Buying a brand-new car is always an exciting experience. But what if there was a way to make your first ride in your new car even more special? And no, we’re not talking about the big bows and other cheesy ideas some dealerships dream up. A select group of manufacturers offers a personalized delivery process where you travel to the factory to pick up your new car for yourself, making your first time behind the wheel an experience unlike any other. If you order a new Corvette, BMW, Porsche, or Volvo, then these are programs you will want to take advantage of. Taking a delivery at the factory can offer a new twist on the vehicle-buying process and provide a memorable first encounter with your new ride.
#1 – National Corvette Museum R8C Delivery – Bowling Green, Kentucky
Chevy might not be the first brand you think of when it comes to providing a true VIP experience for its customers, but if you order a new Corvette, you can have the option of a luxury-style factory delivery program. Since 1981, every Corvette has been built at the GM plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and across the street from the plant is the National Corvette Museum with its on-site racetrack. Select option code R8C when you order a new Corvette at any Chevy dealer, and for an additional $995, you will receive the full National Corvette Museum Delivery experience.
When your Corvette is ready for you, you will travel to Bowling Green and receive a VIP guided tour of the National Corvette Museum, followed by a one-on-one walkthrough of your new sports car. R8C Corvettes have a special gold decal inside the driver’s door jamb and come with a personalized dash plaque and personalized wall plaque to commemorate the occasion. Buyers who choose the R8C option also become members of the National Corvette Museum, which allows them to purchase touring laps on the on-site track at discounted rates.
#2 – BMW Performance Center Delivery Experience – Greenville, South Carolina
One of BMW’s largest production facilities is located in Greenville, South Carolina, and any BMW model ordered from any BMW dealer comes with the option of a personalized delivery program that includes a factory tour and track time guided by an experienced driving instructor. Opting for the BMW Performance Center Delivery Experience comes at no additional cost, and BMW will even cover a night at the Greenville Marriott, breakfast and dinner, and transportation to the factory.
The delivery experience starts at the Performance Center track, where you will be treated to two hours of track time in a BMW-owned car similar to the model you’ve purchased. If you’ve purchased a BMW SUV, then you will also get to experience an off-road course to get a full picture of its capabilities. Next up is the delivery itself, where a BMW expert (a real expert, not a dealership salesman) will walk you through every aspect of your new car one-on-one. Finally, the day will end with a guided tour of the BMW factory and the nearby Zentrum BMW museum.
#3 – Porsche Experience Center Delivery Program – Atlanta, Georgia or Los Angeles, California
The Porsche Experience Center Delivery Program is designed to thoroughly immerse you in all things Porsche and provides you with a full driving experience that goes beyond simple laps on the track. Available for all Porsches ordered from the factory (and with the huge amount of customization that Porsche offers, a factory order is the only way to go), this special delivery program comes at no additional cost. With both an east coast and west coast location available, the Porsche program is also more accessible than the options from other manufacturers.
The total experience takes around five hours, including a complimentary lunch. It begins at the Porsche development track, where an experienced development driver will take you out on the track in a factory car for a 90-minute track session that covers eight different segments. Since it’s a development track rather than a race track, this session includes segments on spin control, wet surface driving, launches, braking, and more. The day is capped off by a tour of the Porsche museum and an unveiling of your new car.
#4 – Porsche European Delivery – Zuffenhausen or Leipzig, Germany
If picking up your new Porsche at an American Porsche Experience Center isn’t special enough for your taste, there is also a Porsche European Delivery program at the factory in Germany. This program is similar to your “standard” Porsche delivery program, including a personalized delivery experience, a complimentary night in a local hotel, and a three-course meal for lunch. The largest difference between the European Delivery and the Experience Center Delivery is that taking the trip to Germany also includes a guided tour of a Porsche factory.
The Porsche European delivery experience has two different locations. Porsche sports cars are built at the Zuffenhausen factory, which is also home to the Porsche Museum––containing nearly 100 cars from across the brand’s history. However, it does not include a test track. The Leipzig facility lacks the museum but does include extended track time in a factory car similar to the one you purchased and off-roading if you picked a Porsche SUV. The choice is yours which one you want to experience.
After you have taken delivery of your Porsche, you are encouraged to take a road trip across Europe in your new car. Porsche provides dealer plates and two weeks of complimentary European insurance, allowing you to hit the road straight from the factory. When you are done exploring Europe, you can drop your car off at 17 different locations from Spain to Slovenia, and Porsche will handle shipping it to your local dealer in the United States.
#5 – Volvo Overseas Delivery – Gothenburg, Sweden
The other luxury brand offering a European delivery experience is Volvo, and the Volvo Overseas Delivery program is one of the best. Not only will Volvo cover your round-trip airfare to Sweden and back, as well as your hotel stay in Gothenburg, but choosing European delivery actually comes with $3,000 off the price of your new car, depending on the model. If you want a new Volvo and are interested in a European vacation, this option literally pays for itself!
Once you arrive in Gothenburg, the Volvo Overseas Delivery follows the standard pattern, combining a museum tour, factory tour, and personalized delivery of your new car. Once you have accepted delivery, Volvo provides you with temporary registration, 15 days of European insurance, and a selection of trip itineraries to explore Sweden in your Volvo. When your vacation is over, simply drop your car off at one of the designated locations, and Volvo will ship it home for you.
Discontinued European Delivery Programs
Until recently, Audi, BMW, and Mercedes all offered European delivery options of their own. Unfortunately, these programs have all been discontinued in the last few years. Audi ended its program first in September 2018, with BMW and Mercedes following suit in May and November 2020. Unlike Porsche and Volvo, which continue to build their cars in their native countries, Audi, BMW, and Mercedes have all grown to the point where many of their vehicles are now built around the world––in fact, all three of these brands are now producing many of their popular SUV models right here in America. This meant that they would have needed to ship the car from America to Europe for a European delivery, only to ship it right back again. BMW has made up for ending its European delivery option by launching its American BMW Performance Center Delivery Experience, but Audi and Mercedes have yet to announce any sort of similar program.
