My M5 Performance Center Delivery Experience - Videos and Pics!

[platinum903]

***Warning - This is kind of long, but I hope you guys enjoy reading it and it gives you a little feel for the experience.***

My wife and I flew to South Carolina on Monday and took delivery of my new M5 at the Performance Center on Tuesday. It was an incredible experience and I cannot recommend it enough for anybody that is purchasing any new model BMW.

You are responsible for your own airfare, but BMW takes care of your airport to hotel transfer, dinner that night, your stay at the Marriott, and breakfast and lunch the next day. We flew into Greenville/Spartanburg on Monday evening and called the number provided by BMW for our transfer. We were picked up in a brand new, fully loaded X5 by a very friendly driver from the hotel. Everything from the moment you land is first class and they treat you like royalty.

We arrived at the Marriott and they took our luggage to our room and made reservation for us at the hotel restaurant. We had filet and roasted pork and it was very good.

The next morning, a full breakfast is provided and then you load up into the shuttle to be taken to the Performance Center at 7:40AM. As soon as you get there, you are taken into a room for a quick safety briefing by 2 instructors that have racing experience - there were 6 couples taking delivery of their new vehicles that day. From there, each instructor split us into groups of 3. You are given a car exactly like the one you ordered - in our group, there was an X3, 340i and a white M5 for us. The instructors has his own vehicle and communicates to you via a walkie-talkie.

The first drill is a braking drill to demonstrate the braking systems on all BMWs. You drive on a straightaway going about 50-70MPH and they encourage to slam on the brakes as hard as you can. They gradually have you increase speed to where you are required to maneuver a turn while hard braking. It's harder than it seems like it would be but the idea is to have you train yourself to look where you want the car to go (out the side window) instead of straight ahead. You and your partner switch out taking turns on each segment.

After that, they put you on the track and encourage you to push the hell out of the cars. The video just doesn't do the experience justice, but were hauling ass around that track. My wife drove first on the track and I was stunned at how aggressively she attacked the course, but was very happy that she did - it made her feel much more confident in the power and capabilities of the M5. We kept catching the 340i in front of us, would stop to give them a half a lap cushion, and then hunt them down again.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9u_i6hzRVY

After about 30 minutes, they then take you over to the Skid Pad and put you in the 340i. This was the only portion that the instructor rides in the care with you. They turn DSC off and have you floor it and spin like crazy on the track. Then they turn it back on and you learn hot to drift the car around the skid pad. I was really proud of my wife for taking advantage and driving the hell out of these vehicles on the track. Amazingly, there were several guys (in their 30s or 40s) that completely pussed out and sat on sidelines during the skid pad and hot lap portions of the track time - WHAT A WASTE! We could have done this for days on end and had a blast.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0j7s7Dogz4E

Now, it was time for the hot lap in the M3 driven by a professional racer. Crazy fun (again the videos just don't do it justice). I screwed up and somehow cut off the video on our hot lap and didn't realize it until it was over.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fw4xr26TIM

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdPWbg5m83w

Now, you are each given an X3 or X5 and you caravan over to the manufacturing plant for a tour. Every X vehicle in the world (except the X1) are made here. You get about an hour long tour of the entire facility from the time the sheet metal comes out to the time the vehicle rolls out the door for the first time. They produce about 1,400 X vehicles each day and the production of each vehicle takes about 14 hours from beginning to end. No phones are allowed in the facility so they do not interfere with the radios on the robotics.

You jump back in your X and drive over to the off-road course where you each water ford, climb and descend hills (sometimes being up on 2 wheels) while the instructor talks you through it on the walkie-talkie.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=28wgJmppTjM



Now, It's lunchtime and you go to the PC cafeteria and can order whatever you want on the house. The food was decent, but frankly, you aren't concerned about the food at this point other than getting something to satisfy you.


After lunch, you finally get to meet your car for the first time in it's own private showroom. A BMW Delivery Specialist spends several hours walking you through all the features on your new vehicle and sets up all your technology connections for you.



Around 3:30, they open the doors and you fire up your vehicle for the first time and being the long journey back to Texas.

We took our time driving back. The first evening, we drove from Spartanburg to Birmingham. I got up the next morning and went and played golf at The Ridge on the Robert Trent Jones Trail while my wife enjoyed the spa at the hotel.



That afternoon, we drove from Birmingham to Shreveport, but made a quick stop in Tuscaloosa to check out Bryant Denny.



After spending the night in Shreveport and doing a little gambling, we drove through a monsoon all the way back to Dallas.

I spent yesterday detailing and swapping out the chrome kidney grills and side markers for gloss black. I also removed the amber reflectors and replaced them with color matching inserts.





It was a pretty good week driving fast cars, playing golf, and gambling. Tomorrow, I have the break-in service scheduled and then Tuesday, I'm getting a tint job (15% all around). There is smile that seems to be permanently plastered on my face driving this car.

[TrevorM3]

I very much look forward to PCD. Thank u for taking the time to post!!!

[GOLFFRR]

PCD is an amazing place and experience! Congrats on the new ride also

[M5Beast_NYC]

congrats on the new ride! enjoy in good health!

[TrevorM3]

So two people are allowed to drive, correct? Im going with my father.

[platinum903]

Originally Posted by TrevorM3

So two people are allowed to drive, correct? Im going with my father.

Yes, you can take one person and each of you get a turn driving on each portion.

[PREDATOR 007]

Awesome experience!

[jninja]

That's really cool... I never heard of anything like that before

[Maverick997]

Great write up you really captured your experience well and what a great experience! My recommendation would be get a clear wrap for the front end as soon as possible......