Holy tow hitch..
 

Put on the tow hitch yesterday. That was fun...or not. Anyone who did it in under 4 hours, my hat is off to you.

I realized later that I forgot to bend in the tabs on the main bolts. Anyone think that is a big deal? I plan on removing the bumper later and doing it. :D

Yeah- took me and a friend longer than 4 hours, too. The biggest problem was removal and reinstall of the bumper. It would have been easier if we'd dropped the exhaust.

I don't think the tabs are a big deal. They're really just so that the bolts don't start to back out on their own. Because of things like these little tabs, that kind of thing must be a possibility, but I have never seen it.

Did you get the OEM hitch? If so, where did you buy it? I can't find one anywhere. Thanks.

got mine at getbmwparts.com / Tischer BMW.

Got it at the local stealer. Had it in stock. Got the BMW CC discount, so price was decent.

I tried to order from them but received this a few days later:
06/22/11 11:8 AM - **UPDATE** Part #s 71600009711, (TRAILER HITCH KIT) are currently on national backorder from BMW. Typical backordered items arrive to our facility in 2 - 3 weeks from Germany. We'll process and ship your order once all parts are in stock (unless otherwise requested). No charges will be made to your card until the order is complete/shipping out. Please periodically check your order status for future updates. Thank you for your patience and support! -getBMWparts.com

Hopefully it will arrive soon.

Yeah. It did take me a couple weeks to get it. Hopefully they get stock for your order.