BMW Germany Visit Article

8/14/2019 BMW Germany Visit Article

1/4

Experience is an understatement the World of BMW

By David Chao

There are two ways to pick up your brand-new BMW. The first option is to show up at the dealership fromwhich you bought it, where theyll have it washed, waxed, and waiting for you. This is the quickest approachand, unsurprisingly, the most common.

Alternatively, you can go directly to BMWs worldwide headquarters to get itafter flying to Munich, Germany.Obviously this isnt quite as convenient as the first option, but its something that every BMW aficionado maywant to consider at some point in his or her lifetime.

Located a little over half an hour from Franz Josef Strauss Airport by car or train, BMWs Munichheadquarters combines four operations: the automakers head office, a multifunctional customer-experiencecentre known as BMW Welt (or World in English), BMW Museum, and the Munich assembly plant. Ownerswho select European Delivery service (available with all models except the US-manufactured X5 and X6) willbe immersed in the complete BMW Experience before picking up their cars, after which they can tour Europeat their leisure. When its time to return home simply drop the car at one of eleven locations in five countries,

and BMW will ship it to Canada, where it will be inspected, cleaned, and delivered to your door.Of course, you dont have to buy a BMW to gain admission to Weltwhile BMWs head office is off limits tothe public, anyone can visit BMW Welt, the museum and the factory. I recently had the opportunity to do justthat, and came away extremely impressed by what I saw.

BMW Tower

Upon arriving, the first thing that catches your eye is the landmark BMW Tower, designed by architect KarlSchwanzer. Located next to Olympic Park and completed just ahead of the 1972 Summer Olympics, thetower is inspired by the four-cylinder engine, with four round towers suspended from a central tower. Each


2/4

floor was constructed on the ground before being elevated and attached to the structurean impressiveachievement.

BMW Museum

The adjacent BMW Museumalso designed by Schwanzer and built in 1972accepts visitors on a dailybasis. Bringing together decades of BMW memorabilia, the Museum provides a retrospective on BMWs past

and a look into the future, contemplating topics that go beyond the automotive world, into the realms ofcommunication and society at large.

Chief amongst the exhibits is the award-wining Kinetic Sculpture: 714 steel balls suspended from theentrance ceiling by near-invisible wires. Representative of the form-finding process, the balls move in time tobackground music before settling into the shape of a BMW car. Its a spectacular display, both soothing andsurreal, and worth the small price of admission.

From there, a spiral ramp leads visitors upward through the bowl-shaped building, past significant cars,BMWs seen in James Bond movies, and displays describing new and retired technologies, among otherthings. One room offers a history of BMW, beamed onto a table from a ceiling-mounted projector. But unlikemost projected displays, this one responds to touch, enabling users to select topics for further information.

However, the most mind-boggling of these exhibits is the room dedicated to BMW design, which features awall showing hundreds of design features set against thoughtful and inspirational words such as believing,

sense, and effect. It is an impressive visual spectacle, simultaneously capturing the art and practicality ofautomotive design.

Casual visitors will find much to entertain themselves in the Museum, while auto enthusiasts will be sad toleave. Luckily for them, theres lot more to do.


3/4

BMW Munich plant 1

BMW Munich is one of many assembly plants around the world producing the ultra-popular 3-Series,specifically tasked with manufacturing 3-Series sedans, Touring wagons, and engines. In 2008, Munichassembled over 200,000 cars and 131,000 engines, while providing visitors with a free glimpse of theproduction process.

Like most plants, Munich is divided into four main areas: the stamping shop (where steel panels are formed),welding shop, paint shop, and final assembly. A two-hour tour covers all of these areas, with guidesdescribing the techniques and technologies in use.

The paint-shop portion of the tour is particularly notable, because virtually no one in the world offers a tour ofautomotive paint shops, due to possible contamination from dust, dirt, etc. To avoid this issue, BMWconstructed a glass corridor adjacent to the paint room, enabling visitors to see vehicles as they movethrough the painting process. Amazing!

Its hard not to appreciate the painstaking detail that goes into this wonderfully synchronized processboth atBMW and other automakers around the world. However, some factories seem to achieve a level of precisionand effort that goes beyond the norm, and Munich plant 1 is definitely in this category.

BMW Welt


4/4

Last but not least is the newest addition to the complex, BMW Welt. Essentially an exhibition facility anddistribution centre, Welt shows off current products and serves as an event forum. Its also the place that yougo to get your European Delivery BMW vehicle.

Constructed over four years and opened in October 2007, Welts architectural design melds sharp angles andcutouts with smooth curves, glass walls, and a giant vortex that draws in the roof like a whirlpool. Theexpansive, stunning interior is capped by an undulating roof covered in solar panels. Every current BMW

vehicle can be found inside, along with conference rooms, a restaurant, andof course, a gift shop. Its aperfect complement to the Museum, reinforcing BMWs automotive design through its amazing architectureand enabling the company to establish strong connections with customers picking up their cars.

Against the backdrop of Munich plant 1, Welt brings a modern, contemporary feel to BMWs headquarterswithout minimizing the presence of the BMW Tower and Museum.

At the end of the day

Eventually youll run out of things to see at BMW Welt, and will find yourself wondering where to go next.Seeing as you came this far, its worth remembering that there are three other automakers not too far away.The Audi museum and factory are 45 minutes away, while Mercedes-Benz and Porsche are in nearbyStuttgart, roughly two hours drive.

If you love cars especially BMWs this is a trip of a lifetime.

Documents

BMW Germany Visit Article