• Grid Icons is Pit+Paddock’s new car show formula that highlights a specific genre of performance-themed builds in unique venues.
• The BMW Car Club of America (BMW CCA) is the largest single-marque car club in the world, giving members special access to local and nationwide events to celebrate all things BMW.
• The third Grid Icons chapter called “NA Heroes” partners Pit+Paddock with BMW CCA to celebrate an iconic era of BMW M vehicles.
• Our “NA Heroes” event is bookmarked for March 23, 2024, in Long Beach, California, and promises to be one of the biggest Grid Icons events yet.

The Grid Icons concept started with a very pure idea: to celebrate quality over quantity. Doing so opened up an opportunity to take that even further by hyper-focusing on a specific genre of performance-themed vehicles at each event and matching that enthusiasm with a unique venue.

TWO FOR TWO

Our first Grid Icons started with a JDM staple, the Nissan Skyline GT-R, amassing more than 25 of the nation’s best R32, R33, and R34 generations and over 500 people to admire the packed house of absolute show-stoppers. The second effort aimed at an icon that has long been under-appreciated: the VW and Audi crowd from the ‘80s, ‘90s, and early naughts.

The marques may still be an underdog, but this chapter did more than collect well-executed Euros together — it re-ignited a flame that had long gone dim in the California VW/Audi scene. My point is, that we have two very distinct success stories to tell. So the pressure was on to remix the concept for 2024 with two things in mind: 1.) pick the right manufacturers and models to focus on and 2.) think differently on how to keep Grid Icons fresh.

A TASTE OF BAVARIA

Geographically, we didn’t have to look too far from VW and Audi’s home turf. In truth, it would be an immense oversight if we didn’t recognize BMW in some way, shape, or form; the marque has been one of the more prolific European enthusiast brands, having translated motorsport success into a street car formula that bore the “M” moniker. Pit+Paddock’s affinity for BMW runs deep — many of our staff have at least one of them today — and we relish in the camaraderie, community, and wide-ranging expression of aftermarket potential that often comes with that ownership.

Those three areas led us to the perfect evolutionary opportunity: to align the third Grid Icons chapter with the largest single-marque car club in the world, the BMW Car Club of America. With over 70,000 members, the club’s zeal for Bavaria couldn’t be a more perfect pair. The partnership allows us to engage with generations of BMW — both in terms of the cars themselves and the owners that drive them — and create a unique environment that blends the two harmoniously.

NOT THE FIRST TIME

In practice, it wouldn’t be the first time that Pit+Paddock has been a proponent of the brand. The Pit+Paddock x Bilstein E91 GTS Tribute built by PSI substantiates our deep enthusiasm for BMW. The car helped fill a long-standing M3 wagon void here in the United States all while benchmarking the E92 M3 GTS’s performance with the best from the aftermarket.

For BMW CCA, we made a pilgrimage to celebrate the club’s 50th anniversary in South Carolina back in 2019 and have been largely responsible for building its Dream Car Raffle grand prize for the last four years.

The opportunity to do an event like this, then, has come from years of constructing a relationship with our agency built upon our ability to create vital connecting points with the modern enthusiasts and the measured success of our efforts.

NA HEROES

The respect that we hold for BMW’s M division today has a lot to do with the reputation it built over its first 40 years. Within this time, BMW M’s signature recipe started with a necessary ingredient — naturally aspirated engines — and peppered in rear-wheel drive, 50/50 weight distribution, and the parent company’s long-standing pedigree for creating the Ultimate Driving Machine. To celebrate BMW M’s foundational achievements through the Grid Icons lens, we’re excited to announce the arrival of “NA Heroes”, a curated assemblage of BMW’s best naturally-aspirated M cars like the M1, M3, M5, and M6.

Save March 23, 2024, in your calendars. This “NA Heroes” Grid Icons event in Long Beach, California will be our most ambitious to date and we’re looking forward to sharing more details about the event soon.

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