The first part of the journey was through Germany and our first stop was in Munich. Apart from being famous for Oktoberfest, Munich is also in the state of Bavaria and this is known for... BMW.
The BMW headquarters are located on the north side of Munich, opposite the Olympic stadium (used for the Munich 1972 games). BMW HQ consists of the head office (the cylindrical building), BMW Welt, BMW Museum (the bowl) and one of BMW's manufacturing plant.
Headquarters and museum
BMW Welt
We started with a tour the manufacturing plant where cars like the iconic 3 series (or "model 3" as our guide calls it) is assembled. Cameras are not permitted on the tour, so you won't see any pictures of what happens inside the factory. What you will see if you take part in the tour is different stages of the manufacturing process and see various points in the production line, while the guide explains what is happening at each stage. These stages include the stamping of body panels, painting, assembly of components on to the chassis and the "marriage" of the engine and driveline with the chassis.
After the very comprehensive plant tour, we moved on to BMW Welt. This is a showcase of BMW's current models (including Mini). There are also displays of their engine technology.
F82 M4 Coupe
M4 Convertible
F36 435i Gran Coupe
Plenty of M power
X5 M
Michelin Pilot Super Sport tested on the Nurburgring
Customise your car with BMW Individual
BMW Isetta - Still running and driving little kids around
i8
The obligatory BMW Shop
The obligatory BMW Shop
We finished walking around BMW Welt and proceeded across the road to the museum. Unfortunately, on the day we visited the museum closed at 3 PM and we were too late to enter.
We returned the next day but the museum was closed due to a special event! Some sort of 3 series owner gathering. We could only take photos of the 3 series parked outside and that concluded our visit to BMW. Another excuse to return to Munich one day, I guess!
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