I ordered my new X3 on December 28, 2005. I followed it through the production process on the BMW Owners Circle site. When the car was completed, I contacted my dealer to learn the name of the ship that would be used to transport it to the United States. I then followed the progress of the K-Line ship—which was the Dyvi Pamplona—using the K-Line and Port of Charleston websites. The Dyvi Pamplona docked in Charleston on February 25.

I confirmed my arrangements to take Performance Center delivery of my car on Monday, March 13. My wife, 10 year-old son, and I flew down to Greenville, South Carolina (where the BMW plant and the Performance Center are located) on Saturday, March 11. We were picked up at the airport by the nice folks from the Greenville Marriott in a BMW 530xi wagon. BMW provides the Marriott with two of these cars for the purpose of picking up people coming in for the Performance Center delivery option or one of the other BMW driving school programs. Here is a picture of the twin 530xi wagons sitting outside of the Marriott:



On the morning of Monday, March 13, after having a breakfast at BMW’s expense at the Greenville Marriott, we were transported to the Performance Center:





Unfortunately, the BMW plant will be closed until at least November of this year. Because of a model change over and a new way that the production line is being run, BMW is treating the production process as a trade secret until that time.

The Performance Center delivery was worth the trip. When we arrived, we came in the front entrance. My X3 was already in the delivery bay just to the right of the entrance. The delivery bays look like this:





We were introduced to Frederick Valdez, who was the Delivery Specialist assigned to us. He took us in to meet our X3 for the first time. The second photo shows Frederick and my wife and son with our new X3:





Frederick first took us over to the table to go through the explanation of the owner’s manual, which is composed of about a dozen different documents. Here is a photo of the table with all of the elements that make up the “owner’s manual” plus the car keys:





Frederick then took us over the car from bumper to bumper addressing the various features and answering our questions. Here are a few shots showing our new X3 in the delivery bay:







We drove our new car right out the front of the delivery bay, and parked it by the front entrance to the Performance Center:





After that, we had lunch in the cafeteria:



After lunch, we met with Mike Renner, one of the BMW driving instructors who has done a bit of racing. After getting the necessary waivers signed (including one that would allow my son to ride in the car with us on the track and obstacle course), he gave us a chalk talk in one of the BMW instruction rooms:









We then went out to the course to do some hands-on driving. Mike drove in an X5, followed by us in an X3. He was able to communicate with us by walkie-talkie. We first went on to the flat portion of the track, where we did the “slolum”:







After running the “slolum” several times, we then did some pedal-to-the-metal acceleration followed by “panic stops.” The concept was to accelerate the car to the very instant when a full standing-on-the-brakes deceleration would bring the car to a halt within a space delineated by four green pylons. After I went through the paces, my wife was given the opportunity to do the same stunts as well.

We then drove to the off-road portion of the test facility:



On the way, we passed by a new straightaway that is now under construction, which will be available for longer acceleration tests in the very near future:



We then began the actual off-road experience. Needless to say, purchasers of 3, 5 or 7 series cars do not do this portion of the road test. Instead, they get to spend some time on a skid pad:





One of the first elements of the off-road course is “the bowl.” On this, you drive with your left wheel around the top of the ridge pictured below, leaving your right wheels at ground level. It gives the very distinct sensation that you are about to topple the vehicle. But because of the low center of gravity in X-class vehicles, the car stays upright:













The “teeter-totter” was being moved, so we couldn’t try it. But when it’s working, you drive up on it and try to balance your car:



Next came the “frame bender.” On that portion of the course, you drive your right wheels on to the elevated rollers leaving your left wheels on the ground. I do not think many SUVs could attempt this stunt and live to tell the tale:



The next stunt was for us to drive through “the river.” X-class vehicles can drive through standing water up to the top of their wheels—and that’s exactly what we did:









There are then several portions of the course that require ascending stony hills or driving over some rugged cobblestone:











The most challenging of these is the one where you are taught to use the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) feature. After driving your X3 to the top, you then take your feet completely of the pedals. The car will accelerate and decelerate itself as needed to descend this steep slope at the appropriate speed. The only thing you do is steer. Mike watched to make sure that we did not “cheat” by putting our feet on the brake during the descent:







All in all, it was a phenomenal day. I haven’t stopped grinning yet! Now it’s time to put some miles on our new X3:

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On time. No defects. Pick one.