Germany, There and Back Again: Introduction to a European Delivery Experience

Part 1

Spring of this year B proposed to me the idea of getting a BMW to replace my Lexus since the lease is ending soon. Emotional scars that I had buried deep within immediately resurfaced. I have had horrible experiences with the maintenance of a BMW. I started shaking at the thought of seeing my car on a flat bed again in the middle of the company parking lot.

The gas! The maintenance! There is a reason why one of my friends calls it the "B-M-trouble-u!"

So I resisted.



But B is a patient man.

IDP Get!

Prologue of sorts
A few months later and one sunny afternoon in Newport Beach, CA (as if it is never sunny there) B somehow convinced me to go to Sterling BMW with him. I think it was the early summer sun. It makes a person happy and happy people are more willing to spend money on frivolous things.

After handpicking one from their warehouse I found myself behind the wheel of a gray 2015 M5 for a test drive.

I didn't know what to expect from this rumbly machine.

A random guy in the parking lot stopped to walk over to the car to check out the sticker while the dealer explained to me some basics. Something about a dual-clutch transmission and whatever the massive amount of buttons do. Random guy stuck a thumbs up at me in approval and a smile.

I gingerly pulled out on to PCH with a smirking B in the backseat. Down the road I gave it some gas. Maneuvered a little bit. Solid. I could already tell the car was begging for more but I was still being a little gentle.

The dealer instructed me to go to the far left lane at the signal. "Make a U-turn here and gun it," as his fingers wrapped around the oh-shit handle.

U-turned. Gunned it.

The M5 just grabbed me and rocketed forward. "Enough of this gentle driving crap!" the car told me I gave it all the gas I dared to. I saw cars getting smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror.

The dealer looks over at the dash and says, "So when you pull back in to town you might want to slow down. You're going 104 mph right now."

"Oh really?! OOPS. I didn't even realize that." I couldn't help but break out in a smile. I sensed that B was laughing to himself in the backseat.


After the test drive it was easy for B to convince me to do a European delivery of the car. It would involve flying to Germany to get the car. Flying? I'm down! It is a special program that BMW offers that allows you to experience taking delivery of the car at the BMW Welt in Munich and driving it on German roads. For BMW it also saves a bundle on export taxes which do translate to a 7% off MSRP right off the bat (only 5% for January 2016 builds and onwards unfortunately). With whatever you've discounted a lot of people turn their experience in to a European vacation. After you are done vacationing you drop off the car and BMW will ship it back to you for re-delivery at your dealership. For the record I think almost ANY model BMW can be in the European delivery program. I'm not too sure on the SUV and i3/i8 models though.

A few weeks before the trip we paid our first payment. We got the congratulations from the dealer but strangely walked out empty handed. All I had to show was a mock photo on my BMW account of the car with a progress bar. "In production" it simply said. It was weird but I think that eventually made it all the more thrilling to see the car for the first time in Munich.

I had never been to Germany before so I consulted a few people and read up on forums on what people did. Eventually I pieced together an itinerary that would take us from Munich to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Linderhof Palace, Füssen, Neuschwanstein Castle, Ulm, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Heidelberg, and Frankfurt. I was most excited to see the mountain scenery and the old German towns.

Driving Route

International driving permit in hand, paper full of explanations of German road signs, passports, and bags packed we headed off to the airport.

Other parts of this journey:
Part 1 - Introduction
Part 2 - LAX to FRA
Part 3 - FRA to MUC
Part 4 - BMW Welt and Delivery
Part 5 - First drive and Linderhof Palace
Part 6 - Füssen, Ulm, and Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Part 7 - Speyer Museum and Heidelberg
Part 8 - FRA and the Flight Home