Passion, Experience & Growth

BMW Performance Delivery

November 21, 2007

“Everything you want’s a dream away” — Coldplay - Adventure Of A Lifetime (Official Video)

After seriously considering the 2007 BMW 550i and ultimately opting for motorcycles, I finally broke down and purchased the 2008 model. Our trip to Europe that year presented an opportunity that was just too good to pass up, so I gave it a shot.

Everything worked out spectacularly. European Delivery yielded a 10% discount, and enabled us to tour Germany and Austria in style for four days.

After dropping the car off with the shipping agency in Munich in early September, it finally made its way to the New Jersey shores in October, and was trucked to Spartanburg, SC. It was a circuitous route, but one that was well worth the wait!

Thursday, 10/25, I grabbed a rental car and headed for Greenville, SC—immediately adjacent to the BMW plant in Spartanburg, SC—braving 500 miles of rainy weather, traffic, and dark highways, praying that it would clear by the morning.

The next morning, with a group of five couples, I headed to the BMW Performance Delivery center just a couple miles down the road from the hotel.

A car in the lobby of the delivery center held a placard reading “PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH—THIS IS A CUSTOMER’S NEW VEHICLE.” With the second “comfort access key” in my pocket, it was all I could do to resist gently touching the door handle to deactivate the alarm and make the lights flash. …I resisted the temptation to show off.

After brief introductions, and a quick performance driver training session we headed to the track, and to copies of our cars ready for abuse.

Unfortunately, 550i Sport editions were in short supply, so I was "stuck" with a M5 instead. My first experience with 500 BHP—0-60 in 4.5 seconds. With heads-up display, paddle shifting, and various performance tuning controls set, I was ready!

First up, pushing the cars as hard as we could on a small portion of the race following the “hot lap” experience with racer, and BMW Performance Driving School instructor, Donnie Isley.

Then, it was time for ABS brake testing, and practice turning while braking. And then, over to the skid pad. First, without Dynamic Stability Control (DSC). Then, with DSC.

I took delivery of my car; personally shown every bell and whistle by Donnie. After wrapping up, he drove it out of the lobby, and handed over the keys, BMW coffee and other goodies.

I had just enough time to zip over to the Zentrum museum and join the row of 650is driven by the rest of the group. After a quick tour of the museum, and lunch complements of the delivery center, we headed back on the track.

While some of us waited for lunch to settle, Donnie ran hot-laps with each couple.

Then, I headed over to the X5 course to tackle rock, mountain wall and water obstacles with Jim Davis. Purist might disagree, but I was impressed, the X5 felt qualified as a true four-wheel-drive off-road vehicle.

Eventually, the fun in Greenville had to come to an end.

After wrapping up the drive in the X5, and saying farewells to Donnie, Jim, and my fellow BMW drivers, I was back in my shiny new 550i for the return trip home.