X5 Diesel SC Pickup - Factory Tour?
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Just ordered my first BMW - a 2012 X5 Diesel in Blue. Most options ordered with a few exceptions. Looked at Q7 and Range Rover Sport but reading posts on this board helped sway me (and to overcome my fear of buying a 2012 model at the end of 2012!). Giving my 2010 Volvo XC60 to my wife.
I am on the east coast and my timing is flexible, so I thought I'd pick up the vehicle in South Carolina. My Dealer just gave me the date and unfortunately BMW has closed down the factory for the week before and afterr my date (Sep28) so the factory tour is not available to me. I've read a number of threads about the pick up process and experience, but I recall little about the factory tour. Most spoke of the time on the track. I've done a factory tour of VW in Germany about 10 years ago, but I was kind of looking forward to seeing the BMW factory.
For those of you they have been to SC for vehicle delivery, would you think it is worth another 2 week wait to see the factory?
First post!
I am on the east coast and my timing is flexible, so I thought I'd pick up the vehicle in South Carolina. My Dealer just gave me the date and unfortunately BMW has closed down the factory for the week before and afterr my date (Sep28) so the factory tour is not available to me. I've read a number of threads about the pick up process and experience, but I recall little about the factory tour. Most spoke of the time on the track. I've done a factory tour of VW in Germany about 10 years ago, but I was kind of looking forward to seeing the BMW factory.
For those of you they have been to SC for vehicle delivery, would you think it is worth another 2 week wait to see the factory?
First post!
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I took the factory tour and it was very interesting. The robotics are simply amazing. They make you check cameras and smartphones on the way in! Corporate espionage concern supposedly, but might be part of the hype. It was cool to see the colors and options we cannot seem to get on the rigs going to Asia, etc. They also have a nice little museum there.
The factory tour is worth doing if you're going to be there anyway and possibly worth the trip for its own sake. I've been there and would happily wait a couple weeks extra to take the tour again if my calendar permitted.
When you said the week before the 28th, were you referring to the week of the 17th to the 21st? That's when we are picking our car up. I hope you meant that it was the week of your visit that ends on the 28th and the week after that. I really want to see the factory tour, but I can always see it on a different trip since the factory is on the way to my brother's house in SC.
Hardest thing is watching the progress of my car online right now. It has already been built. Had we not done performance center delivery, I would likely have it sometime next week. Patience is a virtue that I rarely possess, so not picking it up until the 18th is just going to kill me. I have a live countdown tile on my phone that reminds me every day I look at my phone just how much longer I have.
bryan
Hardest thing is watching the progress of my car online right now. It has already been built. Had we not done performance center delivery, I would likely have it sometime next week. Patience is a virtue that I rarely possess, so not picking it up until the 18th is just going to kill me. I have a live countdown tile on my phone that reminds me every day I look at my phone just how much longer I have.
bryan
Dealer quoted SC saying that the factory is closed to the public weeks of 9/24 to 9/28 and 10/1 to 10/5. Sounds like the week before is ok for tours.
I'm going to wait until the following week an pick up and do the tour. Tough knowing that is 7 weeks out but I guess another 2 weeks isn't thy much.
I'm going to wait until the following week an pick up and do the tour. Tough knowing that is 7 weeks out but I guess another 2 weeks isn't thy much.
We are planning to be in the SC area 9/24 - 9/28, so we thought that this would be a great opportunity to tour the Zentrum and factory. I looked on the tour site (http://www.bmwusfactory.com/zentrum/general-information/tour-and-museum-hours/ and didn't see anything about being closed during that time. Just to make sure, I called 1-888-Tour-BMW to double-check. Imagine my disappointment when he said that they are indeed closed between 9/24 and 9/28 for maintenance.
So if we are going there for the Performance Center Delivery, do we need to schedule the plant tour ourselves? Or is it a part of the delivery experience? 3 weeks from today is our visit!! 
Can't wait to go and pick up the newest member of our family.
Can't wait to go and pick up the newest member of our family.They will take you through the tour as part of your PCD. Pretty cool, but I probably wouldn't do it more than once.
So if we are going there for the Performance Center Delivery, do we need to schedule the plant tour ourselves? Or is it a part of the delivery experience? 3 weeks from today is our visit!!
The factory tour is very good. Just show up and join a tour. They run on a regular basis (when open). Now the tracking driving is awesome, which you will do that morning.
You will be on a pretty good high by the time you take delivery of your car. I don't think you will miss the factory tour. And you can take the tour anytime in the future.
Your gonna want to drive that car as soon as possible.
You will be on a pretty good high by the time you take delivery of your car. I don't think you will miss the factory tour. And you can take the tour anytime in the future.
Your gonna want to drive that car as soon as possible.
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