[maverick83]

Hi guys, so I went to the Factory tour today, compliments of my preferred dealer (Autobahn BMW). Although I have been on this tour previously, it did strike me again today, how many cars we actually export to the US. According to BMW, this number is sitting at 51% of all cars built in SA will go to the US - quite a large number.

What surprised me more, was how many of the cars being built is 320i M-Sport's - seems like you guys like the 320i, and being an owner of several 320i's over the past few years, I can vouch for its exceptional value.

With the introduction of being able to order your 3 as an Individual line now, this makes for an even more appealing buy.

It would have been nice to be able to take some pics of the process and post it here, but unfortunately that is not allowed. The process to build one car is mind blowing! All the detail that goes into the car makes me appreciate what I have even more!

If any of you guys come to SA for a visit, maybe try and get a tour to the plant organised, and have a look see where most of your cars are coming from.

Very interesting indeed!

[VMRWheels]

Hmm interesting.. thanks for sharing! Wish you were able to snap some pics

[snowghost]

I'm extremely pissed my car came from there. I sent my order in specifically for Munich but the Stealer put it into SA without telling me.

It's not about the build quality, I got the lower speed limiter. And from what I've been told there's no way around it. Whereas an M-Sport with staggard tires ordered from Munich would have the 155 mph limiter by default. And that notwithstanding, it takes foreover to ship to the USA. It goes through Deutschland first.

Live and learn.

[Michael Schott]

Someone made a mistake, not necessarily the Rosslyn plant. And why do you really care about the limiter? Are you planning on going over 120 MPH? You have the summer tires which are more important. And last, I doubt the dealer has any say where your car is made.

[snowghost]

Originally Posted by Michael Schott

Someone made a mistake, not necessarily the Rosslyn plant. And why do you really care about the limiter? Are you planning on going over 120 MPH? You have the summer tires which are more important. And last, I doubt the dealer has any say where your car is made.

Well the limiter is 130 MPH and yeah that's felony speeding territory. But it's the control thing I don't like.

[claykin]

Originally Posted by Michael Schott

Someone made a mistake, not necessarily the Rosslyn plant. And why do you really care about the limiter? Are you planning on going over 120 MPH? You have the summer tires which are more important. And last, I doubt the dealer has any say where your car is made.

The dealer most certainly has control of German versus SA builds for the F30. They receive allocations for Munich builds and SA builds. The order codes are different for German versus SA builds. Also, the SA cars typically have SA in the description. BMW does not hide SA production.

Fact of the matter is SA built cars are of same build quality as their Munich counterparts. Anyone who claims otherwise is just hypothesizing.

Big difference is additional 3-5 weeks of transit time, and in some cases the oddball feature differences such as that highlighted by Snowghost.

The reality is that some dealers get more SA allocations and they cannot find another dealer willing to trade for a German slot. So they deal with it and tell customers some story...

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by snowghost

I'm extremely pissed my car came from there. I sent my order in specifically for Munich but the Stealer put it into SA without telling me.

It's not about the build quality, I got the lower speed limiter. And from what I've been told there's no way around it. Whereas an M-Sport with staggard tires ordered from Munich would have the 155 mph limiter by default. And that notwithstanding, it takes foreover to ship to the USA. It goes through Deutschland first.

Live and learn.

The presence of the limiter has nothing to do with the country where the vehicle is assembled.

[skw]

Originally Posted by maverick83

Hi guys, so I went to the Factory tour today, compliments of my preferred dealer (Autobahn BMW). Although I have been on this tour previously, it did strike me again today, how many cars we actually export to the US. According to BMW, this number is sitting at 51% of all cars built in SA will go to the US - quite a large number.

What surprised me more, was how many of the cars being built is 320i M-Sport's - seems like you guys like the 320i, and being an owner of several 320i's over the past few years, I can vouch for its exceptional value.

With the introduction of being able to order your 3 as an Individual line now, this makes for an even more appealing buy.

It would have been nice to be able to take some pics of the process and post it here, but unfortunately that is not allowed. The process to build one car is mind blowing! All the detail that goes into the car makes me appreciate what I have even more!

If any of you guys come to SA for a visit, maybe try and get a tour to the plant organised, and have a look see where most of your cars are coming from.

Very interesting indeed!

I wonder where those were headed? M-sport is not available on the 320 here in the US.

[maverick83]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

The presence of the limiter has nothing to do with the country where the vehicle is assembled.

I would tend to agree with that statement.

[maverick83]

Originally Posted by skw

I wonder where those were headed? M-sport is not available on the 320 here in the US.

That's really interesting... It could be Aus or NZ too. Couldn't check every M-Sports destination, but from the outside the Us versions have the reflectors on the bumpers that the others don't have.

Also, I can agree with winter tires, a lot of those cars were x-drive with winter tires, neither of which are required in SA or even available.

[snowghost]

Originally Posted by maverick83

I would tend to agree with that statement.

That's what I've been told by numerous people. SA exports the lower limiter.

[Michael Schott]

Originally Posted by snowghost

That's what I've been told by numerous people. SA exports the lower limiter.

Did anyone who really knows what they are talking about tell you this? It makes no sense. SA builds cars to the exact same specs as those from Germany. If someone orders Sport Line, package or MSport with summer rubber they are built to the 150 mph standard in both plants.

[snowghost]

Originally Posted by Michael Schott

Did anyone who really knows what they are talking about tell you this? It makes no sense. SA builds cars to the exact same specs as those from Germany. If someone orders Sport Line, package or MSport with summer rubber they are built to the 150 mph standard in both plants.

My VIN shows otherwise. And I looked at the order sheet for my first F30 which was a Munich build and there was no where on there to select the higher limiter. It just came that way with the summer tires. My current F30, SA build is identically outfitted with the exception of adding High Beam Assist and DHP, and per the VIN does not have the higher limiter.

EDIT: How about somebody on the boards post their SA VIN that shows "S840A HOCHGESCHWINDIGKEITSABSTIMMUNG High speed synchronization". And then I'll believe it.

[Bernard335]

Snow ghost, so you saying that the SA built 335 has a limit of 130mph or 208kph, instead of the 155mph or 248kph limit.
I live in SA and have an SA built 335, I have hit higher limiter a couple of times, it easily surpasses the lower limit with ease. So not sure why your car is like that, it doesn't sound right.

[Paigey]

Originally Posted by snowghost

My VIN shows otherwise. And I looked at the order sheet for my first F30 which was a Munich build and there was no where on there to select the higher limiter. It just came that way with the summer tires. My current F30, SA build is identically outfitted with the exception of adding High Beam Assist and DHP, and per the VIN does not have the higher limiter.

EDIT: How about somebody on the boards post their SA VIN that shows "S840A HOCHGESCHWINDIGKEITSABSTIMMUNG High speed synchronization". And then I'll believe it.

Hate to break it to you, but my build 335i is SA.

840 Increased top speed limiter w/Performance Tires N/C
S840A Hochgeschwindigkeitsabstimmung High speed synchronisation

[Michael Schott]

Originally Posted by snowghost

My VIN shows otherwise. And I looked at the order sheet for my first F30 which was a Munich build and there was no where on there to select the higher limiter. It just came that way with the summer tires. My current F30, SA build is identically outfitted with the exception of adding High Beam Assist and DHP, and per the VIN does not have the higher limiter.

EDIT: How about somebody on the boards post their SA VIN that shows "S840A HOCHGESCHWINDIGKEITSABSTIMMUNG High speed synchronization". And then I'll believe it.

I'm saying that what they did to your car was a mistake. The normal SA build with summer tires is the 150 mph limit.

[BeachsideF30]

If your car was built in SA or say in Spartanburg, S.C is it technically still a "german" car? lol

[snowghost]

Originally Posted by Paigey

Hate to break it to you, but my build 335i is SA.

840 Increased top speed limiter w/Performance Tires N/C
S840A Hochgeschwindigkeitsabstimmung High speed synchronisation

Could have been a mistake. It was my understanding you automatically get the S840A when you order the performance tires. Which I have--staggered setup and all.

I have not tried to exceed the limiter on the road, but I figure if it doesn't show in the VIN, and Frogman (our resident coder) didn't see it when he looked at my configuration, then most likely it has the 130mph one.

[Alvaro S]

I have a 320i in Brazil because it's simply the best option to buy here. The 328 is way more expensive. Brazilian market is really crazy and our prices ( specially premium cars) don't have any sense at all.

[chazmink]

My car is an SA build and has S840A.

[maverick83]

Originally Posted by Bernard335

Snow ghost, so you saying that the SA built 335 has a limit of 130mph or 208kph, instead of the 155mph or 248kph limit.
I live in SA and have an SA built 335, I have hit higher limiter a couple of times, it easily surpasses the lower limit with ease. So not sure why your car is like that, it doesn't sound right.

Even in my SA build 320i Auto I have hit a max of (indicated) 240km/h...

As per one of my other post on here, I have managed to do 245 indicated on my F30 320i manual when the limiter came in.