Right. So where were we? We’d just barely finished getting through just the Vendor area. We’d showed you some classic BMW Road Race cars, stunning as ever even sitting still under a canvas tent. But what is it that makes Bimmerfest, well, Bimmerfest?
The ModBargains team had a great time checking out the rides brought by aftermarket manufacturers, fabricators and shops alike, but every bit as impressive as the hardware with the corporate bankroll was the sheer volume and diversity of creativity I saw out there in the “Spectator” parking lot. So that’s what we’d like to share with you today, because more than any of the sponsors or big money, at its core, Bimmerfest is about one thing. BMW Enthusiasts and their cars.
I’ve always been a fan of the E36 in particular and this lineup was a great representation of one of the most iconic incarnations of the 3-series. This Lightweight-liveried E36 with Domo teeth was a particular favorite of mine, so it made me quite happy to see so many E36s and in so many different forms, all in one place.
As I pressed on, it didn’t seem to matter what generation BMW you came with – if you rolled up wearing a Roundel on the front of your car, you were welcomed with open arms.
The E46 guys showed up in force, too, and seemed to be having a better time than anyone if the dude driving the gray M3’s expression is any indiciation. Just look at the glee in his eyes – he’s STOKED to be amongst so many other Bimmers.
It’s worth noting I also have a soft spot for the venerable E30 – as much a legend today as it was new, I’ve personally raced a E30 (1987 328e) in the 24 Hours of LeMons endurance race series a few years ago. Did you know ModBargains has parts for E30s as well? I have a bit of a taste for oddball builds, so here are a few of the coolest BMW E30 3-series I spotted around the show.
Wow, that is a LOT of E30. So having satisfied my taste for E30s, I started looking for my favorite oddball BMW – E36 318ti hatchbacks. I wasn’t disappointed with more than a few great examples of BMW’s odd duck – one of which sported an S52 shoehorned into it.
A child of the 80’s, I will always have love for the big ol’ E31 8-Series. Here are a few photos from my favorite 8’s from the show. Topping off the list is a white E31 wearing a front cup spoiler I couldn’t identify had a little extra ///M power goodness, sporting a V8 pulled from an E39 M5 under the hood, breathing freely courtesy of an aFe Power Sealed Intake system for E39 M5.
Now let’s get to the meaty stuff. BMW brought out a couple new things to show us…
The new i3 Electric vehicle made an appearance since all the BMW activeE cars have been recalled, crushed or added to a rental fleet, this is where you’ll get your all-EV BMW goodness from here on out.
In addition to the i3, BMW also brought out the shiny new M4 Coupe, which manages to look great despite the uh… “Heritage” choice of color?
We can’t wait til customer start bringing these in – the fender vent gives the car a more muscular look than before. And then the money shot – the three cylinder hybrid supercar, the i8.
After making sure I scoped out the latest and greated Bavaria’s finest had to offer, I headed out to the field one more time to snap more photos of your rides collectively before I had to leave.
The stance crowd was well represented, to say the least. We saw every extreme of the stance crowd from Demon Camber status to the almost restrained stance on a classic with Stance Works decals.
These were just some of the many photos we took and there was so much to see it was hard to capture it all. Before we left we popped by the aFe Power booth to say hello to our friends.
Just after saying hello, 3pm hit and all of a sudden, everyone was gone. Cars trickled out of the booths and the field thinned almost instantly.
The voice of Bimmerfest.
The Voice of Bimmerfest
We ended the day with this yellow LTMW-widened E92 – one lone stunning example of BMW righteousness alone on a field of green. Beautiful.
We had a great time at Bimmerfest 2014 and we are stoked to for next year already. We thank you for reading and for sharing this great experience with us, and thanks again to everyone who came out for making this a killer show for the MB team.
Story & Photos Nick Gregson