Day 8, Part 1- The Big Day: The Welt & Delivery
Well, it’s finally here. Finally, I get see my new car. I’ve not even seen The Welt yet, but that is about to change. The Welt is only a couple of miles from the hotel.
There it is.
Of course, the BMW corporate offices and museum, which are across the street from the The Welt. The museum is the bowl.
Unsurprisingly, the underground parking is full of BMW’s.
I enter The Welt from the elevator, not the front door. My appointment time is early, so the place is just coming to life. The Welt “tornado” is at the center of the photo, the front door just to the left of that. You can see the Mini display in the foreground on the left. Through the window, the BMW corporate offices.
I’m directed to the elevator that will take me to delivery check-in and the Premium Lounge. That elevator is that ‘pillar’ in the center of the photo. The elevator door is on the opposite side of the glass window. That’s the gift shop on the right. For reference, the Mini display is immediately to the right of the gift shop.
The anticipation is building. I find the elevator that will take me to check-in.
The European Delivery office.
The lady that checks me in.
I’ve got a few minutes before a smartly dressed gentleman will do a vehicle walk-through. I didn’t take any good pictures of him, and I forget his name. But this is a picture of the tabletop monitors used.
I mill around the Premium Lounge for a bit, and visit the wardrobe area to drop off my coat, camera case and paperwork. They give you a key to a sizeable locker. The Premium Lounge is your base at The Welt. I return to it several times during the day.
I’ll take breakfast after I see my car. I’m not going to drive the car outside because it doesn’t have winter tires. As a matter of fact, in a few of hours it starts to snow hard.
A couple of quick pictures of The Premium Lounge.
After I finish the walk-through, the big moment is finally here. We head to that famous staircase I’ve seen so much of (note the corporate offices and museum through the window).
I don’t see it yet.
The car elevator.
There it is. This staircase thing is quite dramatic and fun. First, you see your new car from afar, high up. The thing is rotating on a turntable under a spotlight.
Finally, I greet my new car in person. Boy, it looks beautiful and the color is just awesome.
So, we’ve come full circle from the very first photo I posted on this ED thread. I’ve been in Europe one week and traveled almost exactly 1000 miles. A nice girl took this complementary picture and gave it to me on a thumbdrive. Note the staircase and Welt tornando in the background of the photo. Other than really good, useful cupholders, these Germans think of everything.
Next, I do a victory lap around The Welt and hand back one of the keys (FOB). I’m not driving it outside because I don’t have the winter tires and I don’t really have time.