Prodution completed!

"Your vehicle production is complete and is waiting to be released to the carrier." - the voice on the other side of the telephone line made my heart race! It has been completed! Yay! The only thing left to do is to pick it up from Munich... and pay for it. :)

Other news: Purchase order has been signed and notarized (it is always great to have a Notary Public in your immediate family!). It has also been sent to my CA. The turnaround time: less than 20 hours.

Blog news: thanks to a friend of mine Peter, the blog has a new header image! Good job Peter, thanks!

Quick update

Just a quick post with a few details:

I just called BMW NA and here is what I heard: "Your vehicle is in the paint shop, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 19 2009" Yay, beautiful Crimson Red is being applied!

Yesterday I received a Fedex package from BMW NA with welcome materials for the European Delivery. Also included were some nice tags, for both of us. I am starting to feel like it is no longer smoke and mirrors, it is slowly materializing!

I have not signed any POs yet, but there is still time. I also have not finalized my lease through BMW FS. Two months MINUS one day from today...

Somebody pinch me, please!

[TRIP] Important Webites

A few websites to keep handy:

1. At the very beginning, open an account with TripIt. It allows for tracking reservations, tickets and schedules by emailing them in and then viewing them online from anywhere, even when on the road, in Europe.

2. Plan your trip using an online map site, like Google Maps. An alternative to it is ViaMichelin, my personal favorite. It is in my opinion, more flexible, allowing choosing directions by the type of desired route: Recommended, Quickest, Shortest, Sightseeing and Economical. Just like Google Maps, it allows bookmarking trips, which can later be imported into TripIt.

3. When it is time to spend some money, it is best to spend as little as possible. First, the airfare, there are two options: Lufthansa offers 2-for-1 tickets, so during high season, it is most often the best option. Second ticket is free, only taxes and airport fees must be paid. Also, when booking with Lufthansa, using the promotion, the production number must be supplied and only 30 days before the departure the ticket will be issued and credit card charged.
The alternative is an aggregate fare search like Kayak. It searches through tens of websites, both wholesalers and individual airlines to find the best price. Highly recommended! All the reservations received can be forwarded to TripIt so they will be added nicely to the itinerary.

4. Now, that the groundwork is laid, tickets purchased, European Delivery scheduled, it is time to add some more content to the trip. Here are some websites: BMW own website with a section on European Delivery trips, Wikitravel is another favorite with facts and tips useful when traveling. Another one is TripAdvisor, an enormous community of travelers. Great source of information and subjective opinions, which sometimes need to be taken with a grain of salt.

It is just a beginning and a starting list of websites, I will be adding to it as the date gets near.

Accessorizing your BMW

I know, I haven't written in a while. We abandoned the idea of doing European Delivery in 2008. First, 2008 e90 was not what I liked. I preferred to wait for the 2009. So, we did. And when it was available, it was too cold to pick it up in Europe. So, it has been rescheduled - for 2009, hopefully. With the economy in its current state I can't promise myself that. But I can hope. And I do.
Anyway, I know that there is nothing better than driving a BMW. Well, maybe one thing - driving a tricked-out Bimmer! And a really good place to get some OEM accessories for your 3-series is dealerfit. I have not purchased anything from them, but they look legit and I am planning on accessorizing my future ride. Leave a comment if you purchased from them before and what kind of experience you got out of it.

Places to see: Fuerstenfeldbruck Abbey

I decided to post some places to see, while in Munich/Bavaria. I will expand on the selection, as time and my research progresses. Here is a first one:

A short 30-minute drive away from Munich lies Fuerstenfeldbruck. With its famous Fuerstenfeldbruck Abbey, it makes for a great, short drive. The main turist attraction is a cathedral, which supposedly is the best example of an European baroque. The number of ornaments is staggering, everything overburdened with colors and a light-color play. Can be interesting!

Round Two

Is it always a case where when you want to have everything done right away, you can't? Last week I called our CA at the local dealership and left a VM asking to call me back. I had a few questions regarding European Delivery program:

1. How long would I have to wait for a car? We were preliminarily planning on going to Europe in mid-September, just so we can say that we visited Oktoberfest (hello, Bier!), while the weather is still relatively mild but it is past the biggest tourist season there. I have been told 10-12 weeks, I haven't verified that information, but 10-12 weeks would put it around September 3-17. It seems like a good timing. But I was also told that it is still 'up in the air'.

2. I asked about the drop off points in Europe. I wanted to make sure, before I start dealing with Lufthansa that the drop-off point is reachable by air. I want to make sure I will be able to fly out and it would not cost me an arm and a leg. The answer I got was: "we will talk about it when you come in". We'll see...

3. I had a few questions about financing - most notably about fees associated with it. The answer I got was that it can be discussed when I sign the papers. That raised my eyebrow, but again, we will see...

4. I wanted my CA to confirm the free STEPTRONIC offer - I would be a great help, since that add-on is worth almost $1300. That has been confirmed. Good, that counts!

5. I also asked about any additional fees I might have overlooked: tax, title and license. I have been told, that the tax is regular 6% (CT), title and license fees are less than about a hundred dollars. But there was something else: A dealer conveyance fee of $399. Doesn't it look a bit outrageous? Then I checked Bimmerfest forums and found out that the $399 is pretty standard. I also found out that the law in CT is very precise as to what can be included. If they do not try a 'bait and switch' method and I know all the fees upfront, I will be happy. That is a big plus for me with using the Rizzo method.

6. Last question I had was about colors and trims combination. We wanted to make sure the choice we made looks as good on a computer screen as it does in person. I made an appointment to see my CA tomorrow. I will keep you posted!

1st post - Planning

Greets!

Let's get introduced. My name is Dan and I live somewhere on the east coast of the US. I am married to Ela, my dearest wife. Anyway, enough of the formalities.

So we almost decided. On the car, of course. It was neither easy nor straightforward, but it was done.

First, I needed a new car. My trusted 2001 Nissan Sentra was already 7 years old and with 126,000 miles on the odometer I felt it was time to have it replaced. It was my first car and my daily driver since mile 37. I got it new, paid it off and put almost all the miles on that car. It still serves me well, but the time came.

First, I always admired diesel. For a little premium over regular gas, it provided great hp, excellent torque, while still achieving admirable MPG numbers. Unfortunately, the price of diesel went through the roof, and at present, you have only two models available with Diesel: an MB CDI and a VW Jetta. Mercedes is not anywhere close to my taste and the Jetta - well, all I have to say it was a disappointment. Recently posted MPG figures were not even in the ballpark of what I expected.

Before I settled on BMW, I tried various brands - I drove an Infinity FX, EX and G, and out of them all I liked FX the most, as both an EX and the G were way too small for me - I am over 6' 4" and of bigger frame. The FX was OK, but still felt like driving a beefed up Murano.

And then, one day - after I convinced my wife to go to a nearby BMW dealer - I test drove a 328xi and a 335xi back to back. I told the CA that I was not ready to purchase and he understood - surprisingly, he didn't push and we never spoke about any monetary figures. I went home and started doing more research - using Google. Soon, I found a great source - Bimmerfest forums.

After googling a bit, I found a wholesale price page that can be seen on the left here, and then, using the Rizzo method I priced my own BMW - a 328xi, with a few, very necessary options.

Ahhh, the Rizzo method - if you didn't know it existed, make yourself familiar now. It basically is a spreadsheet, like the one I attached to the right. It basically does what the CA is supposed to do - you list all the options, with prices, you add dealer profit on top of the invoice and you send it to as many dealerships as you can find. I see it as a double-edged sword: it puts a buyer in the drivers seat (pun not intended!), cause it is him who makes the rules. It also allows the buyer to control the 'rip-off' factor - check if the CA is not ripping him off. On the other hand, it prevents the buyer from establishing a partnership with a dealer, which can be beneficial. I think this method is beneficial to both parties - the buyer knows what he needs, and the CA is not bothered with strange questions from the buyer - it is either a 'yay' or a 'nay' answer. If it is 'yes' then the business can be done.

Anyway, here is the first post, please post your thoughts and your comments below. And in the next post I will try to justify my choice, why I chose 328 over 335, and then I will try to go into financing. See you soon!