[vasmir]

A few weeks ago my wife and I took delivery of our new X3 at the Performance Delivery Center (BMWPC) in South Carolina. It was an absolute blast! We wanted to share some of the experience.

First off, if you’ve never done BMWPC, I can’t recommend it highly enough. It really turns the car buying process into an unforgettable memory. The entire cost for food, lodging, and driving-fun-time, is included in the standard destination/delivery fee for any new BMW; it’s such a nice perk for any car manufacturer to offer. Really, if you can afford the requisite time for travel… do BMWPC!

Quick specs on the X3

2016 X3 xDrive28i
Mineral White Metallic / Mocha Nevada Leather / Copper Trim
Moonroof
Heated seats
Navigation
Lighting Package/Xenon headlights

Setting up BMWPC

This was going to be the wife’s car, and I don’t think she was into the performance delivery center idea at first. Maybe she was thinking it’d be too much like the one day M school I did a few years ago, or not for “people who don't drive all crazy,” but after reading a bit about it online she got really excited.

We purchased through Checkered Flag BMW in VA Beach, and the staff was very helpful in preparing our papers and dealing with the trade in. Best dealership I've dealt with by far. We signed paperwork and were able to keep her old Jeep (trade in) up until the week of delivery. Very helpful. Now, onwards to delivery!

Landing in SC

After landing, we called the Greenville Marriott for transportation… and less than 15 minutes later a spotless X5 arrived to take us away. The driver was awesome: he took our bags, reserved our dinner time, and recommended lots of things to see in Greenville.
The Marriott was super clean and well accommodated. Decent gym and good restaurant.

At the Delivery Center

Welcome and Classroom instruction
We were introduced to some of the lead driving instructors - all of which have hearty professional driving or racing backgrounds - and given a quick tutorial on the specifics of traction control, anti-lock brakes, and dynamic stability control.

“Don’t be afraid to toss these cars around and drive them hard!” they told us. We were encouraged to go faster, break harder, and above all else to have fun. It’s clear how much these instructors love their jobs and working with customers.

After the classroom, we headed out to the vehicles. They paired us up with a vehicle similar to the one we’d ordered. Our group was mostly X5s, two X4s, one M3, and one X3 (ours). I think my wife was slightly beside herself that they’d have such a large fleet of student vehicles, and literally just hand you over the keys to a $50k SAV you don’t own. Super cool feeling.

First Exercise: Skid Pad
We hopped in a new 340i (they don’t do the skid pad w/ X vehicles) and circled the skid pad - fast. The instructors turned off traction control and said “floor it!” Now we’re spinning, doing 360s.
Traction control goes back on - now we’re going faster and faster - and sure enough, no spinning. I thought it was a great demonstration to see how traction control induces understeer, working to keep you pointed in the right direction.

It’s something I’ve felt plenty of times while auto-crossing, but “normal” car owners like my wife would never get to experience otherwise. Great exercise.

Second Exercise: Hard Braking
55mph to 0, as hard as you can hit the pedal. We each got plenty of runs, to develop that trust for ABS working. Another super practical, and fun, exercise. Wife loved it.

Third Exercise: Small Road Course
I was a bit surprised the X vehicles would get to do a small road course. But sure enough, we did! Instructor led the first lap then pulled off. As a guy who auto-crosses, I was fairly impressed with how the X3 felt when pushed. Sure understeer comes pretty early, and there’s body lean, but really - that 4000+ lbs is handled very well. I think the wife got a bit apprehensive when I took the wheel, but after a few laps she was confident we weren’t going to roll over. Ha.

Last Exercise: Off Road Course
Let’s be honest. 99.5% of all BMW X vehicles are going to be grocery getters, more at home in a Whole Foods parking lot than on a back-woods dirt trail. I think that’s why we enjoyed this exercise the most; how often will X owners get to feel 25 degree angles, wade through a stream, or have two wheels off the ground? Easily our favorite exercise.

Hot lap: do it!

Factory tour: This was something I didn’t get to do when attending the one-day M school a few years ago. And by far, this was my personal favorite! I really appreciate how BMW gives customers a guided tour of how their high-end, technical, industrial factory operates. We were only a few feet from the active production line, seeing how sheet metal becomes car. Biggest highlight for me was seeing the 70-90 lb bag of electrical cabling getting delivered to each body and installed. Very impressive.

Vehicle Delivery
This was something I felt the BMWPC did exceptionally well. We were paired with a product specialist who explained each system and it’s operation 100% better than most dealerships I’ve dealt with. My wife and I were very well cared for. License plates were installed for us, iPhones paired (very important, ha), and my wife and I left with a great understanding of every single switch and button. Concepts like lowering the windows w/ comfort access, or turning off the interior motion sensor, were upfront in our rep’s tutorial. Compare that with when I took delivery of my old Z4, and the NJ dealership didn’t even know those systems existed. Sigh.

TL;DR:

All in all, a great day. Like I said at the top, if you’re buying a new BMW, and have the time, there’s absolutely no reason not to do BMWPC. Everyone was super helpful, professional, and friendly. Wife really loved it. The BMWPC staff really made it a superb experience!

Enough talk; picture time!

Signing the paperwork. Does the wife look excited?




Dinner time!


Time for some driving!


Brought back memories from when I attended M school here.








Waiting our turn for the skid pad!




Driving through the little off-road stream!


Off-road fun!




Wife loved this part:


A whole delivery room, just for us!




First handshake:


Super-clean:


Fairly low mileage...


Our specialist was Nick. Really a great guy, very chill and knowledgeable. Great brand ambassador, can't say enough about him!




Say what you will about X3 vs X5 looks... but I really like these wheels


Me chilling while the wife learned about her new X3...


Time to leave, last shots in front of the museum (sadly, closed for renovations)




Last photo: His and hers BMW in the driveway.
Kind of psyched I've turned my wife onto Bimmers!

[ianfp]

Thanks for sharing all of this - a really nice detailed and interesting post.
Great photos too!

I hope you really enjoy your, or should I say your wife's X3!

Ian

[mde83]

Thanks for sharing.

Your wife looks super happy and excited in the pics. Makes me wish I had done this when I got my X3 last month. But unfortunately for me, I have not had any luck turning my SO onto BMW's. She would not have wanted to go, and would have guilted me for going alone.

Maybe I will lend her my X3 and try to break her of her nasty little Chevy habit by the time her lease ends late this year...

Anyway, nice write-up, great pics. Thanks again...

[TomaGo]

Wonderfull experience and nice write-up, thanks for sharing !

[guyver626]

Cool pics!

[RhoXS]

I'm Jealous!!!!

I took delivery yesterday (Monday) of my new X3 but at the local dealer. Really wanted to do what you did but due to other commitments was not something I could do now.

We used to go to Z3 Homecomming over labor Day weekend and and had a number of factory tours over the years we went. I spent a 40 year career in very large industrial settings but nevertheless thought the Spartanburg assembly plant was awesome. Even though I logically know the robots do not have one iota of intelligence that does not exist in hard computer code, it was uncanny watching the robots work together giving the perception of intelligence. It was almost spellbinding watching them assemble the frame. I still have the shirt I wore in 2004 with a few tiny holes where sparks from the robots doing spot welding hit my shirt. I was also very impressed with the workers and their seemingly sincere appreciation of the many customers that seriously intruded into their work stations. I was also impressed each year when we ate with the workers in the cafeteria by their attitudes and appreciation of having a job with BMW. Makes me feel a lot more comfortable with a vehicle that has been assembled at that plat.

Enjoy your new car!!

[3002 tii]

Great stable you got there!

[atomic]

Cool story and great photos.

[jqw]

Thanks for sharing, the pictures are so cool!!

[02420X3]

I'm envious of your PCD experience. I couldn't make the logistics work for me. I compensated by going there for a 2-day Driver's School course. I'm toying with the idea of going back for M School.

[drewxnyc]

thanks for posting this, very nice!

[happy_chrissy]

Originally Posted by vasmir

A few weeks ago my wife and I took delivery of our new X3 at the Performance Delivery Center (BMWPC) in South Carolina. It was an absolute blast! We wanted to share some of the experience.

First off, if you’ve never done BMWPC, I can’t recommend it highly enough. It really turns the car buying process into an unforgettable memory. The entire cost for food, lodging, and driving-fun-time, is included in the standard destination/delivery fee for any new BMW; it’s such a nice perk for any car manufacturer to offer. Really, if you can afford the requisite time for travel… do BMWPC!

Quick specs on the X3

2016 X3 xDrive28i
Mineral White Metallic / Mocha Nevada Leather / Copper Trim
Moonroof
Heated seats
Navigation
Lighting Package/Xenon headlights

Setting up BMWPC

This was going to be the wife’s car, and I don’t think she was into the performance delivery center idea at first. Maybe she was thinking it’d be too much like the one day M school I did a few years ago, or not for “people who don't drive all crazy,” but after reading a bit about it online she got really excited.

We purchased through Checkered Flag BMW in VA Beach, and the staff was very helpful in preparing our papers and dealing with the trade in. Best dealership I've dealt with by far. We signed paperwork and were able to keep her old Jeep (trade in) up until the week of delivery. Very helpful. Now, onwards to delivery!

Landing in SC

After landing, we called the Greenville Marriott for transportation… and less than 15 minutes later a spotless X5 arrived to take us away. The driver was awesome: he took our bags, reserved our dinner time, and recommended lots of things to see in Greenville.
The Marriott was super clean and well accommodated. Decent gym and good restaurant.

At the Delivery Center

Welcome and Classroom instruction
We were introduced to some of the lead driving instructors - all of which have hearty professional driving or racing backgrounds - and given a quick tutorial on the specifics of traction control, anti-lock brakes, and dynamic stability control.

“Don’t be afraid to toss these cars around and drive them hard!” they told us. We were encouraged to go faster, break harder, and above all else to have fun. It’s clear how much these instructors love their jobs and working with customers.

After the classroom, we headed out to the vehicles. They paired us up with a vehicle similar to the one we’d ordered. Our group was mostly X5s, two X4s, one M3, and one X3 (ours). I think my wife was slightly beside herself that they’d have such a large fleet of student vehicles, and literally just hand you over the keys to a $50k SAV you don’t own. Super cool feeling.

First Exercise: Skid Pad
We hopped in a new 340i (they don’t do the skid pad w/ X vehicles) and circled the skid pad - fast. The instructors turned off traction control and said “floor it!” Now we’re spinning, doing 360s.
Traction control goes back on - now we’re going faster and faster - and sure enough, no spinning. I thought it was a great demonstration to see how traction control induces understeer, working to keep you pointed in the right direction.

It’s something I’ve felt plenty of times while auto-crossing, but “normal” car owners like my wife would never get to experience otherwise. Great exercise.

Second Exercise: Hard Braking
55mph to 0, as hard as you can hit the pedal. We each got plenty of runs, to develop that trust for ABS working. Another super practical, and fun, exercise. Wife loved it.

Third Exercise: Small Road Course
I was a bit surprised the X vehicles would get to do a small road course. But sure enough, we did! Instructor led the first lap then pulled off. As a guy who auto-crosses, I was fairly impressed with how the X3 felt when pushed. Sure understeer comes pretty early, and there’s body lean, but really - that 4000+ lbs is handled very well. I think the wife got a bit apprehensive when I took the wheel, but after a few laps she was confident we weren’t going to roll over. Ha.

Last Exercise: Off Road Course
Let’s be honest. 99.5% of all BMW X vehicles are going to be grocery getters, more at home in a Whole Foods parking lot than on a back-woods dirt trail. I think that’s why we enjoyed this exercise the most; how often will X owners get to feel 25 degree angles, wade through a stream, or have two wheels off the ground? Easily our favorite exercise.

Hot lap: do it!

Factory tour: This was something I didn’t get to do when attending the one-day M school a few years ago. And by far, this was my personal favorite! I really appreciate how BMW gives customers a guided tour of how their high-end, technical, industrial factory operates. We were only a few feet from the active production line, seeing how sheet metal becomes car. Biggest highlight for me was seeing the 70-90 lb bag of electrical cabling getting delivered to each body and installed. Very impressive.

Vehicle Delivery
This was something I felt the BMWPC did exceptionally well. We were paired with a product specialist who explained each system and it’s operation 100% better than most dealerships I’ve dealt with. My wife and I were very well cared for. License plates were installed for us, iPhones paired (very important, ha), and my wife and I left with a great understanding of every single switch and button. Concepts like lowering the windows w/ comfort access, or turning off the interior motion sensor, were upfront in our rep’s tutorial. Compare that with when I took delivery of my old Z4, and the NJ dealership didn’t even know those systems existed. Sigh.

TL;DR:

All in all, a great day. Like I said at the top, if you’re buying a new BMW, and have the time, there’s absolutely no reason not to do BMWPC. Everyone was super helpful, professional, and friendly. Wife really loved it. The BMWPC staff really made it a superb experience!

Enough talk; picture time!

Signing the paperwork. Does the wife look excited?




Dinner time!


Time for some driving!


Brought back memories from when I attended M school here.








Waiting our turn for the skid pad!




Driving through the little off-road stream!


Off-road fun!




Wife loved this part:


A whole delivery room, just for us!




First handshake:


Super-clean:


Fairly low mileage...


Our specialist was Nick. Really a great guy, very chill and knowledgeable. Great brand ambassador, can't say enough about him!




Say what you will about X3 vs X5 looks... but I really like these wheels


Me chilling while the wife learned about her new X3...


Time to leave, last shots in front of the museum (sadly, closed for renovations)




Last photo: His and hers BMW in the driveway.
Kind of psyched I've turned my wife onto Bimmers!

Awesome photos! Congrats on your new Bimmer!! How does this program work? Do you even negotiate pricing or they make you pay the msrp since it is coming straight from the factory? What this program expensive?

[Kimo]

Knockarounds! Ace on base!

[ando]

Great write up and nice fleet. Congrats.

[MichiganMike]

Originally Posted by happy_chrissy

How does this program work? Do you even negotiate pricing or they make you pay the msrp since it is coming straight from the factory? What this program expensive?

http://www.bmwofsanrafael.com/BMW-Pe...ww.google.com/

The FAQ at the link will answer most of your questions.

"1. What is the BMW Performance Center Delivery program and why should a customer experience it?
The BMW Performance Center Delivery program is an exciting and unique opportunity in which a customer and guest can fully experience the BMW culture. Included in the program is a complimentary one-night stay (including meals) at a luxurious hotel, professional driving instruction in a BMW similar to the one ordered, a tour of both the BMW Zentrum museum and Manufacturing Plant***, and of course a personalized vehicle delivery presentation by a BMW Product Specialist. Customers can expect nothing but VIP treatment when they opt to take delivery at the BMW Performance Center. ***BMW Zentrum and Plant subject to closings.

2. What is the cost for a customer to take delivery at the BMW Performance Center? What is the additional cost to the selling BMW center?
$0. Taking delivery at the BMW Performance Center is a no-cost option for both the customer and the center. However, customers are responsible for the cost of their personal travel to and from South Carolina."

Your BMW dealer can provide additional details. Typically, you would negotiate a price for the BMW you are ordering and at the time the order is placed make arrangements for delivery at the BMW Performance Center.

Consider that BMW is saving the cost of shipping your car to the dealer and earns significant customer goodwill from the program, while the dealer saves costs of prepping the car and the delivery. The customer bears the cost of travel to the BMW Performance Center and driving the car home. This can be a good deal for all and a great experience.

[vasmir]

Thanks for the great comments everyone!

Originally Posted by 02420X3

I'm envious of your PCD experience. I couldn't make the logistics work for me. I compensated by going there for a 2-day Driver's School course. I'm toying with the idea of going back for M School.

Concur. I wanted to do PCD a few years ago w/ my Z4, but it was impossible to work around my schedule. The dealer can't guarantee a date, but should know the average timeline from order to delivery; working this out w/ our dealer was fairly easy. When it came to delivery day, we were able to push the Thursday we were given to a Friday instead.

I did the 1-day M school a few years ago. It was fantastic! I can only imagine the 2-day school is that much better; you really get the time to both learn and practice your new skills. Not sure if you're a BMWCCA member - they occasionally offer discounts on the 1/2-day M schools. A few hundred $$ off base price.

Originally Posted by happy_chrissy

Awesome photos! Congrats on your new Bimmer!! How does this program work? Do you even negotiate pricing or they make you pay the msrp since it is coming straight from the factory? What this program expensive?

MichiganMike had some great info above. http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Conte...ehicledelivery was pretty helpful too.

Originally Posted by Kimo

Knockarounds! Ace on base!

Ace on base! We have tons of Knockarounds - awesome sunglasses.

Originally Posted by 3002 tii

Great stable you got there!

ditto! Need to get my 1M on the track...

[sergiot]

Hi i Just got delivey Of my x3 28i(also for wife) whats yoyr current mpg? Im about 15 and driving on eco pro Mode and that seems like a lot for me.

[antgenn]

We got our X3 at PC two weeks ago, drove it back to Pennsylvania and then I had a round trip to Massachusetts. It was in Eco mode most of the time with speed not more than 80 mph. The average mpg is 24 after 1800 miles on premium gas (93)

[plymjack]

Wish we had that option over here... you presented it really wll -great pics and detail...thanks