das

09/21/2005: 112 - Scheduled for Daily Production Pack (October/Week 40)
09/24/2005: 150 - Production started (Estimated completion: 10/05/05)
09/28/2005: 151 - Body shop started
09/29/2005: 152 - Paint shop started
09/30/2005: 153 - Assembly started
10/05/2005: 155 - Production completed (Confirmed production: October/Week 40)
10/07/2005: 160 - Released to distribution
10/08/2005: 180 - Waiting for export dispatch
10/10/2005: 193 - Arrived at port of exit
10/13/2005: 194 - Selected for shipment
10/14/2005: 195 - Shipped from port of exit (Aboard MV PATRIOT, ETA 10/28/05 at Port of Charleston)
10/22/2005: 196 - Shipment arrival ETA: 11/01/05 (at Charleston VPC)
10/29/2005: MV PATRIOT docked at Union Pier, Berth 4, at Port of Charleston for unloading!
10/29/2005: Unloaded from MV PATRIOT at 1630.
10/31/2005: At Charleston VPC
11/02/2005: VPC completed; released to carrier for departure to dealer on 11/03/05
11/04/2005: Arrived at dealer; picking up Monday 11/07/05

stream

Waiting until Monday??!! You have more patience than me...

markt540i

Awesome. How can you stand it? I love your detailed schedule. It was 40 days from the time your car entered the body shop to the time you will be picking up your car. My car entered the body shop today. Using your 40 day schedule I should be picking up my car on December 13th.

das

I have no choice but to wait! My salesman told me that he'd try to have them get everything done today, but if they don't I have to wait until Monday! But I went over to see it anyway...

(They had *just* set it down from the lift, so it looks a little "higher" than even an xi normally would...)

LyleAlzado

das... did you want to just get in the car and drive it away now, or what!?!?!! I mean you are LOOKING RIGHT AT IT... that has to be tough to be so close... but up to 3 days away from trying out that all wheel drive!!! Good luck.... and many wishes for them to get it completed ahead of schedule!!!!!!

JDN

Looks great, David. I think the 530xi with the manual transmission makes a lot sense and should provide some real driving pleasure -- plus some better mileage which some of us will envy. Have a great week end. Might as well go down to see it again tomorrow. Somebody will let you in.

das

LOL, yes, I just wanted to drive it away. I don't care that the computer hasn't been coded yet or that the interior is still covered with packing material. It's so cool seeing it finally and knowing that it's my baby.

One thing that is super cool is Comfort Access. It's a lot more than just being able to press Start/Stop without putting the fob in. I was playing around with it for a few minutes, and found that:

- As you approach the car, it will unlock just by touching the underside of the door handle.

- To lock, just touch the door handle as you're walking away, or it will auto-lock (if you have set it up that way) after you walk away

- It won't unlock for someone else if the fob is further away from the car, or receding from the car

- The Start/Stop button won't work unless the fob is physically within the interior of the vehicle...even a few inches outside of the driver side window yielded the No Key message on the instrument cluster

- The car will stay running if you start it, and then take the fob outside of the car, but it will warn you it has no key and won't let you start it again until the fob is present (hmm, there has to be good applications for this...valet? car wash? - and yes, I do take my car to a car wash, but it's touchless and they hand dry with clean towels for each vehicle; I live in Wisconsin and after all, it's just a car )

Those are just a couple of things I tested, but it is really neat. $1000-neat? Maybe not, but still glad I got it.

Oh yeah, and anthracite maple is awesome.

I think I'm going to go by later today and try an MP3 CD, and also they're going to figure out which CIP version is currently installed on the car so I'll report back once and for all which version October/Week 40 vehicles have. Can't wait to finally get my hands on this puppy! My wife thinks I'm nuts...

markt540i

It is much better to give them time to get it right. When I took delivery of my current car in 2001, I rushed them to get it for me on a friday. I drove it around for at least a week and it was so incredibly rough riding. I was sick thinking I had made a mistake in ordering the sport package because it literally was beating me to death on rough roads. I had a friend with a 2000 540 and his was different. I checked the air preasure which was at 50 lbs and thought that was it. But it wasn't. I mentioned it to my service guy while there for something else so he took it to have a look. Minutes later he comes back and says okay your good to go. I am like what is the deal, is it going to always be so rough. He then tells me that they did not remove the shipping blocks. :thumbsdown: Unbelievable.

wulff1

that is awesome DAS - I can't wait to get my ride and my girlfriend also thinks I'm crazy with my bimmer -

I also dropped the 1000.00 on CA - it sounds cool! I hope it doesn't malfunction - it could be a bad day trying to start your car if it does -

I remember when my parents and I got locked (into) our 1989 535i E34 - it was horrible and i was skeptical of BMW technology -

then i got my 1995 540i E34 sport and it has been a dream car.....


E60, in NY, waiting to arrive in Boston......

amigo525

Nice finally the waiting is over

I get mine tomorrow!