My Journey To The G80 M3
Sometime at the end of November 2021: I finally made up my mind for the G80 M3 and spoke with my sales advisor. I was contemplating like many others, but I was sold when I saw Autocouture’s Brooklyn Grey G80 M3 at M-Pact (2021). It had a proper stance and was tastefully modded.
Before My G80 I Had A…
Before my Imola Red G80 M3 (Manual) I owned a 2018 Austin Yellow F80 M3 (Manual). I honestly never thought I would have sold this car but with the current used car prices, I couldn’t say no! The dealership offered me a hefty trade in value for my F80 which was a huge factor on moving onto this platform.
Timeline For My Build –
December 9, 2021: Deposit placed for an Individual Spec 2022 G80 M3 Base (#SaveTheManuals)
March 18, 2022: Scheduled for production
March 22, 2022: Production begins
March 30, 2022: Exterior body assembly begins
March 31, 2022: In the paint booth
April 5, 2022: Assembly in progress
April 6, 2022: Quality check
April 7, 2022: Ready for transport
April 7, 2022: Awaiting carrier assignment
April 11, 2022: Dispatched from factory
April 13, 2022: At Port
May 9, 2022: In Transit (BMW Genius said my vehicle might have been transported to Belgium cause of the back log in Germany)
May 10, 2022: At Port
May 17, 2022: In Transit
June 1, 2022: At Port (Brunswick GA)
June 7, 2022: Work order completed
June 7, 2022: Email was sent to BMW Performance Center regarding possible dates to take delivery. My dates submitted were June 27 and June 28.
June 8, 2022: June 28th was accepted by BMW Performance Center.
The BMW Performance Center (Greer, South Carolina)
I’ve watched countless videos of others going through this experience, to see their emotions during the process had me convinced that this was something I had to do when I was able to order a new BMW.
Once your date is confirmed with The BMW Performance Center, it is your responsibility to coordinate travel to South Carolina. My wife and I were able to book flights with Delta that got us in the day before (Mid-Morning). This actually gave us time to venture off into downtown and see the sights. BMW does request your travel information on how you and your guest would be traveling to South Carolina in order to accommodate airport pick-ups and ect.
I Filmed About 100GB Of Film Of The Entire Experience
I’ve made a series of videos that document my entire process and hopefully gives you an idea on what to expect. For the ones who are on the fence about doing this, hopefully it’ll persuade you or your significant other towards doing it.
BMW spent a lot of time planning “The Performance Delivery Experience” for its guests and it shows. I left the whole experience speechless, and it far exceeded my expectations. You’ll leave this experience with a better appreciation of these machines and the brand.
Some Things To Note:
-BMW will cover one night stay at the Marriott Hotel in Greenville (One Parkway E, Greenville, SC 29615) for you and one guest. This hotel is about 15 minutes away from the Greenville Airport and about 20 minutes away from Downtown Greenville.
-BMW provides a complementary dinner and breakfast at the Marriott for you and your guest. The food here was a (“hey its free” type of rating)
-BMW provides a complementary lunch at the BMW Performance Center. The food here was a 10/10. I highly suggest you grab some of those warm cookies. You will not be disappointed.
-During lunch at the BMW Performance Center you’ll have time to talk to the instructors while you guys feast away.
-BMW will not cover the cost of your flights to Greenville.
-BMW will not cover the cost of getting your vehicle back to your residence.
-BMW provides the Marriott with two white BMW X5’s to take you to and from the hotel at zero cost to you. (Please tip the drivers)
-One way to convince yourself on the added cost of the flights and transporting your vehicle back is that, the dealership is unable to charge you their “mandatory fees” such as “Nitrogen Filled Tires”, “Ceramic Coating”, Vinn Etching and ect. I bring this up because, we picked up an SUV from VW over the winter for my wife and they added all that and wouldn’t budge. They simply said, if you don’t buy it we’ll probably sell it within a few hours. We all know this market is very unusual and we as consumers have less power. At the end of day you should weigh your options.
The Day Before Picking Up My 2022 G80 M3 | Performance Delivery Experience
Delivery Day
I’ve been daydreaming this day for 8 months and everything feels euphoric. Breakfast buffet at the hotel is open at 6:30 am and you’ll have plenty of time to have a quick bite. At 7:40 am sharp, the Marriott shuttles you and the other guests who are taking delivery of their new BMWs (I believe we had 4 couples) to the Performance Center. The staff are promptly waiting to greet you as you get off the shuttle.
The Marriott driver will place your bags and belongings in a secured space at the Performance Center. When it comes time to see your vehicle for the first time, you will be re-united with your bags and belongings. I suggest you take your wallet and any camera gear to document the journey. The wallet is for the gift shop that you’ll have plenty of time for during your lunch break. Take a lot of photos and videos because this is truly a special day. Especially since we have to wait 8+ months for these cars if not longer.
You are introduced to you BMW Performance Center Instructors who share a little about themselves. These instructors are highly trained and are all professional race car drivers with a lengthy racing career. They all do an incredible job on making sure this is the ultimate experience.
The FUN BEGINS!
After you are introduced to the day’s program, you get to start the “driving experiences”. I wasn’t able to take a lot of photos during the driving experience since I was trying to capture the best video. In this video you’ll be able to see the full experience from my perspective. Please note you do get split into two groups for an efficient time.
The First Time Seeing My Individual Imola Red G80 M3
This was the moment I’ve thought about many of times and especially after watching so many other delivery videos. I was blown away and kind of left me speechless when I first saw my car for the first time. You’ll have plenty of time to get acquainted with your car with the BMW Genius. He or she will go through all the options and get you setup with navigating through the I-Drive system. I’ve seen other Imola Red G80s and F80s but photos never do a justice. In this video, you’ll be able to see my raw reaction of this moment.
Overall Thoughts
If you’re simply contemplating on doing the experience, I hope this blog and videos give you some insight. I honestly can’t see myself taking delivery of a new BMW at a regular dealership. This was an absolute incredible time and I was even more thrilled that I was able to share this with my wife.
The staff at the BMW Performance Center really take pride in their craft and it really shows. Since getting the first email from the Performance Center to leaving the facility, you are treated like a VIP and the best way I can describe it was like “The Disneyland” for BMW Enthusiasts.
Brian From Kiesmotorsports Was Here Too Collecting Their I4. This was not planned but a coincidence.
IMOLA RED G80 M3 MANUAL (RED on RED on RED)
I wanted to go with a loud spec and probably one of the hardest things for me was choosing the right exterior color. I must have changed my color preference 7 times with my sales advisor. I ended up going with Imola Red, Fiona Red carbon bucket seats and Red calipers. This may not be for everyone, but I love this combination. In my opinion its bold and I love the way it looks.
Upcoming Videos
-Initial Drive / Reaction
-Transport To FL
-Paint Protection Film
-And Much More
I listed my sales advisor below and maybe he can help get you an G8x timely. I will say times have changed since I first placed my order.
My Sales Advisor
Roadshow BMW (Cordova TN)
Marcus Cooper
901-365-2584 Ext. 6754
[email][email protected]
IG – 435_Viibez
I want to thank you all for your time if you had the chance to read any of this or watched any of the videos. I hope this helps when it comes time for you to make the decision. If there are any questions about the process, I would be glad to help!
I will be updating this as I transform my G80 M3 to my preferences.
-Kenneth
Last edited by TheDailyDriven; Yesterday at 11:28 AM..