A Slightly Obsessive Ode To The Roundel
Where do I start with this one. It was June of 2017, and I only had the M2 for a couple months. I’d jumped deep down the rabbit hole that is BMW culture. I must admit, I was attracted to the fanfare of the brand even before driving any of their cars. Honestly, anyone looking for an immersive car culture will be hard pressed to beat BMW despite any negative stereotypes that might come along with it. From online forums like Bimmerpost to events like Bimmerfest or just the sheer amount of them you’ll find out on a canyon day or a track day, it’s almost silly how intertwined in all things automotive the brand has become.
Bimmerfest in particular, is a wonderland of everything BMW. Ironically, the actual festival area itself can’t hold a candle to the incredible variety of cars just sitting in the parking lot. The parking lot in question is actually at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA. Yes, this festival is at a racetrack, and yes, you can sign up to do a track day at the speedway while Bimmerfest is going on. This is a two day event usually in May or June. General Admission is $20, but you can pay to park in an exhibition area for an extra $10 if you are really feeling confident about showing off your car.
Madeline wanted to meet the loudest, most entertaining car on track 
Even before we got to the entrance of the speedway, out on the highway, it was very obvious where some drivers were heading. BMWs from all over, of all different types, new, old, modded, stock, you name it, could be found at Bimmerfest. Mini drivers show up in groups diving into the grey area, technically, of BMW group, along with other German sports cars. The sights and sounds are sure to impress with bright colored everything and the faint shriek of straight sixes running on track, making for a nearly overwhelming entrance.
You’ll (probably) see your dream BMW or something close to it. You’ll see cars on dynamometers. you’ll see cars racing on track literally around the festival all day. you’ll see modifications (probably to your exact BMW) that you’ll want to do. you’ll see blasphemy. you’ll see cars you recognize on social media. you’ll see classics. you’ll see brand new cars you didn’t know were on sale yet. You’ll see the good, the bad, the ugly. It’s really something to behold.
BLASPHEMY…LS Powered!
BMW representatives are there giving out merchandise, as well as giving out free rides in the newest M cars. If you have a modern BMW, you can give your key to a rep and they can read your key to see if your car is throwing specific codes… How appropriate for a brand with a particular reputation. A vast majority of BMW oriented aftermarket companies attend, also giving out merchandise.
I spent much more time walking the endless rows of visitors’ cars in the parking lot than I thought I would. I loved seeing how strong of an enthusiast community there really is surrounding the brand. The thing I loved most was seeing the very clear designations of each group of enthusiasts that parked together. I saw so many different groups, each showing off their own styles, themes, color schemes, and modifications. Here and there it felt like walking through a real world Fast & Furious scene.
After a while and multiple walk throughs of the entire festival area, I started to get some kind of idea of a few modifications I wanted to do to my car. The Remus team was there and did well pitching their product to me. For anybody thinking of modifying their car, a real life show where you can see the products up close is a great way to weed out the good from bad. A few other vendors caught my attention. The builds spoke for themselves, I never thought I’d see such a conglomerate of groups modifying cars that start out as “luxury” performance cars to such an extreme level.
By the end of the day I felt an odd, sort of childish sense of pride being a part of the BMW community. It’s the type of event that reminds you that it’s ok to have fun with cars, not take things too seriously, but most of all, have a little pride in the thing you invested so much into. Bimmerfest is a good time, even if you aren’t neck deep into the car world. There is plenty to see and do to even for the many families I saw wandering the grounds. Don’t forget to bring your sunscreen, it gets hot at the speedway.