• The Pit+Paddock x Bilstein E91 GTS Tribute Built by PSI flexes the best from the automotive aftermarket and highlights Bilstein, Akrapovič, MOTUL, and StopTech components among others.
• While many have been relegated to admiring the build via social media, its East Coast tour stop at Bimmer Invasion Orlando enabled avid BMW fans to get a glimpse of the wagon up close.
• In its fourth year running, Bimmer Invasion has sought to organize BMW-centric events across the country to corral enthusiasts together to celebrate the marque.

Playing it safe has never been part of Pit+Paddock’s lexicon, but frankly, great things have always required more than a fair share of risk. As the name would suggest, Pit+Paddock x Bilstein E91 GTS Tribute Built by PSI, the effort has been an amalgamation of minds, engineering, and hard labor. Aside from us starting the car after arduous exertion from Precision Sport Industries (PSI), the project wasn’t an easy one to complete. To its credit, the Florida-based shop managed to deliver a turn-key OEM+ tribute that recreated the spirit of the E92 M3 GTS in a wagon’s form factor.

Part of that transformation involved fitting a Carbahn 4.6-liter S65 V8 stroker engine, and with it, a new differential and freshly serviced transmission. The transplant received some of MOTUL’s finest elixirs during the installation—300V 10W60 engine oil and 75W-140 gear oil—but now that our wagon has logged a decent amount of miles, it was time to perform the E91 GTS Tribute’s break-in service. Since the car was already on the East coast, it made sense that it’d make the trek back down to PSI to receive all the care it needed.

PERFECT TIMING

As luck would have it, one of the biggest BMW gatherings in the country was happening in the same week as the E91 GTS Tribute’s planned service. Orlando would be the host city for Florida’s Bimmer Invasion event, which was just over 30 minutes from PSI’s home base. In what began as an idea during COVID, Bimmer Invasion has evolved to organize well-attended, BMW-centric events across the country that corral enthusiasts together to celebrate the marque.

It has, without a doubt, attracted a field dominated by newer models. But there was still plenty of old-school cool that made the trek, too. Regardless of where your preference lies, it was fascinating to see how far the marque has evolved and how frighteningly fast some of the newest Bavarian machinery could become with a few bolt-ons.

Since a crucial element of the Pit+Paddock x Bilstein E91 GTS Tribute Built by PSI project has been to allow avid car fans to enjoy and experience the wagon in person, our attendance was a no-brainer and we looked forward to mingling.

PRIME REAL ESTATE

Real estate is a sensitive topic up here in the Northeast, but premium placement was secured without much fuss. Flanked by some of the biggest names in the industry—BBS, AST/MOTON, CSF, and PSI—the wagon’s Fire Orange hue helped draw the Floridian crowd in while all the meticulous handiwork and aftermarket add-ons compelled them to stay awhile.

RAIN, RAIN GO AWAY

While a conventional car show might have been spoiled by rain, the downpour allowed us to show off an important party trick: the Ceramic Pro KAVACA PPF. As the weather event continued to pummel the Invasion grounds, the Pit+Paddock x Bilstein E91 GTS Tribute Built by PSI seemed to shrug it off, beading away the moisture as the boffins at Ceramic Pro intended.

TAKE REFUGE

Mercifully for most, Bimmer Invasion had an indoor section that housed plenty more cars to admire. I was particularly fond of this E31 8-series that adopted an equation that can’t go wrong: CSi front fascia and mirrors, deep dished wheels, and slammed (tastefully) to the ground.

Truthfully, a lot of the cars that caught my eye inside seemed to be red. A showroom-quality E30 M3 looked the business and Vorsteiner used the event as an opportunity to pull the cover off of its new G87 M2 program. The show car was fully fitted with every imaginable piece and was the subject of a camera phone onslaught the entire time thereafter.

WHERE TO NEXT

We’ve got a lot planned for the Pit+Paddock x Bilstein E91 GTS Tribute Built by PSI and it doesn’t end on its East Coast tour. You’ll have to stay tuned to see where the wagon ends up next, but we promise it’ll be worth the wait. Still, we couldn’t be happier to make our inaugural visit to Bimmer Invasion. The Pit+Paddock x Bilstein E91 GTS Tribute Built by PSI was unanimously heralded at the show and it was an immense pleasure to put it front and center for current and aspiring BMW enthusiasts to admire.

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