First off I am going to say, I have read so many other threads like this, and mine will pale in comparison. I am not a huge fan of doing huge write-ups and explaining every step, but I will do my best. This will be a few posts to add all the pics so be patient.
The journey started years ago, I had been planning on doing this for a while but the timing never seemed right, I was either purchasing houses, moving, changing positions at work or just life got in the way. Finally I decided I needed to do this trip before the S65 was gone, so back in February I contacted David Aviles of Northwest BMW (well at the time Northwest now Steve Thomas). He came highly recommended by this board and others, and I will concur, he was nothing short of awesome. After my call in Feb, he was able to able to secure me a production number for my brand new E93 M3! So that was the easy part, now on to planning the trip.
When I was a kid my family did a Griswold Family vacation, we drove all the way from NJ to Cali and back on a big loop around the country. I was almost a teen at the time and that was an amazing trip (we even had a woodgrain sided wagon and the dog lol), I remember my dad making the spreadsheets and figuring out the mileage while using camping books to figure out where we would stay. I decided to create something like it (with less miles) going through Europe, the first two pics are the original wagon from back in the day and then a map of the Euro Delivery trip.
I will say going through this process, I would ABSOLUTELY do this again, and I would go through David again as well. In fact when the lease on the ATS that we have is up I want her to do Euro Delivery on a new 3 series (and after going through this she would do it in a second, she now has an IMFAN shirt as well as a ton of other BMW items).
As for my choice of the E93 over the E92. I have owned a lot of BMW's and I have been dying for a convertible for a long time. Did I feel the extra weight around the Ring, sure, but after driving this car (especially with the top down through the mountains, 360 degree views hearing the S65 sing I would not change my choice one bit. The E93 gave me a smile even when I was going 30 miles an hour its just feels amazing. Oh and I passed a cars on the ring which was driver related only but still the E93 has more then enough to have fun for me.
On to the trip! I will try to keep this in order lets see how it goes.
The break down of the car
2013 E93 M3 Jerez Black/Fox Red Extended, carbon leather trim 6 Speed Manual
Premium Package
Cold Weather Package
Dynamic Damper Control (EDC)
19" 220M wheels
BMW Apps
Sirius
Enhanced Premium Sound