BMW Bimmerfest 2007 UK
A new venue sees the autumn indoor show enter a new era.
The annual autumn indoor BMW
show has been around for longer
than Total BMW and after a few
changes of organiser it’s now found
a new home this year with the BMW
Car Club. They’ve given it a brand new venue
too, in the shape of Stoneleigh Park near
Coventry, which gives it the space to spread
out and even boasts covered parking thanks
to its vast acres of agricultural sheds.
After spending the summer visiting
most of the major BMW events in the UK
and Europe, we’re still tripping over new
things BMW-related and Bimmerfest was
no exception, thanks to a hall full of display
cars and trade stands. The 2002 boys were
out in force of course, while the Alpina
Register put on an impressive display
too, including the ultra-rare V8-powered
3-Series, the E36 B4.6. According to the
BMW Car Club’s Andrew Dale, some 1000
people visited the show and if you weren’t
one of them then here’s what you missed.
Red 2002 was apparently restored in a conservatory. It’s
better than messing about growing plants, we reckon. |
Gary Christofi’s 2002 is “Britain’s answer to Mobile Tradition”. Restored by Cooks Ferry, it features the best 2002 bits from the firm’s collection, amassed by Cooks Ferry boss Pat over a period of 18 years. |
Alpina Register webmaster Andy was selling this B10 V8 Touring. The 4.6-litre model with xenons, 19-inch
rims and sat nav, it's yours for £13,995. |
Believe it or not, the car is actually black: the orange is a stick-on vinyl ‘wrap’. |
It looks just like a tidy 325i Touring, but it packs a twin-cam punch courtesy of a motor from a 3.6-litre E34 M5, which knocks out around 365 bhp thanks to a remap.
The E30 hubs have been converted to five-stud, with uprated suspension and brakes and the ‘dog leg’ gearbox from an M3, while inside you’ll find custom electric
Recaro seats and four headrests. |
Gary Bateson’s Concours-winning 320i is amazing, especially when he admits that it was on the shabby side
when he acquired it. Details like five refurbished alloys and brand new headlamps really make it like new
and even the boot is as shiny as the rest of it. You’ll see more in Total BMW soon. |
Minilite-style rims looked good on 1969 Neue
Klasse 2000 Automatic. Amazingly, this car had
just one owner until 2006. |
The ’02 Touring is a really rare sight these days
but we found two at Bimmerfest. |
Alpina-style E21 looked good with Angel
Eye lamps. |
Striking M3 was a BMW Individual product,
finished in unique Mora paint with Champagne
nappa leather. |
Another intriguing E30 was this metallic brown
example, complete with matching nitrous bottle
in the boot. We found ourselves curiously drawn
to the colour. |
Z1s are a rare sight anywhere, especially
in this colour. |
Carmen Red M5 spotted in the car park is
probably the only one in that colour. Go on, prove
us wrong... |
Steve Bostock’s mint 33,000-mile 318i has never
been out in the rain – and it shows. |
Robin Hammett’s 528i shows what can be done
with a bog-standard clothed-up 528i and a bit of
thought. As well as the dished rims and bodykit,
Robin’s managed to get the clocks apart to fit
a white dial kit. “BMW said they didn’t come
apart,” he laughs. |
David Round’s 318ci features so many mods, he
reckons the only standard parts left are the glass
and body panels. Suspension is by Eibach, brakes
by Brembo and styling by AC Schnitzer and you’ll
see more of it in Total BMW soon. |
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