This is BY FAR, the BEST thing any BMW guy/girl can do. I can't even begin describe how satisfying the whole experience was. I got exactly what I wanted and got to drive it in Europe. The order and delivery process was so easy and so not stressful...easier than finding and buying a car in inventory, to be honest.
Some recommendations. See as much as you can with a caveat...If you've never done driving in Europe, or some other foreign country, I wouldn't recommend the "BLITZ" type trip I did. I found it to be absolutely great. But I had been to some of the places and had a general idea of where I was going and am quite familiar with driving in Europe. Because I was short on time...I blitzed! If you are comfortable with that, it's great! Another great idea is to break up the day like I did. Whether it's a long lunch, or a museum, historical site or some other fun activity (paragliding), getting out of the car for a couple hours mid-day is a great idea.
The car, oh the car. I can't believe I've been away from BMW for 4 years. I love these things so much. And, if you're not a first time BMW driver, it's great to pick up a new one and it's basically just like the last one you had, so you don't have to "figure out" the car while lost in the middle of Europe. I don't know why, but I think there's just something about these cars. The Cayman I had was great, but it just didn't make me smile like the little BMW coupes do.
The color sparkling brown gets absolutely no respect. I ordered it having not seen it on a 2 in person, and god am I glad I took that risk. It's absolutely stunning.
The little 4 is an incredible engine. Fast, smooth delivery and super responsive. Goes right up to 130 or so before it has to work a little harder and even then it had no problem getting to and holding the limiter. Fuel economy is also great, overall. I was just over 27.2 MPG in 1243 miles, and that was including several top speed runs and 5 Nurburgring laps where the fuel drained like a flood.
The biggest thing...just have fun. Over prepare so your ready, but have fun!
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