Bimmerfest '13

[RPiM5]

Dudes,

I was lucky enough to be able to attend Bimmerfest 2013 today at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. I managed to take a few pictures, but unfornately I couldn't walk around as much as I wanted to because I had to leave early today.

Anyways, here are a few shots that I took. Also I don't mean to bash any products or peoples individual styles or anything but some things tuners produce and some things that people do to their BMW's especially M cars makes it hard for me to take them seriously.

So yeah, in these pictures you will see:

- a 7-Series M5. I had to do a double take when I saw it! Lol!

- A new AFE intake for the F10 M5 that I've never seen before, which to me the quality didn't look that good. Looked to me like they just wrapped intake covers in 3M Carbon Fiber wrap at the last minute.

- A Mad Brown Cow F10 M5. I really hope this was a wrap job! Lol!

- The brand new 2014 M6 Gran Coupe. I got to sit and play in it for a while today and boy it sure was sexy, but the $140K+ price tag wasn't so sexy. Although the CCB's were cool to look at today.

The first picture is of my M5 setup as a temporary camp. Lol!

Also I got an opporunity to talk with several tuners and companies today.

- I finally got to meet the fine folks at IND today. Nice guys. They had their M5 there today with the AMS Downpipes and Full Eisenmann Race Exhaust on it and were kind enough to start the car up for me and rev it. No video sorry, I forgot to take some, but it sound very good, very loud, and had a lot cleaner sound to it than my straightpiped system. I then invited the IND guys to come hear my car and they were blown away, literally. My system has a lot more rawness to it and cracks a lot more and louder. Also there is way more burble with the straightpipes. Lol!

- I also finally got a chance to talk face to face with the guys at Eibach. A few weeks ago I called them to inquire about the status of their lowering springs for the F10 M5 and I never heard back from them, so it was good to talk with them in the flesh today. They basically told me that they were still working on them and still had no idea when they would be ready. Naturally I complained that H&R has had their springs out for the F10 M5 virtually since day 1, and if Eibach can have springs for a Fiat Abarth out, then they can have springs out for an F10 M5. Honestly, I got the feeling like the guys I was talking to, had no clue and didn't care. I may acquiese to go with H&R springs now. I don't think I can take the stock ride height any more. Lol!

- One more thing, I also ran into the fine chaps at Turner Motorsport. I thanked them for being the second American tuner to design a muffler deleted design for the F10 M5. They told me they got the idea for it the same way I got the idea when I commissioned RPi to design the GTM for me, they went to Europe and had an opportunity to drive a Hartge muffler deleted F10 M5 in Germany and they loved it, so they decided to design and produce their own. Whereas I only saw pictures and YouTube video of the Hartge system and that's where I got my idea from. They're really a great group of guys I was really happy to meet them and hear their M5 with their exhaust on it. It sounded good, but quieter than the GTM since the Turner system is not a full system.

All in all, it was a great day and I was grateful that I could attend. Now the drive up to Bimmerfest is another story entirely. Maybe I'll tell it one day.

[boots]

Glad you had a good time. Man that car looks like it has mad cow syndrome.

[Tigumz]

Thanks for the update. Are you going to keep us in suspense about the trip up there?

Sounds more ominous than running out of gas

[greentrbo95gst]

We got back to LAX from ED yesterday and on the way back we saw a lot of people in modded bimmers go by. Hope you had a good time.

[Bokke]

Thanks for the write up; I wish this was close enough to attend.

Originally Posted by RPiM5

....Honestly, I got the feeling like the guys I was talking to, had no clue and didn't care. I may acquiese to go with H&R springs now....

Interesting observation on the Eibach!

[chudak18]

Any news on the afe intake? Plans? Goals? Finished product?

[Rob///M5]

Poor cow M5

[stealth.pilot]

Thanks for sharing Dave. You've in the past been a critic of the M6GC. Are you saying that you now love it except for the price?

Also on the M5 did you see a frozen blue one? What do you think of Frozen Blue (not the dark frozen blue like on the M7, but the regular Frozen Blue)?

[boots]

Hey Bokke, do you guys have any events up your way.

[RPiM5]

Originally Posted by stealth.pilot

Thanks for sharing Dave. You've in the past been a critic of the M6GC. Are you saying that you now love it except for the price?

Also on the M5 did you see a frozen blue one? What do you think of Frozen Blue (not the dark frozen blue like on the M7, but the regular Frozen Blue)?

I don't know to be honest with you. I think that even if the F10 M5 and the F06 M6 Gran Coupe were the same exact price, it would be a difficult decision for me. I really like the sleek and lower lines of the Gran Coupe, it almost looks like an Aston Martin Rapide to me from a distance, but I like the interior on the M5 10x better. Plus I love the seats in the M5 much more than the M6 Gran Coupe. Also I sat in the back seat of the M6 Gran Coupe and you can really only carry people back there for shorter trips, it's just a little bit too cramped back there. I see the M6 Gran Coupe as more of a status symbol for exclusivity really. I think in the end I would end up choosing the M5 anyways, because its more iconic. I'm waiting to see some drift videos with the M6 Gran Coupe, that might make me like it a little more.

Also I had a thought, since the M6 Gran Coupe is technically 11lbs heavy than the M5, if you put Carbon Ceramic Brakes on the M6 Gran Coupe and were to run it up against the M5 without CCB's, the M6 Gran Coupe would technically be lighter than the M5.

Also no I didn't see any Frozen Blue M5's unfortunately.

[stealth.pilot]

Originally Posted by RPiM5

I don't know to be honest with you. I think that even if the F10 M5 and the F06 M6 Gran Coupe were the same exact price, it would be a difficult decision for me. I really like the sleek and lower lines of the Gran Coupe, it almost looks like an Aston Martin Rapide to me from a distance, but I like the interior on the M5 10x better. Plus I love the seats in the M5 much more than the M6 Gran Coupe. Also I sat in the back seat of the M6 Gran Coupe and you can really only carry people back there for shorter trips, it's just a little bit too cramped back there. I see the M6 Gran Coupe as more of a status symbol for exclusivity really. I think in the end I would end up choosing the M5 anyways, because its more iconic. I'm waiting to see some drift videos with the M6 Gran Coupe, that might make me like it a little more.

Also I had a thought, since the M6 Gran Coupe is technically 11lbs heavy than the M5, if you put Carbon Ceramic Brakes on the M6 Gran Coupe and were to run it up against the M5 without CCB's, the M6 Gran Coupe would technically be lighter than the M5.

Also no I didn't see any Frozen Blue M5's unfortunately.

Dave I am also have issues wth the M6 seats. Which seats did it have?

I like these seats:




You will note that the seats above look sporty, they have a headrest that integrates into the seat back like the ones on the M5.


In addition they match the design language of the back seats to create a coherent interior design.



The seats I do not like are these ones - because they remind me of the 550i seats, they look ordinary with a boxy seat back and a boxy headrest which is completely separate sitting on metal stalks, and they do not match the rear seat design. These look like a Japanese parts bin special rather than a seat made specifically for the M6GC.

[RPiM5]

Originally Posted by stealth.pilot

The one that I saw did not have those super awesome looking seats which I never even seen before that you posted first. Instead they had the same exact seat from the M6 coupe. And I do not like those seats at all. They are less comfortable than the M5 ones. Doh!

[stealth.pilot]

Originally Posted by RPiM5

The one that I saw did not have those super awesome looking seats which I never even seen before that you posted first. Instead they had the same exact seat from the M6 coupe. And I do not like those seats at all. They are less comfortable than the M5 ones. Doh!

Agree. Those M6 coupe seats are rubbish and wholly inappropriate for a $130k car.

If that's what BMW is putting in the GranCoupe M6 then I would definitely stick with the M5.

[info@trinityautosport]

good seeing you Dave with some of the M5board crew =)

[mindlessmark07]

Hey Everyone!!!

Sorry It's been a while since I have posted...I though I'd share some pics from Bimmerfest this past Saturday in Pasadena CA!!!

[BC87]

Great pics

[Grayblack]

Stormtroopers! Great shots Mark!

[RPiM5]

Nice pix bro!

[bclk55]

Great shots Mark! Love it!

[BarryB]

Great pics. Sorry to have missed it.

[Nate@IND]

Thanks for all of the support at Bimmerfest guys! It was nice getting a chance to meet msost of you.

Some photos thanks to madlightmedia.













Marko's Frozen Beast with Frozen 3D diffuser + Akra carbon tips

[runningthingz]