President’s Article September 2019

Recently I received a phone call from my service advisor at BMW of Des Moines concerning a recall which had just been placed on my e92 M3. I told the service advisor on the phone that I had not received a letter yet advising me of the recall. I was told that this information had just been released and that they were making courtesy calls to get the affected vehicles taken care of as soon as possible. Therefore, I made an appointment that was convenient to my work schedule and made plans for the trip to Des Moines. Although BMW of DM has a pick-up and delivery service, I enjoy the drive and getting out of town for a while. I also really like to look at the new BMWs and visit with the folks running the show there. I typically purchase a new BMW shirt or two to advertise my fondness for the brand.

Unfortunately, the new replacement part for my M3 did not get ordered and was not available when I arrived. Instead of sending me home, they offered a loaner for the weekend. I was the proud recipient of a brand new X3 with 300 miles on the clock. Since it would take a couple of days to get the parts and get them installed, I would need to keep the loaner for several days.

Over the past several years, I have needed a loaner several times when my BMWs have needed to stay for a few days for work. During those times, I have always taken home a loaner which was nicer than the car I dropped off.

It is those great business practices that keeps me coming back to BMW of Des Moines for their first-rate service and spreading the fact that customers always get taken care of very well at BMW of Des Moines.

I hope all of our members sample the fine service and atmosphere at all of our Iowa BMW dealers.

BMW European Delivery Experience – Summer 2017

We recently purchased a BMW 5 series through BMW European Delivery(ED) program, and I wanted to share our journey from ordering to delivery and overall experience.

Our experience, like so many others, was incredible. We spent 12 days and drove over 1,200 miles through Germany, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland. From BMW Welt delivery to driving through small towns in Switzerland, it was an experience that our family will never forget.

Ordering Process

Quite similar to how you order a new BMW at your local dealer. We ordered the car through Kimberly BMW in Davenport as they turned out to be the most knowledgeable and competitive dealer in the area in terms of pricing and ED planning. Dan and Kris were easier to work with, respected our time, and always kept us informed. We traveled with two young children, so their help and insight were critical.

Timeline

Please keep in mind that European Delivery could take three to four months from ordering to getting your car home, but if you can wait, it is well worth it. We placed the order in May, took delivery on July 20th at the BMW Welt (German for “world”) and the car was delivered back home in mid-September.

Pricing

BMW offers 5% discount on the base MSRP of the vehicle that you’re ordering. Please note that options are not discounted for the European Delivery. Also, i3, X3, X4, X5 and X6 vehicles are not available through ED program (X1 is an exception).

Planning

While trip planning is similar to any other trip that you may have taken in the past, there are few nuances that I’d like to point out.

Luggage – Make sure that your luggage will fit in the car that you’re picking up in Munich. If you’re not sure, try it out at your local BMW dealer in a similar vehicle. It is even more critical if you’re traveling with young children.

Child Seat – We took our kids with us, so child seat was a necessity. It is easier to bring your U.S. spec child seat with you and check it with your luggage. If you don’t want to do this, you can also buy a child seat at the BMW Welt (€200).

Hotel/Parking – Most hotels don’t have private parking so traveling with a brand new car could be stressful. Besides, parking spaces are just not large enough for a full-size sedan aimed at the US market. As suggested by others, we used Booking.com to book all our hotels as their website allows you to filter hotels that have private/dedicated parking. If you’re bothered by cars parked too close to you, private parking is the way to go(cost €10 per night). Also, private parking areas are usually empty as locals rarely use them.

Delivery

Once your order is in the system, you can request a pickup date/time. Delivery process takes about 90 minutes so plan accordingly. BMW lounge is available all day for delivery customers with breakfast and lunch included. BMW Museum and BMW factory tour (English tour at 11:45 am daily) are highly recommended. For BMW factory tour, please make sure to reserve your spot by emailing them your preferred date.

Driving through Europe

BMW provides a temporary tourist registration and insurance for 14 days (up to five months’ additional coverage may be purchased). You can drive around Europe before dropping off your BMW at one of 12 European locations. Please note that BMW tourist plates and insurance are not valid in every EU country so make sure you know exactly where you can and cannot go. Also, note that some EU countries require vignettes (toll stickers) before you can drive on their highways. During our trip, Austria and Switzerland were the two countries where we needed to purchase these stickers. These stickers can be bought from the gas stations near border crossings. There are steep penalties for not having them so make sure you have one before you cross the border.

If your car is equipped with navigation, BMW will load European maps in your navigation system before the delivery. To use the navigation efficiently, we found that entering GPS coordinates in decimal format was the quickest way to get the right address loaded into the system. Also, make sure to update the car display settings to show metric data (km and kph) rather than U.S system (FPS – mile and mph). While Autobahn has certain sections with unrestricted speed, other areas are speed restricted with speed enforced using speed cameras. Please make sure to adhere to the posted speed limit to avoid hefty speeding fine that will arrive at your home address in the United States. Also, traffic roundabouts aka Traffic Circles are everywhere, so if you’re uncomfortable with them, please brush up your knowledge on how to use them.

Drop Off

We dropped off our car at Log In Out located at the Munich International Airport. Drop off process is quick and takes about 30 minutes. You are expected to wash and returns your car in clean condition to avoid unnecessary delays later during shipping. If you don’t have the time or don’t want to wash your car yourself, Log In Out offers washing and waxing service for €40. Please note that vehicle drop off is only by appointment, and you must make the reservation at least five days before the drop off date.

Photo Gallery

Fall Colors Drive – Omaha, NE – October 5-6

We have completed the planning for the fall colors drive!  The plan is to drive from BMW Des Moines and end in the Old Market in Omaha NE.  We will meet at BMW DSM at 830 with the signing of waivers and drivers meeting at 845 and be wheels up at 9am.  From there we will travel along scenic highways and bi-ways to a small little shop on the pork tenderloin trail (https://www.iowapork.org/tenderloin-trail/) called the Dairy Sweet located in Dunlap, Ia.  They have been on the tenderloin trail for the last couple of years and won Iowa’s best pork tenderloin in 2005.  Don’t let that fool you into thinking that the only thing they are good at is making tenderloins though.  They have delicious fresh ground burgers, chicken, and ice cream for anyone to enjoy.

After enjoying some delicious Iowa comfort food we will continue on our route winding through the Loess Hills to our afternoon pit stop located just west on Highway 30 from Missouri Valley called DeSoto Bend National Wildlife Refuge.  This location is a national wildlife refuge and the home to an ox bow lake that was created when the Army Corps of Engineers moved the main channel of the Missouri River further to the west in 1960.  It is also the location where the steam ship the Bertrand sank in 1865.  Their visitors center has over 250,000 artifacts from the sunken steamer.  The park is also a stop over for migrating ducks and geese but include many other forms of birds and mammals to see.

Once done at the park it is a quick interstate jaunt down to the Old Market for people check into their hotel rooms and we will then meet later in the evening to hand out trophies for the winners and not winners seeing who was the most observant along their journey and enjoy another delicious meal.  The prizes are still being worked on, but I can tell you 1st place will receive 100% of their entry fee back, 2nd place will receive 75% of their entry fee back, and 3rd place will receive 50% of their entry fee back.  Yes there is an entry fee it is $0.

There are several hotel options that people can choose from.

Hyatt Place Old Market 540 S 12th Omaha 402-513-5500

Embassy Suites 555 S 10th Omaha 402-346-9000

Overland Hotel 1218 Howard St. Omaha 402-496-0022

Hotel Deco 1504 Harney St. Omaha 402-991-4981

Magnolia Hotel Omaha 1615 Howard St. Omaha 402-341-2500

Sundays options are to meet and take a trip to the world famous The Henry Doorly Zoo or shopping around in the Old Market.

Motorsportreg Registration Link

BMW Informal Social at 6:30 PM – Hessen House, Des Moines – October 8

One of the best selections of German beers on tap in the United States and the food is pretty good too!

Tire Rack Street Survival – October 27 – DMACC Campus

Sunday October 27th 2019, 8:30AM-4:30PM

Des Moines Area Community College 2006 S. Ankeny Blvd, Ankeny, IA 50023

The primary emphasis of the Tire Rack Street Survival® is a “hands-on” driving experience in real-world situations! We use your own car to teach you about its handling limits and how you can control them. The students will become more observant of the traffic situation they find themselves in. They will learn to look far enough ahead to anticipate unwise actions of other drivers. As the students master the application of physics to drive their cars, they will make fewer unwise driving actions themselves. They will understand why they should always wear their own seatbelts, and why they should insist that their passengers wear seatbelts, too. It’s about more than driving – it’s about LIVING! Three parents, including Scott Goodyear, former Indy Car Champion, share their perspectives in this video.

All Schools $95.

See our FAQ page at: www.streetsurvival.org/frequently-asked-questions.php  Any questions after reviewing the FAQ page call Tim Beechuk, Program Manager, @ 864-438-2060 (8 am – 8 pm EST)

Parents are encouraged to stay!  Please arrive early.

Vehicles with modifications that alter the center of gravity (i.e. lift kits) are not acceptable. High Center of Gravity Vehicles (HCGs) such as SUVs, SAVs, Trucks, Jeep-type vehicles, and Minivans will need to be verified.  The older HCGs without electronic stability control (not just the electronic traction control) will not be accepted. HCG vehicles may still be limited with respect to the exercises in which they are allowed to participate based on local venue conditions.  Please look up the HCG vehicle safety score. You can research the safety ratings that a vehicle has received at www.edmunds.com  Input the vehicle and year and look at the safety rating in the upper right corner of the web page. Any vehicle with a listing of 3 stars or more out of 5 in the Roll Over test will be allowed to participate in our class. We are concerned about the Roll Over test on the HCG only. We are not concerned about the crash test ratings. Any HCG vehicle listed as “not tested” in the Roll Over test will not be allowed to participate.

ALL COMMUNICATION REGARDING THE SCHOOL WILL BE SENT TO THE E-MAIL ADDRESS ON THE REGISTRATION LISTED AS THE STUDENT’S.

Student Registration Link

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Street Survival – staff ONLY

Registration ends in a month on October 24, 2019 10:00 AM CDT. Street Survival is a community service effort, aimed at teaching teen drivers much more about car control than they ever had the opportunity to see in Drivers’ Education.

Our volunteers serve as in-car instructors, course workers, and other event staff.  Please come on out and give us a hand in helping teens to be better drivers!  The life you save may be one of theirs – or yours.

Staff Registration Link