Building and Driving a Brand New BMW X3!
Perhaps you saw my recent television show, where we visited the BMW plant, located in Spartanburg, South Carolina.  BMW, or Bavarian Motor Works, is known, of course, for producing luxurious, high-performance cars.  As a BMW owner, and having had a great experience with BMW, I was very excited to see the only place in the entire world where the X3, X5, and X6 BMW models are built. Before touring this state-of-the-art factory, I also had a great deal of fun building my very own X3 online and followed its progress through the plant.  I even got to take it for a thrilling test drive on the BMW track! And thanks to BMW, viewers can enter for a chance to win the BMW X3 I designed! Keep watching my show in the new year for details on how to enter.
1 Approaching the BMW Visitor Center
2 Here I am with Max Metcalf, Section Manager for BMW Corporate Communications, who kindly picked us up from our hotel and brought us here.
3 Inside the Zentrum, the BMW museum, there are many retro models on display.
4 This red 1955 Isetta bubble car reminded me of driving through Europe on my honeymoon many years ago. You enter through the front.
5 The Isetta was a simple but reliable car that supported the economic recovery in postwar Europe. This model has a back seat.
6 Another Isetta bubble car with a tiny sleeping trailer
7 A beautiful example of a sleek roadster
8 There is also a display of BMW motorcycles old and new.
9 Checking out the interior of the X3 before ordering online
10 My film crew was all set up to go.
11 Joe Wierda - Product Manager - explaining how to order my car online - how fast and easy!
12 After placing my order, we headed to the body shop to see it taking shape.
13 The body shop is huge and filled with all sorts of robotic equipment.
14 Massive robotic arms swing to and fro.
15 There are many impressive looking caged stations.
16 Safety goggles are a must, as there are many flying sparks all around.
17 Joe and Chad Johnson, Production Manager, explained that 500 individual parts are welded together robotically and that there are more than 6000 weld points.
18 Not every job can be done by robots.
19 Todd Shwartzman, from our broadcast sales department, was having a blast!
20 The unfinished cars travel high up on a conveyor getting them from one station to another.
21 We followed my car through the plant.
22 Here it is coming through another station - there are many inspection points.
23 My car eventually headed for the painting station and here is some of the paint crew.
24 Suited up and headed for the paint shop - We passed through this chamber, where high pressure air blew onto our suits, cleaning them of any particles that could damage a fresh coat of paint.
25 Tanya, the Paint Manager, explained to me that every car is sprayed with a total of five coats of paint.
26 My X3 all painted - It will now head into an oven, where it will be cured for 30-45 minutes.
27 Chris Meagher, the DP for this shoot was wondering when his X3 would pass through!
28 Here we are outside of the paint shop - Eliad, my Social Media Director, came with us to document for my blog.
29 Next, we visited the area where the 'marriage' occurs between the car's power train and its body.
30 An impressive new and powerful power train
31 An assembly line of powertrains
32 My X3 about to marry its power train
33 To join, twenty-one fasteners connect together in less then a minute!
34 After the marriage, my car is carried to the next station.
35 Finally, we headed to the BMW Performance Driving School.
36 A great gift shop for the BMW fan
37 Fresh off the assembly line, my car was ready to take for its first spin! Joe handed me the keys.
38 I drove towards the track with my instructor, Matt Mullens.
39 I tested out the brakes.
40 Then, I punched the accelerator for some real driving excitement!
41 Chris was with his camera in the backseat.
42 Next, we headed for the course for a spin in the BMW M5. Matt told us that he had actually been a professional driver on the Nascar circuit. This was going to be interesting!
43 And we're off!! With 0 to 60mph in 4.8 seconds, this was going to be quite a ride! Going 90mph around turns, this car handled beautifully!
44 You might notice that this photo is a little blurry. That's because it was taken by Eliad, who was sitting in the back seat. He looked a little green after that thrilling ride!
How great to be able to order your own car, and watch it being built!!
My youngest brother's brother-in-law works at BMW, but was out on sick leave when you were there.
If I'd been in the back seat with Eliad, I'd have been a little green, too. Being in the front wouldn't have bothered me, though.
Thanks for sharing.
Gloria G!!
Posted by: Gloria | December 15th, 2010 at 12:13 am
I love the detailed, educational trip through the car making process Martha. Your car is beautiful. What a treat to see it being "born."
I hope you all got to keep your BMW protection suits.
Posted by: Sonya | December 15th, 2010 at 12:54 am
Be careful what you wish for. We give our grandson bunnies at Easter, (even take photos)
but Wal-Mart keeps them for him. We also drove a 'beamer' and toured Europe. Loved blog and thanks for inside photos from BMW in NC. I drive a 10 yr. old car that gets good fuel mileage and fits in garage and am so grateful that it starts and runs good.
Posted by: ann | December 15th, 2010 at 10:02 am
Hi Martha,
That really is a beautiful car that you designed and from the clips we saw on your show, it handles like a dream. I haven’t had a new car in so long I forgot how exciting it is. It’s nice to know the BMW X3 can take a curve at 90 miles an hour which would come in handy if the brakes happened to go out as one was descending a steep mountain curve! Otherwise, forget it. Lol At least Eliad was able to take a nice picture - I probably would have been passed out in the back seat! I don’t ride with many people preferring to do the driving myself. It was very interesting to see how that car was made by a lot of mechanical arms but you said on the show that they employ a lot of people too so that also proves the robots can’t do everything. Enjoy your car Martha! Trish
~
P.S. Nice segment on the Today show this morning with table decorating ideas and you looked great in the shimmery jacket you wore on the cover of December MSL.
Posted by: Trish | December 15th, 2010 at 10:36 am
I loved this segment. Thanks for all the learning opportunities that you offer your viewers each day, Martha.
Posted by: Marybeth | December 15th, 2010 at 11:22 am
Hi Martha, How amazing that you can go online to build your own X3 BMW and then go to the factory to see the production of it and then go for a ride in the new X3 BMW! WOW! That must have been an absolutely fantastic event! Thanks so much for sharing these superb photos and the video on you TV Show yesterday! Talk about learning something new every day and being inspired by you-WOW!! Can't wait to see your TV Show next year and read about entering to win that particular X3 BMW! I love watching your fantastic TV Show on the Hallmark Channel Home daily-it makes my day just like you blog does! Thanks Martha! Have another great day! Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | December 15th, 2010 at 11:27 am
WOW...I would not want to pay the monthly payments on that car. I'm with Ann, my Toyota Corolla is 12 years old and runs like a dream (no car payments either)!!
Posted by: Sharon | December 15th, 2010 at 11:42 am
My SPARKLING BRONZE 2011 X5 was delivered to me at the end of May. I think mine was the first of that color too. I love it.
Posted by: Dianne | December 15th, 2010 at 3:07 pm
Martha, thanks for sharing this blog.
Posted by: KLBrown | December 15th, 2010 at 4:07 pm
As an X5 owner I loved your blog. BMW is built to last. My last 525i I drove for 10 years and had 150,000 miles when I traded it in. The engine, transmission etc were original, the car kept going on regular maintenance, brakes, tires etc. I am a BMW owner for life!
Posted by: Elaine | December 15th, 2010 at 8:03 pm
why didn't you get a prettier color??????
Posted by: melody perez | December 15th, 2010 at 8:53 pm
Hi Martha, I am a distributor for ViSalus Sciences, fast growing MLM company out there and just to mention we are the only company that gives you a FREE BMW in their compensation plan!! I just love it and love my FREE
black BMW ... If anyone would like to check out this company go to my site
at http://www.healthwithpatty.com or email at healthwithpatty@gmail.com
Have a great BMW day!!! Patty
Posted by: Patty Rodriguez | December 16th, 2010 at 11:48 am
My little girl and I had a BMW years ago I loved that car it drove great and I never had any problems with it....I miss the car her name was Leonia my ex-husband took her away in our divorce..
oh well I loved watching the BMW episode
Thank you for bringing creative and family friendly shows back to TV
Posted by: Tima McMichael | December 16th, 2010 at 12:00 pm
Hi Martha! WOW it was so cool to see you build your BMW! Its so funny to see it on the show because I was getting ready to trade my 2006 BMW 3 Series in for the new X3 in the Spring and I chose the SAME car colors as you before I even saw yours! WOW I guess great minds think alike?
I will be sure to enter the sweepstakes too for a chance to even WIN yours before I go and buy mine! 
Merry Christmas!
Posted by: Jeffrey | December 16th, 2010 at 12:20 pm
Nice pics,missed the show though! To much channel searching and online poker I guess,but think you are the greatest, Martha My Dear.My son-in-law works @ the Ford plant in Michigan,and my tour consisted of ,thats the paint shop,that's the assembly shop ,and this lot has the finished product( Mustangs) LOL The pics here are fantastic,wish I could have been there!I'm a Union guy,so,if I could have one of these cars, I would have to be sure it was Union made!In your case Martha MY Dear ,You are Union made ! Luv Ya and ttyl
Posted by: Norman Rudy | December 16th, 2010 at 2:10 pm
Hi Martha, cool car. I would like to know how to apply for the BMW they mentioined giving away.
Posted by: Barbara Broussard | December 17th, 2010 at 9:15 am
Thank you Martha for coming to viist and doing such a nice story for the BMW plant and Performance Center here in Greenville/Spartanburg. My husband Andy is a driving instuctor at the PC and enjoys representing such a fine product such as BMW.
They really are "a good thing."
Posted by: Carol | December 17th, 2010 at 11:53 am
It's too bad that Time Warner doesn't carry the Hallmark Channel (unless we pay the exorbitant prices for the extra channels). I miss watching your show every day.
Posted by: Fran | December 17th, 2010 at 9:01 pm
Maratha, I love BMW'S, we have a Z4. Looking at a 4-wheel drive now. My mother and brother both are handy-cap, and I need a vehicle that can take me anywhere, when and where I need to go. Now I need to pass this on to santa. Put my 07 Saturn up for sale.
Posted by: Shirley | December 18th, 2010 at 3:08 pm
Now that you posted these pictures, I'll bet a lot of Americans will follow suit and go to the plant and order their cars, too.
Posted by: Mary | December 20th, 2010 at 1:16 am
I have watched your show and read your magazine and have marveled at the beauty that you surround yourself with day in and day out. I have always appreciated your sense of style and love of all things beautiful. However, during your visit to the BMW plant, I was terrifically jealous of you for the first time ever. I love BMWs SO MUCH and just gave up my leased X3 without a new one to step into. If only I could be you for a day and have a brand new X3 built just for me. How lovely!!!!
Posted by: Carol Goodwin | December 29th, 2010 at 9:50 pm
I have ATT UVerse for all my phone, TV, and internet services. HOWEVER, they don't carry The Hallmark channel. I was so looking forward to seeing you on this channel and also the chick flicks. It is a great channel. Can you do anything about this squabble?? I know I am not the only person that this matter bothers.
thanks so much Martha.
Posted by: Mary Helen Young | December 30th, 2010 at 8:15 pm
Martha, I live only few miles down the road
from the BMW plant I hope someday that I can drive a fine car such as that. I now drive a 2001 Mitsubishi. Thank You for visiting SC.
Trish
Posted by: trish sargent | January 12th, 2011 at 11:55 am
What a beautiful car, I'm so envious! How exciting it must have been to see it built per your request. I need a new car, mine is 11 years old now and showing desperate signs of aging.
Thank you for sharing a terrific experience!
Posted by: Izzybelle | January 18th, 2011 at 11:04 pm