Just wanted to say that I am back from Munich with a ton of photos, stories and news. Obviously the X1 broke cover while I was over there.
I have seen the proportions in real life (no photos though since security was tight) and it is larger than I would have thought and yet it still looks small, more like the current X3 or better yet the 3 series wagon. The front has an ugly snout like nose and it is obvious that the EU pedestrian standards had a big effect on the final design.
In a few days my wife and I will be completing our third European delivery in the last four years. We have been blessed to have the good fortune to complete these trips and consider ourselves more than lucky.
Joining us on this trip will be some close friends who will be completing their first trip, and needless to say they are excited beyond all belief. We arranged these cars through the dealership I have used in the past and once again Joe at Wide World of Cars, (BimmerFile.com is NOT associated with any dealers in the BMWNA network) made things as painless as possible with everything as described. We can never thank him enough for his time and service, since as many of you can imagine dealing with me and a car purchase more often than not can be frustrating for the person in the other side of the table (not so with Joe).
This part of our BMW European delivery (US) series has been long over due but should add some valuable information to this popular feature. If you have not read through the previous installments you can begin your journey here.
In the past we had discussed things up until the actual closing of the deal. Whether it is a lease or finance this is where people can get hung up sometimes. Unlike a normal car purchase you must pay for the car at least one week in advance of your scheduled Munich pick up, so your financing must be secured in advance of that.
One of our loyal readers Mike Hopp has graciously offered us up photos and a trip report from his recently completed European Delivery.
Poor Mike is probably agonizing over leaving his beautiful car in Europe and having to wait the 4-8 weeks to get it back! We can sympathize with him and after all his 135i being delivered via Munich is a prize many enthusiasts long for! Congrats Mike on a great car and trip!
If you, our readers, would like to contribute in a similar fashion (or anything BMW) we would be more than happy to feature it. Just shoot us an email (via the contact form) and we will try our best to make it happen in a timely manner.
There are very few videos of BMW factories and how they produce cars. We thought you would enjoy this one from Road Fly. There are a few others that were completed by other journalists on the same day but there commentary is not as accurate as this video.
If you recall our story on what cars are made where you already know what Munich builds. If you are not familiar with this here is the article: Made in Germany? which explains all that in great detail.
The use of robots is extensive in BMW production and the arrangement in Munich is amazing because of the space constraints within the building itself. The cars are not built on a “line” they actual go up and down between levels as they wind around the building. Having been there we can attest for the ingenuity BMW used when designing this system.
Add touring this facility to your “bucket list” right after visiting the Welt, and you can wipe two things off the list back-to-back! Enjoy!
Our friend Jonathan Spira offered us up a fine example of 535d driving. As an avid BMW enthusiast and frequent Euro-delivery customer (he was privileged to take delivery of the first car delivered from the Welt) he too is glad to see the Advanced Diesels make it across the pond. Even though we will not see the 535d in the short term it is a great example of diesel power.
Filmed on the autobahn in Germany at 240 km/hr or in US speak: 150 mph. This engine has got some serious top end and of course all that torque. We thought it would be a nice tease for those considering getting a diesel and/or picking up in Munich. Also, notice how quiet the car is.
Our series on European Delivery continues with a video tour of the new facilities at the WELT. This pre-release video, a rough cut, will eventual grace the the BMWUSA website. It does a nice job of showing the WELT and explaining the program features at the location in general. A picture is worth a thousand words, so less writing and reading is involved than would normally be required for an experience/venue of such detail. Watch it while you can. We are fairly sure with the increased traffic it will be receiving it will end up being removed from the site as it is still in rough form. Then you will just need to wait until it is officially released on the BMW site. You can see it here
In the previous parts of our series on the BMW European Delivery Program we introduced you to the program and its perks as well as what is included and the cost savings. So now that we have got you thinking more about the opportunity BMW is giving you with the European Delivery program we will help you out when it comes time to go to your dealer to get the process started.
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We believe in the old school BMW ownership experience. We believe in garage nights with a six pack and some friends. We believe in 2002s, in E30 M3s and E34 540s with the 6 speed. We believe in progress in both design and engineering but we haven't lost sight of what made the brand and its products great all those years ago. And yes, we believe in the manual transmission.
We long for the days of the wave and for the days of roll-up windows. Yet we love the gadgets on the inside and the xenons on the outside.
In short, we can't get enough of BMWs. This is BimmerFile.
Sections: European Delivery, Site News Oct 1st, 2008 8 Comments 
