect our cars. 
There was my car, right out front. (Photo 11)
My delivery specialist attached my Temporary Tag, that I brought along from Oregon. She then activated the Sirius and BMW Assist and made sure our cell phones paired up OK.
As you can see from the photo, my Euro Plate was still attached to the front of the car, and the Toll Vignettes from Austria, Slovenia & the Czech Republic were still on the windshield as requested. 
The rear plate was in the cargo area, as they had attached the US plate mount in the rear. Also in back was the "Monroney" window sticker and an adaptor for the fuel filler neck, as they had added a US required mis-fueling lockout in the filler neck. If you use a diesel pump with the correct size diesel nozzle, it slips right in, but if it is undersized or bent at the end, you have to use the adapter/funnel thing. I have had to use it twice so far, and it is a messy pain.

After the re-delivery was finished, we drove over to the Museum for a photo-op. (Photos 12 & 13) We did not, unfortunately, have time for a tour of the Museum, as we had some serious driving to do.

From Greenville, we drove up into the Blue Ridge Mountains with a stop at Caesars Head State Park. (Photos 14 & 15) Unfortunately, because of the rain and clouds filling the valley, the view from the View Point was not the greatest. 
However, the road going up to the park was excellent. (Photos 16, 17 & 18)

About ten miles farther on, we joined the "Blue Ridge Parkway". (Photo 19)
The weather cleared a bit and we could get a few good pictures (Photos 20 & 21)
We drove about twenty miles of the Parkway. It is a beautiful drive. Driving the full length of it, would be well worth doing.

We had to leave it to duck down into Asheville NC, where we would spend two nights with friends.

The next installment will feature a drive on the "Tail Of The Dragon"  Stay tuned


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## expilot (Mar 20, 2013)

*Day 3 Performance Center Re-delivery*

We left Asheville in better weather. Mostly clear skies with only an occasional shower. Although the rain was a bit of an inconvenience, the cooler weather for our PC Delivery and our time in Asheville was a very welcome reprieve from the normal mid 90s humid heat.

About 85 miles West of Asheville, we left the Great Smokey Mountains Expressway (US 19), for US 129. A short drive North and we crossed into Tennessee. And just North of that is the wide place in the road called Deals Gap, which marks the Southern End of an 11 mile, 318 turn, stretch of US 129 called the "Tail Of The Dragon". (Photos 1, 2, 3 & 4) 
You would do well to heed the simple suggestions for staying alive and enjoying your drive that are written on the chalkboard. (Photo 5)

For those of you old enough to remember the early days of Disneyland, this is the all time E-Ticket Ride. What a fantastic drive. Fortunately, Marga is a great passenger, but even she was only able to hold the camera up for a couple of pictures, (Photos 6 & 7) as both hands and all ten toes were busy hanging on. I am not sure I would have kept my cool as well as she did, if I had been riding in the right seat. We did pull off about 3/4 of the way up to get a couple photos of the beautiful Smokeys. (Photos 8 & 9)

We then drove on to Bowling Green KY, home of the National Corvette Museum. We have been members of the Museum for over 15 years, and any chance we get to visit, we take advantage of. 
The NCM is wholly owned and operated by it's members. It is the largest car museum in the world, devoted to one Marque that is not owned by a manufacturer. Of course I took the opportunity for a photo-op. (Photos 10, 11 & 12)
Besides my passion for BMWs (this is our 3rd), I have been a huge fan of Corvettes. My current 1963 Roadster is my 6th.

As a lot of you may have seen in the news, early one morning back in February, a huge sinkhole opened up in the Skydome, swallowing eight Corvettes. (Photos 13 & 14) Among which were some truly one of a kind cars. Among them the original "Blue Devil" on loan from GM, as well as the One Millionth and I,500,000 Corvettes produced.

Eventually, all eight cars were extracted from the sinkhole and are on display in there "as retrieved" condition. The "Blue Devil" was sitting on top and only needs a wash and polish, and in fact was started up and driven out of the Skydome. Unfortunately the farther down in the dirt and concrete and boulders the cars were, the worse the damage. (Photos 15, 16 & 17). The eighth car extracted was a one of a kind Mallett Hammer Z-06 and is almost unrecognizable. (Photos 18 - 23).

Most of the cars will be sent up to Michigan this fall, where GM has generously offered to attempt to restore them. A couple of the worst damaged, including the Mallett Hammer are just too damaged and will form part of a permanent exhibit.

What you might ask, has the foregoing got to do with BMWs? Well, like the BMW, the Corvette, to a large degree, is owned by enthusiasts. Whereas the BMW is the "Ultimate Driving Machine", the Corvette is "Americas Sports Car" and last year celebrated it's 60th Birthday. A lot of us are lucky to own and enjoy both.

So if you should ever be near Bowling Green, KY, stop in at the Corvette Museum. I promise, you won't be disappointed.


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## miata13 (Nov 22, 2007)

Thanks again ExPilot for your update...we too did the PCD delivery with a drive thru the "Dragon" and related roads along with a stop in Bowling Green. We were pressed for time so did not see the Museum but went on the Corvette Plant tour.

After seeing BMW's factory in Munich and Audi's in Ingolstadt...I must say the Corvette factory was much less impressing..but again, that's a much older plant. It just didn't exhibit the same pride so very evident in the spotless, bright German factories. German workers all in uniforms...Corvette workers in "hodgepodge wear what you slept in" attire. Sorry we didn't get to tour Spartanburg as we were one week too early for the plant tours re-opening....maybe "next time" though its a long drive from Midwest just to cash in our "free tour voucher".

Loved your photos..much better than those we took....and a great Touring Wagon ;-) Will be interested to hear your experiences with your diesel Touring as that might be our direction "next time".


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