Picking the vehicle from BMW performance center vs. dealership

[spalam01]

I have the option to pick up the built X3 from the BMW performance center in their manufacturing unit (OR) from the dealership.
Both performance center and dealership are roughly the same distance from where I live.

Please advise which is a better option to pick the vehicle - BMW performance center (OR) dealership.

[motordavid]

'Better option', is your decision...

Have several friends that have done the VPC delivery and all have raved about it.

We have toured the Greer plant and have done a performance drive on their track, as we live about an hour and a half from the Greer/Spartanburg Plant. There are times of the year that the plant is not open to tours, regardless of your taking new car delivery there or not.

If want to do a trip to coincide with that delivery, it is reported as a very good mini vacay/experience.

Your dlr should have the info, and the BMW explains it well; dlr or VPC delivery is your choice.
GL, mD

What is the BMW Performance Center Delivery Program?

[Ed_RDNC]

I did the Performance Center Delivery Program. It was actually better than I imagined.
The hard part was finding a 1-way ride.

I had a friend drive me, and we got an excellent dinner, a superb breakfast, and we had a personalized (small-group) tour through the factory. But then she had to drove home alone.
I then enjoyed the X car U-Drive on their test track, the ride in an M-5 with 600hp, and the hour being shown one-on-one 'my car'.

But even those paled when I think of the car they loaned me (duplicating the car I was picking up), that I then used while being shown how to drive during extreme conditions:
High speed braking on wet roads, how to drive with and without traction control, and the best, an hour on their race-track being instructed how to drive to the limit by an actual professional race car driver.

Not only the most fun I'd had in a car that was moving, but I also drove away with a practically-acquired bedrock confidence in my new car's performance and handling in extreme conditions.

All this for no extra money??? I'll do it for every new BMW from now on, for sure.

[spalam01]

Me and my wife had to take my kids (2 year and 4 year old respectively) along with us for the vehicle pickup.

However, it appears that kids are not allowed to go to tour or any driving activities with us. So it looks like my wife has to take care of the kids while I go to the tour and enjoy performance center delivery activities.

Is there a chance that the kids be allowed to participate in the tour and other driving activities with us. If that is not the case, I may just go to the dealership and take the vehicle.

Also it looks like I may get the vehicle a week or two earlier, if I can pick the vehicle from dealership instead of BMW performance center delivery. So unfortunately my wife is not that excited about the performance center delivery.

[Ed_RDNC]

Originally Posted by spalam01

Me and my wife had to take my kids (2 year and 4 year old respectively) along with us for the vehicle pickup.

However, it appears that kids are not allowed to go to tour or any driving activities with us. So it looks like my wife has to take care of the kids while I go to the tour and enjoy performance center delivery activities.

Is there a chance that the kids be allowed to participate in the tour and other driving activities with us. If that is not the case, I may just go to the dealership and take the vehicle.

Also it looks like I may get the vehicle a week or two earlier, if I can pick the vehicle from dealership instead of BMW performance center delivery. So unfortunately my wife is not that excited about the performance center delivery.

Per https://www.bmwusfactory.com/zentrum...-factory-tour/
You must be 12 and older.

It's not walking down a hallway looking through windows into the assembly area.
It's a very small group being given a personalized walking tour inside the factory, within arms reach of robots, spare parts bins, and cars being assembled. By far the best factory tour I've been in because of the proximity and the personal-touch guides.
It's not a place you'd want to take little kids or be preoccupied with caring for kids.

Likewise, I doubt anyone will let you 'test drive' a car with a kid it in. Too much chance to be distracted.
This isn't a family event, it's an opportunity for the drivers to get to know their cars better, while having a great load of fun.
Though you may point out to your wife that if you both drive in the night before, you get to share a fabulous dinner, great room, and excellent breakfast the next morning. (Rooms are $200/night normally, but BMW picks up the room and meals).
When I did it, the friend who drove me there, greatly enjoyed being pampered, but then she drove home after dropping me off at BMW.

I'm curious about how your car could be available to you at your dealer prior to Spartanburg.
The whole point of the Performance Center Delivery (PCD) is that ALL BMWs sold in the east half of the US are bulk-shipped to the Spartanburg center. There they have their overseas shipping prep removed, fluids filled, engine tested, etc. The opportunity to do the Driving Experience, Produce Overview, X test drives, factory tour, etc. are all because it's also saving the company the cost to continue shipping your car via car hauler out to your pickup-dealer.
The only way your car could be available to you at your dealer, earlier than a PDC is if the limited number of spots for a PCD are already filled. If so, you should have been warned that the spots fill up quickly and I'd guess you waited too long to decide.