Bimmerfest 2011 Takes Over Pasadena Rose Bowl

After getting almost no sleep the night before, getting my M3 ready for Saturday’s (May 14th) event, I eagerly woke up to meet with our caravan headed for Bimmerfest 2011 at The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA! When I arrived to the shop, I had a big grin on my face after seeing all the Castro’s Customs customer cars waiting to leave for the day’s festivities.

We had over 20 BMWs pile onto the 118 East, leaving North Hollywood, headed for Pasadena. The weather was pretty gloomy and a bit chilly, especially for a May day in sunny SoCal. As we got closer to the Rose Bowl exit, we got behind the large train of Ultimate Driving Machines headed to their family reunion. As we showed up to the venue, I was relieved to see that we got to park our cars on the grass this year, rather than the asphalt like 2010. There were already so many awesome Bimmers parked, even though we were some of the first people let in.

There was a wide variety of cars, unique in their own way; from the classic 2002…

… to the spectacular E92 M3.

Unlike many of the other car shows where only locals make their appearance, there were lots of cars that made the trek from hours away, and some from across the US. This group of enthusiasts drove from Arizona, with their cars themed like European Police and service vehicles.

Horse Power Freaks, the major sponsor of Bimmerfest, made a big showing as usual this year, with their amazing turbocharged E46 M3s. Here’s a shot of the owner of HPF – Chris Bergemann’s orange, 1000+ hp, wide body monster!

The intoxicating sound of German engineering could be heard throughout the day, as proud owners revved their motors. It took me over half the day to make it through the 3,000+ cars in attendance this year. Since this year is the 25th Anniversary of the legendary E30 M3, these rare Bimmers had spots reserved right up front.

But the most memorable car of the day had to be the McLaren E21 Turbo Race Car, which produces 650hp out of a 2 Liter turbo 4 cylinder, built back in the late 1970’s!

Saturday truly was a memorable day, with great cars, great people and great automotive heritage. I can’t wait to see how good next year’s Bimmerfest is going to be!