For a BMW owner going to car events in Japan can be tricky. I don't know how many times I have rolled into Daikoku only to find completely filled with JDM rides instantly making my NA V8 M3 feel completely out place.
It is therefore I felt relieved that going to SEMA(Part 1 Part 3 Part 4), proved to be the exact opposite. I felt right at home and it was a damn shame that I couldn't take my car with me.
To cut the long story short, to say that SEMA offers something for everyone would be an understatement, but it is undeniable that it is absolute heaven for BMW enthusiasts.
We start right in the middle of it all - at BMW M Performance booth in South Hall where BMW has prepared several demo cars,
and displayed their newly available M Performance upgrades.
The F87 M2 safety car outfitted with array of M Performance parts and was their flagship car;
The M Performance M3 next to it was an instant hit. It was fitted with new M Performance wheels, new adjustable suspension, and carbon aerodynamic upgrades.
M Performance parts were also fitted under the bonnet. M3 and M4 get this cool carbon engine cover, while 340i and 440i get an ECU tune, intake, and exhaust that will allow additional 35 HP boost.
In addition, the 7 series was presented as luxury solution to the BMW enthusiasts. The car was fitted with variety of M Performance body parts, wheels, suspension and was displayed in beautiful frozen black paint.
Seeing JDM wheels represented by this M2 in the Advan booth made me feel home sick for a moment. On this occasion Rays Wheels did not use BMW to display their products, but there is Tokyo Auto Salon for that. This time they got something else in store which was not any less impressive than a customized M4 on Volks.
Overall, there were plenty BMW's to check out:
From the insanely customized cars scattered all over the show,
to rarities like this race 3.0 CSL, which won several races for BMW in the 70's. Only five of these were ever built.
Even though I didn't have time to stop and chat with any of fellow BMW fans, I knew that the endless rows of cars kept everyone busy.
So allow me to pick out some of the cars that I thought were particularity interesting to a BMW guy visiting from Japan.
Would it be this donked out 4 Series Gran Coupe on 22 inch dubs?
Or the E46 with insane Turbo setup?
To me, the most impressive ones for me were on the outside.
Partially because of the opportunity to shoot cars under the desert sun and surreal back drop of urban Las Vegas.
But mostly because of the cars themselves!
The bright red M3 (something we don't see a whole lot in Japan) built by Las Vegas's own Formula Autohaus was fitted with somewhat familiar Liberty Walk kit. The car is dropped via Accuair E-Level System and HP Drivetech Air Bags on a set of Aristo wheels measuring 295/30/19 Front, 305/30/19 Rear with Rolloface Big Brake Kit hiding behind .
But what was done under the hood, was a whole different ball game. The S65 high revving V8 has been fitted with a Garrett 3582R Turbo via Formula Autohaus built S65 Turbo conversion kit. Further mods include Active Autowerke intake, 1000cc injectors from Injector Dynamics, Turbosmart BOV and wastegates, while all cooling and exhaust are custom built specifically for this car.
The car was also fitted with Recaro Pole Position Seats, M Performance steering wheel, and 6 Point Roll gage.
Overall, this is probably one of the most extreme BMW builds I have ever seen, Having taken something from worlds of stance and performance this is a show car quality build, which is at the same time one hell of a track monster! Yep, that's the way the roll down in Vegas!
By this point it is probably clearly seen that Liberty Walk kits were present in huge numbers on BMW's and other cars (more on that in future posts),
but it were not just the LB kits that were used to widen the stance as more and more companies such as PSM Dynamicare starting to offer what they see as the best option for each individual car.
This particular M4 fitted with a wide body kit that I have never seen before has the caught my attention.
Following the trend it featured a wide body kit with carbon accents manufactured by PSM Dynamic
Body kit blends nicely with flowing form of the M4 and is a lot more subtle than examples from Liberty Walk.
Later in the day the car's bonnet was open,
which revealed one of the most beautiful engine bays I've ever seen. Eventuri went out of their way to make this state of the art carbon intake and light weight engine cover and apply cherry red accent to make it stand out even further.
Right next to the F82 was the F80 M3 in matte bronze finish, sporting PSM dynamics front lip and rear spoiler.
It was lowered on set of Ferrada wheels, while engine featured similar upgrades to the F80.
The third car in the GT Haus Trio was this absolutely stunning F87 M2.
This was one of the first cars I saw after arriving to Las Vegas Convention center and I was instantly blown away by its aggressive styling and execution.
This car also features PSM Dynamic body kit with carbon front lip and side skirts,
as well as rear wing and diffuser
The exhaust was a new product from Meisterschaft manufactured specifically for the F87 M2.
Under the hood, ECU Tuning group took care of the turbo tune while Eventuri custom built the carbon intake to satisfy the airflow needs of the tuned N55B30T0 motor.
Moving on the 3rd skidpad, where the highlight for all BMW fans was event featuring professional drivers taking passengers sideways in typical for BMW comfort and luxury.
So there we have it, BMW remains a global leader in performance and despite being a luxury brand the Bavarian manufacturer remains loyal to their fans, while, as clearly seen at this year's SEMA show, also remains one of the favorite brand for tuners to explore and customize.
This concludes our BMW@SEMA feature, so please scroll down for more photos and check back soon for more SEMA 2016 coverage.
It is therefore I felt relieved that going to SEMA(Part 1 Part 3 Part 4), proved to be the exact opposite. I felt right at home and it was a damn shame that I couldn't take my car with me.
To cut the long story short, to say that SEMA offers something for everyone would be an understatement, but it is undeniable that it is absolute heaven for BMW enthusiasts.
We start right in the middle of it all - at BMW M Performance booth in South Hall where BMW has prepared several demo cars,
and displayed their newly available M Performance upgrades.
The F87 M2 safety car outfitted with array of M Performance parts and was their flagship car;
The M Performance M3 next to it was an instant hit. It was fitted with new M Performance wheels, new adjustable suspension, and carbon aerodynamic upgrades.
M Performance parts were also fitted under the bonnet. M3 and M4 get this cool carbon engine cover, while 340i and 440i get an ECU tune, intake, and exhaust that will allow additional 35 HP boost.
In addition, the 7 series was presented as luxury solution to the BMW enthusiasts. The car was fitted with variety of M Performance body parts, wheels, suspension and was displayed in beautiful frozen black paint.
Seeing JDM wheels represented by this M2 in the Advan booth made me feel home sick for a moment. On this occasion Rays Wheels did not use BMW to display their products, but there is Tokyo Auto Salon for that. This time they got something else in store which was not any less impressive than a customized M4 on Volks.
Overall, there were plenty BMW's to check out:
From the insanely customized cars scattered all over the show,
to rarities like this race 3.0 CSL, which won several races for BMW in the 70's. Only five of these were ever built.
Even though I didn't have time to stop and chat with any of fellow BMW fans, I knew that the endless rows of cars kept everyone busy.
So allow me to pick out some of the cars that I thought were particularity interesting to a BMW guy visiting from Japan.
Would it be this donked out 4 Series Gran Coupe on 22 inch dubs?
Or the E46 with insane Turbo setup?
To me, the most impressive ones for me were on the outside.
Partially because of the opportunity to shoot cars under the desert sun and surreal back drop of urban Las Vegas.
But mostly because of the cars themselves!
The bright red M3 (something we don't see a whole lot in Japan) built by Las Vegas's own Formula Autohaus was fitted with somewhat familiar Liberty Walk kit. The car is dropped via Accuair E-Level System and HP Drivetech Air Bags on a set of Aristo wheels measuring 295/30/19 Front, 305/30/19 Rear with Rolloface Big Brake Kit hiding behind .
But what was done under the hood, was a whole different ball game. The S65 high revving V8 has been fitted with a Garrett 3582R Turbo via Formula Autohaus built S65 Turbo conversion kit. Further mods include Active Autowerke intake, 1000cc injectors from Injector Dynamics, Turbosmart BOV and wastegates, while all cooling and exhaust are custom built specifically for this car.
The car was also fitted with Recaro Pole Position Seats, M Performance steering wheel, and 6 Point Roll gage.
Overall, this is probably one of the most extreme BMW builds I have ever seen, Having taken something from worlds of stance and performance this is a show car quality build, which is at the same time one hell of a track monster! Yep, that's the way the roll down in Vegas!
By this point it is probably clearly seen that Liberty Walk kits were present in huge numbers on BMW's and other cars (more on that in future posts),
but it were not just the LB kits that were used to widen the stance as more and more companies such as PSM Dynamicare starting to offer what they see as the best option for each individual car.
This particular M4 fitted with a wide body kit that I have never seen before has the caught my attention.
Following the trend it featured a wide body kit with carbon accents manufactured by PSM Dynamic
Body kit blends nicely with flowing form of the M4 and is a lot more subtle than examples from Liberty Walk.
Later in the day the car's bonnet was open,
which revealed one of the most beautiful engine bays I've ever seen. Eventuri went out of their way to make this state of the art carbon intake and light weight engine cover and apply cherry red accent to make it stand out even further.
Right next to the F82 was the F80 M3 in matte bronze finish, sporting PSM dynamics front lip and rear spoiler.
It was lowered on set of Ferrada wheels, while engine featured similar upgrades to the F80.
The third car in the GT Haus Trio was this absolutely stunning F87 M2.
This was one of the first cars I saw after arriving to Las Vegas Convention center and I was instantly blown away by its aggressive styling and execution.
This car also features PSM Dynamic body kit with carbon front lip and side skirts,
as well as rear wing and diffuser
The exhaust was a new product from Meisterschaft manufactured specifically for the F87 M2.
Under the hood, ECU Tuning group took care of the turbo tune while Eventuri custom built the carbon intake to satisfy the airflow needs of the tuned N55B30T0 motor.
Moving on the 3rd skidpad, where the highlight for all BMW fans was event featuring professional drivers taking passengers sideways in typical for BMW comfort and luxury.
So there we have it, BMW remains a global leader in performance and despite being a luxury brand the Bavarian manufacturer remains loyal to their fans, while, as clearly seen at this year's SEMA show, also remains one of the favorite brand for tuners to explore and customize.
This concludes our BMW@SEMA feature, so please scroll down for more photos and check back soon for more SEMA 2016 coverage.