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      09-10-2011, 11:42 PM   #1
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M3 Adjuster Euro Delivery

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DAY 1- Arrival in Munich

A few people have asked me to comment about my ED experience... so I thought I would oblige. If you haven't seen my postings in the Allocations thread... perhaps you may know be as one of the original 12 that were selected to attend the 1 series M coupe pre-drive... ever since I returned from my trip last year, the 1M filled my thoughts... After many months of plans to turn my E30 M3 into a monster by dropping in an S54, suddenly the idea of doing a motor swap in my track car seemed more difficult than climbing a mountain. With overtime in abundance at my job, as well as triple digit heat in Texas this summer, along with the realization that after the last decade of maintaining a track car, that working on cars just isn't fun... I decided to sell my E30 M3 and go " all in" on a 1M.

To date... I am the only one of the original 12 that has opted for the car, a fact that is a bit disappointing, but not surprising, given the fact that the pre-drive 12 are all normal people, and to be honest, although we all LOVED the 1M when we drove it, none of us are independently wealthy, and while we all instantly wanted to own a 1M... we all also realized that there may be challenges in selling our current cars and making such a big investment.

Since I wasn't smart enough to listen to my own advice and plunk money down on a deposit right away... I entered the fray to purchase a 1M in May... and through assistance from Papethova (who is currently on his own ED experience) I secured an allocation, although not without a lot of heartache and concern. Finally my allocation came through in July and my ED date was determined as 09/01/11 and I set about making plans for the trip. The original plan was as follows: Munich.Innsbruck.Stelvio,Venice, Salzburg, Munich, covering approximately 780 miles

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?authu...0096455b21bdc6

if you are planning an ED trip.. you owe it to yourself to surf over to Bimmerfest and check out the ED threads, post your itinerary, and get some feedback on your route.. Our flight to Munich was long and torturous. A compressed time frame due to the Texas education system only allowing for parents to remove children from school for 3 days maximum meant that we would not have a lot of time, so I built the trip around Labor day for additional time. So.. after being up all day, we left Tuesday 8/30 at 5:30 pm and arrived in Munich at 3:30pm the next day. Having already been familiar with the Munich subway system, I had opted to forego having a driver like Rolf (see bimmerfest) pick us up at the airport. After being up for the better part of 20-30 plus hours ,this suddenly seemed like a terrible decision, however, I was able to get good directions from a U-bahn expert at the airport, and with a 19.80 Euro 24 hour Family pass in hand, we took the train to the Leonardo Hotel. Now then..this was not the Leonardo ROYAL hotel... I had actually seen an excellent review of that hotel here http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showt...leonardo+hotel, and intended to book there, but when I realized my error, I went and looked at the rates for the Royal Hotel... which for my dates were nearly DOUBLE that of the Leonardo Hotel & Residenz München Munich - location - Heimgartenstraße 14 (subway stop : Silberhornstraße) ... I decided not to cancel my reservation.

I was able to get a room for three .. and the hotel had a Tiefgarage (garage with underground parking)





This particular hotel does NOT have air conditioning... so it is not recommended for the summertime. With our late summer/early fall arrival.. we were comfortable with the window vented. The clerk at the desk gave us a reference for a local eatery which was a short walk



All the food was excellent!

I had beef with onions..



and ended up sharing my daughter's grilled meat plate, which was better than my meal, and my wife had tortellini, which was also very good. Dinner Price.. € 56.40.


A recommendation for others: you can likely pick any of dozens of hotels in Munich and get a good place. After finding a hotel that fits your budget, some of the biggest criteria you may want to include in your hotel search is proximity to an Sbahn or Ubahn stop, availability of a (tief) garage and also internet access. Most hotels typically charge €10-11 per day PER DEVICE for WIFI, so showing up with a family holding smartphones... we found this rather discouraging. Fortunately there were two computers in the lobby with FREE internet, which helped a bit. Typically, hotels charge about €10-15 for parking, and breakfast buffet can be €15-25 per person. Finally, note that beds are much narrower than in the US. If you are travelling as a family.. this can be a concern. You typically can't order a room with two double beds, more likely you might need two hotel rooms.

Simply put.... pricing for items in Munich seem to parallel US cities like New York... Food and parking are pricey!
Americans should also understand that Europe is a CASH based economy. Discover Card is not accepted anywhere, and your Master Card and Visa are typically only accepted at hotels, gas stations and a few stores. For the most part, plan on pulling cash out of an ATM.... It's generally easier to let your bank make the conversion for money, and typically it is done with no charge , so check with your bank about ATM fees abroad... generally using an ATM for cash is much better than taking US dollars and exchanging them anywhere else.

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      09-10-2011, 11:43 PM   #2
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DAY 2- The Delivery, Dackel, and Dackau

A 9am delivery time meant an early arrival at the BMW Welt (World) We arrived at 8am and met Dackelone, whom I invited to join us for the delivery, but also for our trip to the M studio later in the day. As it turned out, we spent the entire day together, and I can think of no better company for the delivery, other than perhaps, my man Jason CSU who was at the pre-drive event with me.

We took a quick tour around the Welt, which has many interactive displays and vehicles on the first floor..










The second floor is where the vehicles are actually delivered..









the BMW/MINI store


Kids of all sizes love to watch the globes move around















wow!



A valencia Orange 1M next to a black 1 series gave my wife her first opportunity to see both VO and BSM.
She had previously liked VO after seeing photos, but in person, quickly determined that BSM was superior!



we played some of the interactive games






and then checked in and headed up to the third floor....

I went and did the important paperwork type stuff... while Dackel and my family chilled in the lounge..







even kids are taken care of!



My daughter was diligent about watching the board...




we hurried to the correct position to meet my Delivery agent Alex... who came out of the elevator at the exact appointed time!



we headed down the stairs...



Alex turned the lights on...



and there was my beauty rotating on the platform...








a quick pose for the camera...









and then a tour of the features...









A quick family photo ...



and then the all important moment.... the Keys!




and finally the lap around the concourse...



I actually took two laps... stopping on the first lap to meet a Michigan BMW CCA couple that was picking up their white 1M... Hopefully I will meet them at an Ofest in the future!

Many people make their pickup day a full day affair. A factory tour is available at the BMW plant across the street, which is right next to the BMW museum. The museum is approximately €8-10 and has many unique displays along with nearly one of every BMW ever made. One can easily spend 2 hours touring the museum. Fortunately for my wife and daughter, I had experienced the Museum last year!




Since we actually came in the rear of the building.. Here are some photos of the Welt...








We then went and shopped in the Welt store... and then made our way to the M studios..







Carl Lagerfeld Individual 7 series



Aah... this looks familiar...




but the price, fortunately.. does not!





this moonstone metallic white E92 coupe is the best looking E92 I have ever seen....



oops.. well... outside of the M3 GTS





For more on the trip to the M studios...

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=582182

Unfortunately... it had begun to rain, literally the moment i drove my car out of the Welt... so much for driving through the European country with a pristine car! We made the decision to stay another night in Munich... we hadn't even seen the city, we had been too tired to venture much further than dinner the night before.... I made the decision to remove Venice from our itinerary, and we notified the hotel that we would be staying another night...

ED Tip: If you are able to schedule an ED vacation, ideally a week is a good minimum. The ED purchase includes
two weeks of auto insurance (my company was Allianz), so maximize your purchase and use all of the two weeks if possible! One can easily spend 2-3 days in Munich alone, and when travelling through multiple cities, it is certainly preferred to spend more than one night in each location, so as to really soak in the local flavor. It's also a good idea to have some flexibility in your schedule!

With Dackel as our guide, we set off from the M studios and after a few failed attempts to find lunch,
we headed with David to see the concentration camp in Dackau.





"work will make you free"









I'm not much for this sort of stuff, but if you are, one can easily spend say...three to four hours here touring the grounds.. or... perhaps just one hour.. and some quality time with your daughter taking a nap in your 1M.




Yes... the 1M sleeps two quite comfortably... and it also helps in identifying exactly whom dares photograph it's occupants!


Back to the cars!



http://s333.photobucket.com/albums/m...eEDpics008.jpg

So... with some of us refreshed from our nap we went and had dinner at, of all places, a chinese buffet... Global Wok... The food was excellent! We then decided to head back to the Welt so we could do a little tour around the city... I had been fortunate enough to spend some time in Munich after the pre-drive event.... and wanted to go see Marienplatz and Odeonsplatz.


ED Tip: The Welt is the Bomb! In addition to looking cool... having nearly all manner of cool BMWs... it also offers FREE WIFI. There is also a CAFE, and it is also immediately next to a U-bahn station. The Welt is the Olympia Park exit on the U3 line. There is an ATM at the Welt.. and there is also a cafe, which serves pastries, sandwiches.. all sorts of beverages, including BEER, there are free restrooms... and oh.. did I mention... FREE WIFI!!

If you have come to the Welt directly from the hotel, you can check your baggage at the Welt during your delivery.. The Welt doors are open from something like 7:30am to midnight most days, 9am to midnight on holidays and sundays.

In addition... there is a parking garage.. one can valet park their new BMW delivery... and if you want to leave your car overnight... you can park in the Tiefgarage. Simply go into the underground garage... get a ticket... park... Take ticket with you.... Return to garage.. Pay for parking at machine next to elevators and get ticket validated.... Return to your vehicle and exit the garage... and don't forget the FREE WIFI.

So, we drove back into Munich and parked at the Welt.. note the occupied/vacant lights above each space..




We took the U-bahn to Marienplatz and walked around. Even during the middle of the week on a Thursday, the area was alive with activity....







Marienplatz



For those looking for the Hoffbrau brewery experience...it is located near Marienplatz. Hoffbrau has massive steins, and a massive amount of people. It's worth a look in... but it can be very busy, very LOUD (conversation at the table is nearly impossible without mildly shouting). If the crowds and boisterousness are too much for you, then you may want to venture to the Hard Rock Cafe or the Augustiner Brewery, which are around the corner. Marienplatz has the traditional structures... yet also has a tremendous shopping district as well. Beverly Hills meets traditional Germany. There are hundreds of shops selling crystal... fine jewelry.. watches... candies.. treats... etc.

















Odeonsplatz - the shopping gets even Ritzier towards Odeonsplatz!






Among classic structure like this, there is also the Royal Residence and Grounds with a large park filled with gazebos (not pictured) and this church.



Amazingly, across the block is a Starbucks (!) and a modern area with an Aston Martin dealership, as well as a Mercedes Dealer ship... Inside the Mercedes dealer ship is a Stirling Moss Edition McLaren. If you have €895,000 in your couch cushions... I highly suggest you pick one up!







When we went by...a Mercedes F1 car was present..



Sorry for the quality of photos.. but point and shoot cams and darkness only do so well.. At this point.. it was
after 11pm.... we quickly caught the Ubahn back to the Welt before the parking garage closed at midnight, bid goodbye to David (who still had a 1.5 hour drive to get home) and returned to the Leonardo...an 8 mile drive for us.
Thanks again to Dackel for all of his information on travel, German customs, history, and most importantly for being a guide for us on our first day!!

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      09-10-2011, 11:43 PM   #3
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Day 3- Neuschwanstein Castle and Innsbruck

On Friday, we headed from Munich to Fussen to see the Neuschwanstein Castle. I have a Tom Tom GPS, so it went up on the dash, loaded with the European Map, in place of a true navigator. My two passengers, both declining to assist in Navigating, and preferring the chauffeur option, decided to catch up on more sleep, even though we left the hotel at Noon!




Here is a roundabout.. quite common in Europe.. but sometimes tricky to navigate.. Read the signs, don't watch the GPS!











we quite literally stumled upon a very beautiful lake... with alps and Neuschwanstein Castle in the background...





There were boats out on the water, and a small beach... with a few families playing.. I even dipped toes in..



I took the moment to stop and take a picture of the car... this is one of my favorite photos..



Excuse the dirt and mud in the closeup...




We continued on and came to the end of the lake.. with a restaurant.There was a large paddle boat that was taking people out for rides on the water..





It was a great time to teach my daughter how to skip rocks on the crystal clear water...


We ordered an ice cream at the vendor.. My first time to practice my German.... Ein Vanilla Bitte.. (one Vanilla, please)

For the most part, in Germany and much of Austria.. many people speak English. A wise traveler will
always attempt to use the local language....For example... Our ice cream vendor heard my daughter and I speaking in English as we approached the counter, and she said hello and asked what we would like in German. I began to order the ice cream for all three of us... Until I found that I didn't know what flavor the green ice cream is... Mint.. Pistachio? The vendor then switched to English, laughing and saying she was not sure either, but that it is good.. And it was!

ED TIP: Don't be an ugly American.. Learn simple German words such as Good Morning (Guten Morgen.. often shortened to.. Morgen)... please..( Bitte)... Thank you... (Danke) or Danke schön (thank you very much!).The common response to Danke... is Bitte Schon.. you are welcome very much!
Making an attempt to use the language will often open many doors, and many vendors will then switch to English. The ugly American tourist ASSUMES that others will speak English. Simply walking up and speaking in English often results in the vendor speaking only German, which will make your transaction a lot more difficult!







4 scoops of ice cream.. €4 euro The best bargain of the trip!


We proceeded into the tourist town of Fussen. Very pretty.. idyllic.. but very much a tourist area...











We simply drove through town and approached the castle..




once in the small area where the castle is... one can see that there are actually two castles...

Schloss Neuschwanstein




and it's sister castle Hohenschwangau Castle






Here is info on the castle

http://www.neuschwanstein.de/englisch/palace/index.htm

Tours are available... and one can walk up the hill or ride in a horse drawn buggy. At €6 for the ride up the hill.. plus another €4 for the ride back down the hill... we opted not to, spend what would amount to a $40 ride for the three of us. Admission to the castle of course is additional. As I understand, one should have tickets purchased in advance for the castle, as a wait of 1-2 hours is very common! Up on the hill between the two castles are several shops...







And as we left... a parting shot of both the castle and the 1M...



From here.. the driving pace picked up... as we made out way to an Autobahn...






we again stopped at an overlook..




and then at another stop to take photos of this hotel and castle.... As a driver.. it's highly recommended that you give yourself plenty of time! Passengers may want you to stop and take photos nearly every 10Km!






At this point... as dusk settled... I began to enjoy stretching the 1Ms legs a bit... and noticed that motorcycles were very ubiquitous! The last 50-60 KM into Innsbruck was nearly all at 130 KPH or higher... and we literally drove into town along a Ferrari 360, that was only out cruising..








Innsbruck turned out to be a near information overload for me as a driver. We arrived after dark. There were city buses, city trains on rails, people walking across the street randomly... many shops... construction on the roads, bicyclists a few feet from your quarter panel, and taxis on your rear bumper wanting to go 10 KM over the limit while I was uncomfortable at 10kph! After approaching a traffic light that began flashing GREEN, after it had been lit as green for fifteen seconds... (it very disconcertingly flashed three times as green and then switched to yellow) I opted to park!



We then walked around the city of Innsbruck....



Found the golden Arches...










It was friday night.. weather was in the mid 60s.... people of all ages were out, and it seemed the entire city was in the shopping district.. There are many outdoor eateries... my wife absolutely loved the Gelato... and probably the guy behind the counter..



We stopped and ate dinner at this Italian restaurantm Gemelli... (proprietor/waitress shown)..... While we were not yet in Italy... my daughter indicated she wanted both the pizza and the Chickenschnitzel. She ordered the schnitzel, and loved it, and after looking over the menu, I ordered a pizza, figuring that she could try a slice. I ordered pepperoni with ham, and multiple cheeses. The pizza was INCREDIBLE. I got a 12" pizza, which I then shared, and it was without a doubt the best pizza I have ever had. I grew up as a child, visiting NYC for great pizza by the slice... and up until this night... that had been the pinnacle.. No more.. I can't recall the price of dinner.. but it was approximately € 45-50






There is a river that goes right through town... we walked across the bridge looking for a reasonably priced hotel. None were found.. we stopped in a best Western in the shopping district that was € 184.. ouch! Across the bridge was another hotel... € 215!







At this point, my lack of planning showed. We had no room for the night... And seemingly our best option was one of the mom and pop places back in the mountains about 35-40Km from Innsbruck. We drove over to the nearby town of Wattens looking for a place to stay.... the entire town was booked. Doh!


We located the Swarovski crystal Museum...



and the main offices..



And finally ended up giving up and returning to Innsbruck. We looked for a hotel name we would know, and the Tom Tom led us to the Hilton. We pulled in at nearly midnight... and were pleasantly surprised to find that there were rooms available for €115.... not a great deal.. but less than €184. We went up to the room and found an American style room and beds... hooray!









The hilton was a multi-floor hotel.. we were on the 12th floor.. and was nicely appointed...



The hotel has a bar with drink specials during soccer matches, F1, and other major sports, and there is also a Casino, for those inclined to gamble... There is a tiefgarage, and you can obtain in/out access by having your parking pass validated by the hotel management ( for €15... natch).

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      09-10-2011, 11:45 PM   #4
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Day 4 - Swarovski Crystal Factory... Innsbruck To Stelvio and back

Saturday morning we awoke to a beautiful view...





There were kids skateboarding in the plaza..





Sounds like a great day to go to Stelvio...... except... we had also planned to go to the Swarovski Crystal factory. This was the highlight of the trip for my wife (indeed, perhaps the raison detre), as she initially didn't even want to go to Europe... At any rate... despite my recommendation that we make the drive to Stelvio right away... we ended up going to Wattens, about 15 KM the wrong direction..








to make matters worse... we ended up doing the entire tour of the Museum.. which turned out to not be
a tour of the plant... But a crazy modern art exhibit, that ran : € 9.50 apiece...











Finally we made it to the showroom....






and finally ... the exit...! I can say Yes to that!



It was now mid afternoon.. and the GPS indicated 2.5 hrs for the trip from Innsbruck to Stelvio... The first part of the trip was mostly Autobahn....





and of course.. more "stop for picture" requests..






Knowing that the scenery ahead was only going to get better... I began to drive faster and ignored further requests to stop.



We finally turned onto a road ... in which a BARRICADE was across the road for travelling up. I was determined, and drove on past it.... the GPS indicating still another 30 minutes to go.... We began to climb... and the road became quite narrow... I began thinking back to what the sign said... and I believe it said something along the lines of...Pass this sign after 1600 hours, and you take your life into your own hands...

The switchbacks were tight, and the road so narrow, that one literally had to stop to allow cars coming down the hill the opposite direction. And when I say stop... I mean.. pull to the right of the road... Don't look down... and hope that you know where the tires are.. because it's a long way down! We were wondering had we gone the wrong way? My companions became increasingly concerned. A motorcyclist appeared behind me... I slowed and let him pass... now confirming that I wasn't the only idiot charging up the mountain at 1800 hours... with about an hour of sunlight! Suddenly. the motorcylist left the road, instead taking his bike up the side of the mountain! Within a few KMs.. the road turned to GRAVEL. Fortunately.. I had heard this might happen... so I pressed on, at slower rate... This was really not much fun. Previously... the driving on the two lane roads had been great ! We came to a crest and stopped and talked to two motorcyclists.... Where is the Stelvio pass? 3km ahead! With renewed energy I continued... we reached a sign that IIRC indicated 2638 M above sea level...








and then finally.... we stopped a moment for the iconic photo....



and were promptly passed by a lady driving an E46 convertible.. with the top down....



literally smoking a cigarette as she drove down the mountain.!

ED TIP: When driving mountain passes ... it's always nice to drive behind a local... that way the peanut gallery in your own vehicle " we are going to die... It's too dangerous!.. you are going too fast! " quiets down!






We stopped for a " pit stop" at this hotel. Oddly... the entire mountain had several hotels and bars. It seems that many locals must ride/drive up the mountain and stay the night. Motorcyclists appeared to be travelling the mountain several times... and there were even bicyclists going up and down the mountain!






once we reached the base of the mountain... we set the GPS for the Hilton.... and made it back just before 10pm.
The round trip took about 6.5 hours.... and really... if one intends to stop along the way... budget a couple of hours more time..

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      09-10-2011, 11:46 PM   #5
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Day 5 - Innsbruck to Salzburg, Hangar 7, The Sound of Music, Mondsee, and Mirabell Gardens

We arose to another beautiful day in Austria... and on this day opted for the breakfast at the hotel. We were able to pre-pay for it the night before.. which meant it was at the reduced rate of €15, instead of €26. As is customary for buffets in Germany, the buffet included many types of juices, many types of meats.. sausage.. bacon.. deli meats like ham, prosciutto, and even salmon.... and of course eggs, potatoes, and many fruits and pastries. Properly fed, we set off for Salzburg, to visit Hangar 7. If you are not aware of this structure, it is an airport hangar near the salzburg airport, and it is owned by the owner of Red Bull. http://www.hangar-7.com/en/ Hangar 7 has a cafe in the center, and the cafe is surrounded by Red Bull sponsored vehicles... But before one even gets to the hangar... the parking lot is full of automotive enthusiast vehicles...











A vintage Ford Thunderbird is one of the last vehicles I would have expected in Austria...










And of course.. the nearly omnipresent X1. The X1 SUV has not yet made it to the US. It was actually intended
to be here 6-9 months ago, but strong sales in Europe, mean that they are'nt able to build enough to meet the
additional demand from the US market. The X1 is also produced on the same line as the 1 series... so production
of the 1 series M at the Leipzig factory is also limiting X1 production. Sorry future X1 owners.. you'll have to wait!


























And a very unique F1 car






a close up



















A photo of the cafe...



And of course some modern art...



I am not sure why an Alien was invited..



And a very cool Sony cubicle with a Bravia TV and playstation 3 with Gran Turismo 5.






Even the bathrooms were extraordinary...



As we left... we encountered more TVRs... Apparently the owner of the red car didn't get the memo on the proper time..









We then began to look for the Sound of music house... and found a roundabout... Salzburg has buses that use electric power... Salzburg was not nearly as charming as Innsbruck...







However we did find a tour company.. The tour was a 4 hour tour around the city of Salzburg... at a whopping €107 for the three of us!





one of TWO homes used as the actual home in the movie.





the gazebo it turns out was relocated to this garden..












The tour continued on through salzburg...





we came upon a lake...





Can anyone guess who own this? Hint... note the architechture... lots of glass..



The owner of Red Bull and hangar 7 of course!



then we came round this hill..











And the tour came to the town of Mondsee..The tour bus stopped here for an hour to let us walk around



the church used in the movie for the wedding..






we stopped for some apple strudel and ice cream... the food, the ice cream, and the wait staff, were excellent,
however the bees made it unbearable to sit at your table... Definitely recommended.. even if you have to eat and run!




On the way back to the tour bus we passed by this BMW again... so I got some photos.









Finally the tour bus returned us back to town and we saw the fountain at Mirabell Gardens







It was a four hour tour... a four hour tour........ and a good way to see Salzburg.... but if we're being honest... no slight to those that live there... we found it a bit of a disappointment compared to Innsbruck and Munich. On our way out of Salzburg made a pit stop at a local gas station....

ED Tip... Looking for the Bathroom...? Look for one of following signs.. W/C... Water Closet..... Toilette.... and....



And off we go to Munich.... where we got ourselves in a good old fashioned traffic slog.... such as between say....Dallas and Austin ... Or Indianapolis to Chicago... ... New York.. to.. well.. New York... and the same for L.A... It was enough that we diverted as much as possible, at exits, and made some headway past kms of stopped traffic, but within an hour rain and darkness spoiled the fun, as well as occasionally ending up on a road that looked like someone's driveway.... (the Tom Tom faithfully guiding me, believe it or not). Eventually we found our way back to the Abahn..


Autobahn ED Tip...

When you cross under stanchions where there normally are speed limit signs..... and you realize they are all DARK.. it's time to drop the hammer! The 1M is a comfortable highway cruiser for intermediate trips... I made several extended runs (alternating gears and rpms, yes!) at 110 mph throughout the trip.... For the most part this entire trip, the 1M was a Grand Tourer for me, and it was very capable. Certainly an E9x would have been more comfortable, but for carving on the roads to Stelvio and back..the 1M was easily able to cut and thrust past cars, which is the only way through traffic! On what I would call the backside or my approach path up to Stelvio, I would definitely not have wanted a wider or heavier car! Finally, a welcome sight...




For our last night in town, I elected a hotel near the airport.. and I found what we all thought was an awesome hotel.


Hotel Moevenpick Hotel München-Airport
Address Ludwigstrasse 43
Hallbergmoos, 85399
Germany
Phone +49 (0) 811 888 524
Fax +49811888444
E-mail nicole.bartz@moevenpick.com



There is a large outdoor parking area... it was packed... This hotel looks brand new and just had a great upscale casual atmosphere... There is a restaurant which is open from 6-11





and bar....which was open until midnight...





and the food at the restaurant was good, with very large portions...

The menu was a little confusing... but prices had a wide range from spaghetti with beef for €8.95 to steaks at €26.00 Most items were in the 13-15 range. They also serve ice cream, which our entire family enthusiastically recommend! At a mere €2 per scoop, it's the perfect completion to whatever meal.. or.. no meal.. !






Pick a flavor... try it.... you'll thank me!



Our first floor hallway had a trick automated doorway....




And here was our room...... Adult room...





and adjoining chidren's room.. or room for a second two...



The hotel has WIFI at decent rates.. or at least some tiers below 11 per day.. I paid €5 for 3 hours, with multiple devices permitted, but ended up getting only 2.5 hours of time. Aside from a lobby computer that was bogged down, everything was impeccable.



The bathrooms had their own surprise... extra facilities.... !





Note.. Hand Towels, pictured above... are a rarity in Germany and Austria. if you have a loufa... bring it along..
Unlike US hotels.. where we get two different types of soaps and fancy little bottles of mid range hair products, most european hotels appear to have a single soap/shampoo/conditioner gel in the bathroom.


The price for 1 room... either two twins or the full size bed...€77
Our Total room price -Family Room (2 Adults + 2 Children in two adjoining rooms) € 87.00
Yes.. parents.. that wasn't a typo..the difference for an entire adjoining room with it's own bathroom was less than one Andrew Jackson.


The hotel is a few miles from login/out and the airport terminal. If you are using a GPS.. it's in the city of Hallbergmoos (not Munich) as per the sign pictured earlier. The hotel has airport boards so you can keep track of your flight before leaving for the airport, and there is a free shuttle that runs as early as 5am.... which we were about to experience...

but for now, it was.. farewell...






Anyone recall the number of miles I had originally planned??

Last edited by M3 Adjuster; 09-15-2011 at 10:20 PM..
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      09-10-2011, 11:50 PM   #6
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Day 6 Return home - addl thoughts


Typically the last day involves turning in your vehicle.

When dropping off the vehicle... remove ALL items that belong to you.... No items can be left in the vehicle as they will be removed by customs offcials and discarded. Leave BOTH European plates on the vehicle... Recent customs requirements indicate that both should be on the vehicle. They should still be on the vehicle when it is delivered in the US. Make sure to remove items that are European specific, that will not be in your vehicle when it gets to the US, like the First Aid Kit and the safety triangle which are mounted in the trunk. The brackets for the triangle also can/should be removed, or you will need to purchase brackets to install your triangle. On my car the brackets used a torx head (T10 or T15) so I was not able to remove mine..

Here is a photo of what you will likely need to have extra storage for in your bags home.


The Owners manual- if you weren't up late reading it in your hotel after the delivery, it is a great item to tackle on the flight home!
Warning Triangle - this is a nice safety item that is required in Europe but not in the US.
Front License plate and mounting hardware
First Aid Kit
Floor Mats - some owners leave these in the vehicle, others do not. There is a lot of debate on whether or not these mats or different mats or no mats will come delivered with your vehicle. Since many US dealers charge for floor mats, I opted to go ahead and roll mine up and take them with me.

OPTIONAL- stylish safety vests purchased in Austria - Like life vests in the US for a boat on water.. one vest per person at all times!





One can return their vehicle at a number of locations/countries throughout Europe, as indicated on the BMW USA website. Dropoff locations include Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Sindelfingen and Bremerhaven in Germany, Vienna, Austria, Paris or Nice, France, Amsterdam, Geneva or Zurich Switzerland, or one of eight different cities in Italy (all the italian cities have surcharges from € 490 to 750 (ouch!). The vehicles are shipped by train from the dropoff point to Bremerhaven, which is the outgoing port from which all BMWs are shipped to North America.


In Munich, the return location is Login/Out of Munich. They are located on the airport property, and a few yards from the Kempinski hotel, which is a 2 minute walk from Terminal two. If dropping one's vehicle off prior to a flight, I would imagine that one could take the bags to the terminal and drop them off from the car, and then walk with just carryons to the terminal after dropping off the car. The regular drop off hours are Monday thru Friday 0800 to 1630, and Saturday 0800 to 1400.

Due to the fact that our flights were set to leave at 7am on a Monday, I was able to make alternate arrangements to leave my car at the hotel. I left the documents at the desk and the folks from Loginout picked up my car and had emailed me that the car was safe and sound with them before I even arrived home. If your flight is at an odd time, the folks at Login/out have all types of solutions, including picking up the vehicle from your hotel for €100 or they will open at any hour of the day for €200. While both of these are relatively hefty charges, sometimes a few hours difference may mean hundreds of dollars savings on tickets, so in my case, I considered the drop off fee a part of my plane ticket expense. Drop off service at the Welt is available for a fee of €60, so if you are at a hotel near the Welt, and would prefer to catch a cab/train/shuttle to the airport or even the main train station to use rail to another location in Europe, this is an option.

ED TIP: One should send an email to the dropoff company a minimum of one week in advance to make arrangements for the drop off of your vehicle. This should definitely be done as part of your trip planning, so that you can determine when/where to drop off, and of course how you will get you/your bags to the airport terminal as well!


If your vehicle has a NAV device, the European map is loaded on the vehicle for your European Delivery, and the US map is installed in the vehicle prior to the vehicle being delivered in the US.




This is what you get a good view of on the trip home...




Our trip home on American Airlines was good, however the trip home is generally a long day. Typically flights to the US will involve a short flight of 2-4 hours and a long flight of 8-10 hours if you live in a major city. The 8-10 hour flights usually have a personal television for each passenger... so while you are trapped in your seat for more than a full work day, you at least have your own choice of re-runs or relatively recent movies to watch. Our 777 for the way home had arm rests with remote controls in them, and not only were movies and tv shows available, there were games available as well. If you live in a smaller city, you very likely may have a third flight.


Well that's the story, and I hope you enjoyed it. You might notice I didn't give much impressions about the car. It's AMAZING... simple as that... however.. in contrast to the pre-drive, where I daresay I drove the cars as hard as I dared, this trip was a great chance to experience the 1M as a grand touring vehicle. Despite it's relatively compact size, the rear is comfortable for children and moderately sized adults, but make no mistake, this is a sports car. In vacation mode, the ride is firm but not jarring, and apparently very comfortable to sleep in at 110 mph If there is a canyon to be carved, the 1M is willing... as long as the occupants are .



So now begins the long wait... My car leaves Germany 9/14 and should be stateside 10/3. I am hoping to pick it up while on vacation for BMW CCA Octoberfest in Birmingham sometime during 10/10-10/16. How lucky can a guy be? Stay tuned!

Last edited by M3 Adjuster; 09-16-2011 at 02:12 PM..
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      09-11-2011, 12:30 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by M3 Adjuster View Post
DAY 1- Arrival in Munich
To date... I am the only one of the original 12 that has opted for the car, a fact that is a bit disappointing, but not surprising, given the fact that the pre-drive 12 are all normal people, and to be honest, although we all LOVED the 1M when we drove it, none of us are independently wealthy...
I guess I am not entirely surprised to hear this since BMW claiming the 1M would be an entry level M car always seemed disingenuous given the limited production. But I'm sure BMW isn't too concerned since the 1M has undoubtedly created considerable enthusiasm for the forthcoming M2.
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      09-11-2011, 01:35 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HERR FSTIR View Post
I guess I am not entirely surprised to hear this since BMW claiming the 1M would be an entry level M car always seemed disingenuous given the limited production. But I'm sure BMW isn't too concerned since the 1M has undoubtedly created considerable enthusiasm for the forthcoming M2.

At 46K... in the US.. the base price of the 1M is 10K cheaper than the E90 M3 Sedan, and 13K cheaper than the E92 M3 coupe. However, I agree, I personally was hoping that the price would be closer to 40K. However.. the 1M is significantly cheaper than the E46 M3 when it came out, and it has similar dimensions and better performance.
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      09-11-2011, 01:53 AM   #9
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congrats!

plenty of ED cars driving around in my area recently
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      09-11-2011, 02:19 AM   #10
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2009 135i  [10.00]
Great write up. Looking forward to reading the rest.
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      09-11-2011, 02:20 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by M3 Adjuster View Post
At 46K... in the US.. the base price of the 1M is 10K cheaper than the E90 M3 Sedan, and 13K cheaper than the E92 M3 coupe. However, I agree, I personally was hoping that the price would be closer to 40K. However.. the 1M is significantly cheaper than the E46 M3 when it came out, and it has similar dimensions and better performance.
Don't forget the 5-10K surcharge some (but certainly not all) are paying due to limited availability.

Thanks for the helpful travel information. Taking a European trip next year, including a stop in Munich, and the ATM/credit card information is good to know.
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      09-11-2011, 02:29 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TwinDarkness View Post
are those free?

The photos shown are of the upstairs area which is only for delivery.
All the food and drinks are free... you can even come back for Lunch or another meal later in the day after your delivery.. They even have both alcoholic and non alcoholic beer as beverages.


For general guests to the Welt... downstairs on the first floor, there is a cafe that serves food and pastries and beverages for a fee.

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      09-11-2011, 02:31 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by evolution80 View Post
congrats!

plenty of ED cars driving around in my area recently
I was one of them! I really enjoyed Innsbruck...
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      09-11-2011, 02:52 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HERR FSTIR View Post
Don't forget the 5-10K surcharge some (but certainly not all) are paying due to limited availability.

Thanks for the helpful travel information. Taking a European trip next year, including a stop in Munich, and the ATM/credit card information is good to know.

I refused to pay a surcharge, and I still wouldn't pay one. I was not early in the game.. but I got ED MSRP, which really makes the car the performance bargain of this century (ok yeah.. only 12 model years in but still...! ) and for the near future.

In past months.. there have always been a rocky two to three weeks between each round of allocations,
which has been the best opportunity for a few $tealers to try and sell over MSRP.. Then the next round of
allocations are out and it's easy to get an allocaton at what BMW intended, and what most dealers have given.. MSRP.
There are threads dedicated to this.

Contrary to current conventional wisdom.. I think there is at least one more round of allocations coming.
There's no reason to turn the tap off early.....!

Last edited by M3 Adjuster; 09-11-2011 at 02:59 AM..
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      09-11-2011, 05:29 AM   #15
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Nice report, keep it coming! Commendable that you mixed Germany's best (cars, etc) and worst (history) into your trip. Love you route, most likely will copy that one day.

Any more car/technical details you pried from the M studio guys?
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      09-11-2011, 06:19 AM   #16
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Congrats and have fun ..... what a neat experience with such a great tour guide like Dackel along .... look forward to your next posts!
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      09-11-2011, 07:49 AM   #17
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Excellent write up Adjuster! Thank you for sharing the detailed experience!
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      09-11-2011, 08:03 AM   #18
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Nice writeup Mark. Looking forward to the other parts of your "ED Adventure".
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      09-11-2011, 08:06 AM   #19
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Congrats and thanks for sharing Mark. Brings back memories of my delivery in June. Enjoy and hope to meet you at O'fest this year.
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      09-11-2011, 08:21 AM   #20
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Excellent write up and tips. I am so doing an ED next time around!
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      09-11-2011, 08:39 AM   #21
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Glad you were finally able to get your hands on one. I know there was some uncertainty there for awhile.

I thought another of the select 12 bought a car? I think he's in Europe somewhere and also on this forum.
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      09-11-2011, 10:03 AM   #22
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Excellent writeup Mark... Looks you've enjoyed your ED experience..... Looking forward to the rest.... Cheers!
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