Performance Center Delivery (PCD) of 2012 E92 M3

[IS350]

Wonderful write up and pics!
I got an IOU BMW 101 for lease of my M3, looking forward to cashing it in soon.
Do you recommend the car overview?

[monkawekrue]

awesome write up. congrats.

[Lay-Z M3]

Awesome - lovely colour combo! My E90 was Jerez with Bamboo, so I am partial to this

So BMW Canada - take note! Not only do you charge $11k+ more for the same 'base' car, but you dont give the same 7% break for Euro delivery or even the option to collect the car from the US at this wonderful delivery facility!

Sort it out and soon - Canadians should not have to put up with this shit!

[Diver]

Nice post! Awesome car.

[FatRear08]

Unbelievable write up. So detailed I felt like I was there(I wish). Congrats and the car is beautiful!!

[M Lover]

Everyone pretty much summed it up. Great write up and photos.

[K3PW]

^^What they all said^^ Congrats!

[Eau Rouge]

Originally Posted by Stronghammer

Congrats. I wanted to vomit after my hotlap with Donnie. Next time I am taking Dramamine beforehand

You most certainly are not the only one to have a Dramamine plan for the next time.

Originally Posted by the infamous...

nice combo, congrats! n great read too. thx 4 sharin

I'm delighted that you enjoyed it.

Originally Posted by Park2670

I have been to the PCD twice. Loved every minute. I still think that would be the perfect job. Does BMW want to hire me?

That is what they all say about their jobs at the Performance Center. Lucky dogs.

Originally Posted by Shane550X

Congrats!!!
Does this pick up plan cost more money, and does it give you a discount on the car?

My fathers 05 545i just died and we are looking to get a new 550iXdrive.

1. There is no charge for Performance Center Delivery. However, there will be some additional cost that is directly related to the driving distance from Spartanburg, SC to wherever you are taking the car after delivery.

2. There is no discount a la the European Delivery discount. The PCD is merely a pickup location alternative to dealership pickup, but with the unique opportunity to get a feel for your new car driving one of the PC's cars that's an identical model to your new car.

Originally Posted by Midwest X6

Congrats!!

I'm partial to Jerez on Bamboo too

I put Performance Carbon Fiber interior trim in...check it out in the interior mods section - if you want to see what Bamboo and CF look like.

Enjoy the car!

Another Jerez+Bamboo M3.

Originally Posted by mouivann

Great write up. Congrats.

x 2

Originally Posted by Nang Vann

Very well written!

Congrats on your new car, I really love the interior

I appreciate your comments.

Originally Posted by b33g33

Congrats. Takes me back.

PCD is such an amazing experience that it may honestly justify buying a BMW over another premium brand.

I love how well organize the whole process is as well.

b33g33

Agreed on the value of the experience. What other premium brand offers such to its North American customers?

And I echo your sentiment about the PC's level of organization.

Originally Posted by JA///MES

I wish I would have done this! Let the modding begin!!!! Woo hoo!

Try it next time. You will thank yourself again and again for making that choice.

Originally Posted by DrivenByE30

congrats !!! this is one of those experience where, no matter how much time you spend, it will never be enough right !?!

Thanks for sharing your experience !!

What an awesome looking car, hopefully one day i can also sit in a brand new M3 !

Enjoy yours!

You are correct, in my opinion. The day seems to fly by as there is virtually no downtime between activities, and by the end one may feel a little torn between wishing the experience would continue even as the desire to leave the wonderful place to experience the new car in its natural habitat tends to grow and grow by the hour.

You are welcome and I thank you for your commments.

I hope you make your brand new M3 wish a reality!

Originally Posted by Stallion150

Great post, man. Congrats!

Stallion150.

Originally Posted by johnca

Congrats !!

Originally Posted by doug_999

Very nice writeup!

I do wish they would give you a car to drive like the one you were picking up (i.e. you should have been given a 6-speed M3 and I bet the X5 owners were given X5Ms).

But other than that, it is an amazing experience. PS - beautiful car.

doug_999

It would have been ideal to have a same tranny model, but the upside was the opportunity do experience the M3 DCT and on a road course too. If anything, that experience confirmed to me that going with the manual was the right choice for me.

Originally Posted by JonNYC

Fantastic write-up-- really "captures" the experience. I would though strenuously disagree with the guy that said PCD is "better" than Euro Delivery. I did both this year-- ED of a M3 Cabrio in Jan (also Jerez/Bamboo) and then PCD in March. And although I'd agree with any and all recommendations to do PCD of a new BMW-- to me-- it's nothing even remotely comparable to Euro Delivery-- which was an adventure of a lifetime that I can hardly wait to again!

PCD gives you something you could always get for some cash-- a chance to drive and get instructed at BMWs facilities in their BMWs. Euro Delivery, OTOH, gives you the chance to drive your M3 at M3 speeds on incredible roads-- designed for those speeds-- with incredible scenery more safely than you'll ever be able to do otherwise.

Fortunately, one can do both, so the comparison is moot.

Thank you, Jon.

In fairness to the gentleman that made the comment about ED-PCD, he had found the one month wait to again drive his car after driving it in Europe a painful experience; hence his comment about driving it home and thereby avoiding the agony of "withdrawal".

Both options do make it enticing for one to buy two BMWs in order to savor both experiences. They don't make it easy, do they?

Originally Posted by IS350

Wonderful write up and pics!
I got an IOU BMW 101 for lease of my M3, looking forward to cashing it in soon.
Do you recommend the car overview?

IS350

The car overview is essentially a tutorial and set up session. It may save you varying amounts of time dependent upon your level of familiarity with the car's iDrive. In my opinion, even as one that had already the owner's manual prior to taking delivery of the car, I found it beneficial and worthwhile.

Originally Posted by monkawekrue

awesome write up. congrats.

Originally Posted by Lay-Z M3

Awesome - lovely colour combo! My E90 was Jerez with Bamboo, so I am partial to this

So BMW Canada - take note! Not only do you charge $11k+ more for the same 'base' car, but you dont give the same 7% break for Euro delivery or even the option to collect the car from the US at this wonderful delivery facility!

Sort it out and soon - Canadians should not have to put up with this shit!

You have impeccable taste for an M3 color combo, Laz-Z-M3.

I'll wish you and all north of the border "good luck" so that BMW Canada becomes part of the program.

Originally Posted by Diver

Nice post! Awesome car.

Diver

Originally Posted by FatRear08

Unbelievable write up. So detailed I felt like I was there(I wish). Congrats and the car is beautiful!!

Someday you may well be there. I hope so.

Thank you for your comments.

Originally Posted by M Lover

Everyone pretty much summed it up. Great write up and photos.

M Lover

Originally Posted by K3 Projekt Wheels

^^What they all said^^ Congrats!

K3

[SCBimmerKid]

100% will never do anything else other than Performance Center Delivery. I had such an awesome time. And Donnie! He's the man!

[MickeyM3]

Picked up my 335 Sport the day after you and had the pleasure of working with Andy for most of the day. I echo your thoughts about what a great experience it was...I too strictly followed the break in guidelines (varying speeds often from 65-85) and averaged 35 MPG in comfort mode...unbelievable.

Anyone the least bit hesitant about taking the Performance School Delivery should go for it...it's a great experience from the time they pick you up at the airport in a new BMW till you get to drive your beauty home...and none of that lousy wait for our car after doing ED!

[chong0]

Crazy question but can you do ED and send it to spartansberg for PCD pickup?

[Powerbeast]

Great write up, beautiful car. Enjoy!

[The English Guy]

I enjoyed reading this with my breakfast cereal this morning. Thanks for brightening my day.

[truths2k05]

21.7 mpg! I haven't seen those numbers since my Ed followed by pcd, the memories. Enjoy it, you will become accustomed to 13-14mpg for the rest of its life. The only real criticism I have about my m3 is the gas mileage, it's atrocious.

One of the best parts of the pcd is going on the concrete roundabout with the sprinklers on and switching off the traction control. Did that with Donnie, what a blast.

[JonNYC]

Originally Posted by chong0

Crazy question but can you do ED and send it to spartansberg for PCD pickup?

Absolutely, that's what I did-- many people who do ED do that (albeit clearly a small minority.)

Wait for redelivery at PC was more like *two* months for me-- so, yes, no doubt-- that part is VERY tough! Even tougher is getting used to routinely cruising at speeds of 110 (peaking-- very briefly-- at 140 in my case) and yet feeling very safe due to the quality of the roads and drivers in Austria and Bavaria and then coming back to New York and feeling "unsafe at any speed"-- relatively speaking, of course!

[rave426]

Eau my pal, I love it!!

[GTR-Dad]

Great write up!

I can feel the anticipation, the excitement of delivery, and the satisfaction of ownership. Very cool!

Two items within your compelling story really caught my attention.

First, you've had a chance to drive a 'proper manual' (with a foot operated clutch and a gear selector lever) back to back with a dual clutch automated manual. What do you like about each one?

Second, you wrote:

The gentleman later asked to drive the M3 when I parked it after driving the road course. He did three laps, got out and said, “That car would kill me, but I already love it!”

Was this your car or the delivery experience car? I don't think you took your own cars out on the track, but if you did I'd be most interested in the 'on track' differences you noticed between 6MT and DCT, including gear ratios.

Cheers, and thanks for sharing!

[Eau Rouge]

Originally Posted by SCBimmerKid

100% will never do anything else other than Performance Center Delivery. I had such an awesome time. And Donnie! He's the man!

You are not alone in your sentiment.

Originally Posted by MickeyM3

Picked up my 335 Sport the day after you and had the pleasure of working with Andy for most of the day. I echo your thoughts about what a great experience it was...I too strictly followed the break in guidelines (varying speeds often from 65-85) and averaged 35 MPG in comfort mode...unbelievable.

Anyone the least bit hesitant about taking the Performance School Delivery should go for it...it's a great experience from the time they pick you up at the airport in a new BMW till you get to drive your beauty home...and none of that lousy wait for our car after doing ED!

Another one with first hand experience. Congratulations on your new 335.

Originally Posted by Powerbeast

Great write up, beautiful car. Enjoy!

Thank you. Just over 1k miles and it has been very much an enjoyable time.

Originally Posted by The English Guy

I enjoyed reading this with my breakfast cereal this morning. Thanks for brightening my day.

Thank you!
Cheers!

Originally Posted by truths2k05

21.7 mpg! I haven't seen those numbers since my Ed followed by pcd, the memories. Enjoy it, you will become accustomed to 13-14mpg for the rest of its life. The only real criticism I have about my m3 is the gas mileage, it's atrocious.

One of the best parts of the pcd is going on the concrete roundabout with the sprinklers on and switching off the traction control. Did that with Donnie, what a blast.

My guess is that mpg will drop a bit after break in, but I didn't order the M3 with fuel conservation in mind.

Originally Posted by rave426

Eau my pal, I love it!!

Originally Posted by GTR-Dad

Great write up!

I can feel the anticipation, the excitement of delivery, and the satisfaction of ownership. Very cool!

Two items within your compelling story really caught my attention.

First, you've had a chance to drive a 'proper manual' (with a foot operated clutch and a gear selector lever) back to back with a dual clutch automated manual. What do you like about each one?

Second, you wrote:

The gentleman later asked to drive the M3 when I parked it after driving the road course. He did three laps, got out and said, “That car would kill me, but I already love it!”

Was this your car or the delivery experience car? I don't think you took your own cars out on the track, but if you did I'd be most interested in the 'on track' differences you noticed between 6MT and DCT, including gear ratios.

Cheers, and thanks for sharing!

GTR Dad

The gentleman you reference drove the PC's M3 that was "mine" for that one day. My car didn't get on the track.

The Performance Center's M3 (DCT) was driven only off-public roads while my new car was driven only on public roads within break in guidelines. That made it impossible to reach an apples to apples conclusion. Apart from that, having spent some time, but not hundreds of miles, in an M3 w/ DCT driving public roads where the car requires little effort to drive within legal limits, having some track time was welcome to explore the possibilities. Max speed attained was a 100+ mph which meant gears 1-4 were used with 2nd and 3rd being most used on the course. The shifts both up and down were fast though there were times when I was certain that the upshifts were faster than the downshifts; even when the automatic throttle blipping would not need room above redline.

The paddle shifters are easy to use for the most part. When working the wheel through corner exit, it was simply easier to reach over with the right hand to flick the stick than put a finger on the right shifter paddle.

As I mentioned in the OP, the gears may be better matches for other venues, but I expected, and could have used, more pull from 3rd gear which I found too tall/long and 2nd is too short for my liking but it certainly does enable tire smoking galore.

For tracking purposes generally, it's probably safe too say that the DCT would offer almost anyone the greatest ease of driving and peace of mind as well as perhaps enabling a given driver faster laptimes. Whether that is what matters to everyone is another question altogether. I do wish that there had been an M3 with MT available to drive that day on the track, but it really didn't matter then nor now as I know that I made the right choice.

[GTR-Dad]

Originally Posted by Eau Rouge

I do wish that there had been an M3 with MT available to drive that day on the track, but it really didn't matter then nor now as I know that I made the right choice.

That's the main thing!

Thx for your thoughts.

[Shane550X]

By the way great write up.
Just found out we are getting the 550, and me and my father might do the pickup plan in the summer, I'll ask it sounds like a blast.

Your car is beautiful from any angle!

[josemh23]

Originally Posted by Lay-Z M3

Awesome - lovely colour combo! My E90 was Jerez with Bamboo, so I am partial to this

So BMW Canada - take note! Not only do you charge $11k+ more for the same 'base' car, but you dont give the same 7% break for Euro delivery or even the option to collect the car from the US at this wonderful delivery facility!

Sort it out and soon - Canadians should not have to put up with this shit!

In PR we pay also a lot more for bimmers, and we have only one authorized center fir warranties, so you could imagine how bad it is and they dont give a shit

[Ka razy]

Thank you for the excellent review. And congrats on your M3. Long live the manuals!