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From the sunny California coast to the rain soaked Hockenheimring in
Stuttgart, Germany, Modified L&E is there - and everywhere in between - to bring its readers the latest in the world of exclusive automobiles. For
every issue of Luxury & Exotics we send our writers and photographers to capture the beauty and the thrill of events worldwide. Readers can look
forward to gripping stories and breathtaking art. Whether the exceptional automobiles are standing still in a trendy venue or roaring across Europe in the Gumball 3000, Modified L&E is there.

  



 
  EVENT ARCHIVE :   
 

Bimmerfest 2007
May 5, 2007
Earl Warren Showgrounds, Santa Barbara, CA
Story Colum Wood | Photos Mike Maez


After having changed locations several times in the past, the huge outdoor space available at the Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara is no longer enough to hold North America's largest BMW gathering. According to Bimmerfest organizer Jon Shafer, after opening up additional parking space throughout the day, come afternoon, BMW owners and their cars had to be turned away. Organizers didn‚t speculate about next year's venue, stating that they would worry about next year's show after the '07 event had wrapped up.

The number of vendors present also seemed to be much higher than last year, with big booth displays from companies like Evosport, Active Autowerke, StopTech and Brembo outside. Evosport even brought their race cars to show off and had their M5 project car (featured in the May issue of MLE) front and center.

Inside, there were several well known tuners like Dinan, Turner Motorsport and RMS. RMS had an 850 hp E39 M5 while Dinan was showing off their new M5 parts. Turner also used this event to announce that they are now the US distributors of Hartge. To drive the message home they even had an M5 V10-powered E90 3 Series on hand.

Speaking of the E90, the new chassis had a very strong presence at this year's event. While E46 M3s might still have been the favored model, there were plenty of E90s - some with significant modifications. Active Autowerke had a tuned 335i, as did RDSport.

One of the most significant vehicles on hand was from a relative newcomer to the European tuning scene: Horsepower Freaks. Their 750 hp turbocharged E46 M3 had subtle styling and gobs of power. Be sure to pick up a copy of MLE for a full feature on the car including an exclusive test drive.

 
   
   
   
   
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