By Tim Simard
For Postmedia News
Twenty-one years ago, I experienced the pleasure of taking delivery of our trusty BMW at the company's headquarters in Munich. As our old car reached the end of its road earlier this year, my wife Heather and I decided once again to take advantage of the carmaker's European Delivery program.
It allows for customized delivery of your new vehicle at the state-of-the-art BMW Welt (or "World") facility. Within a two-week period, the new car can be driven through Europe and dropped off at any one of more than 10 terminal points for shipment to Canada.
Our plan: spend a few days in Munich, then drive east across Germany into France to visit Strasbourg, north to make our Canadian pilgrimage to Vimy Ridge, then on to Paris. From start to finish, it was a memorable experience with the combination of the excitement around taking possession of a new vehicle, the vibrancy of a European vacation and the thrill of testing out that new car on German autobahns and French backcountry roads.
Beginning with Munich, put any impressions of staid Germany behind you because in this city you are surrounded by Renaissance flair and a zest for life. The city has earned its moniker as the Bavarian Monaco, or what the locals jokingly refer to as the northernmost city in Italy.
Your days might begin with early morning runs through the expansive English Gardens urban park, with miles of tree-lined pathways and the woods thick with birdsong. The old downtown core is dominated by beautiful centuries-old architecture and wide pedestrian-only avenues where, despite the bustle of locals and visitors enjoying everything the city has to offer, there is always plenty of space.
One of the best vistas for seeing the town's ubiquitous orange-tiled roofs and Renaissance towers is from the spectacular rooftop pool and bar at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in the heart of old town -patrons even receive complimentary Veuve Cliquot sunglasses as part of the swanky scene.
And of course there is the beer. The avenues and plazas are full of outdoor cafes and brasseries. At almost any time of day you will see groups of locals happily socializing over pints of German beer. But don't get the impression that the citizens of Munich are sedentary - there is a major focus on active lifestyles exemplified by the constant pedestrian and bicycle traffic.
On the Saturday night my wife and I were in Munich, car traffic was halted for close to half an hour at 10 p.m. as tens of thousands of cyclists of all ages celebrated their bicycle culture with a parade through downtown streets.
But folks in Munich do love their cars, which takes us back to the Bavarian Motor Works segment of our trip. Our Munich BMW experience consisted of four main components: a visit to the BMW Museum, a guided tour of the Munich plant, a special chauffeur-driven tour through the city in a classic 1930s BMW cabriolet, and the actual delivery of our new car.
The museum visit provides an interesting backdrop to the history of the BMW brand, from airplane engines to motorcycles to utilitarian cars in the 1950s and on to today's suite of sporty sedans. But the most impressive part was the temporary exhibition of the BMW "art cars" (showing through September 2011).
Over the years, BMW has commissioned various artists like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein to use its cars as their canvas, and the synthesis of sports car and modern art is something to behold.
The guided factory tour provides an eye-opening update on the state of robotics in today's automobile industry. The vision of a team of four almost-human robots gluing and welding body parts together in choreographed fashion was unforgettable.
For about $265 per couple, you can arrange the private chauffeur-driven tour of BMW's Munich facilities in a BMW Classic convertible.
If you have ever wanted to be the focus of attention for a couple of hours, this is your ticket - thumbs-up signs, horn-honking and double-takes were commonplace as we were whisked around the city.
The highlight of the tour is the visit to the BMW Classic museum, a facility that is normally closed to the public.
On three floors it houses many of the famous BMW cars and motorcycles of the past, including the James Bond movie cars and a Louis Vuitton-designed motorcycle.
Our guide/chauffeur Thomas Reuter made the whole trip worthwhile, exuding passion for his BMWs and exuberant in his stories of individual cars and the development of the BMW brand. My favourite outburst from Thomas: "Why do these cars need a stereo when all you want to do is listen to the engine?"
Now for the delivery of the car itself.
The BMW folks know how to do it up right. After efficient processing of the paperwork in less than 15 minutes, they ushered us into a stylistic client lounge complete with a broad assortment of delicious tapas plates - and of course, beer. Precisely at the scheduled delivery time, we were met by our delivery host, who walked us down a circular walkway, where at one point we rounded a turn and our car came into view - rotating 360 degrees on a circular pad with spotlights maximizing the features of our new vehicle. (I'm not making this up!) The BMW host then spent time acquainting us with the car. For us, this took about 40 minutes. Then we took two laps around the spacious circular BMW display floor at the Welt (the record is 15 laps by one exuberant new owner) before heading down the exit ramp - just minutes away from the autobahn. With the exhilarating feel of the new engine, we were ready for a couple of weeks of European adventures.
