• “NA Heroes” was the theme of Grid Icons’ third chapter three and highlighted the beloved era of naturally aspirated BMW M machinery.
• Industry-aligned partnerships from Akrapovič, AST/MOTON, H&R, and ST Suspensions, along with several exhibiting vendors, elevated the experience for BMW enthusiast attendees.
• The heavy rain gave way to beautiful weather at Shoreline Aquatic Park in Long Beach, California where generations of NA-powered BMWs spiraled out from the iconic lighthouse.
• Each generation was rewarded with a Critic’s Choice Award, while only one took home the coveted Best of Show trophy.

At 7:30 AM, with water dripping from my brow, I turned to face the Queen Mary out at sea and thought about the out-of-town guests who’d shelled out a not-so-insignificant amount of their weekly earnings for a slice of California’s sunrise over Long Beach’s harbor. It was pouring. Aside from the crows looking to coerce worms from their grassy abode, we were the only other animals that stood on Shoreline Aquatic Park grounds that morning. Depending on which way you were facing, dictated what side of your body would take the brunt of the moisture. After parking our two hero cars from BMW Motorsport’s collection—the E92 M3 GT and Z4 GTLM—and working out some of the finer event details with Sam, we both had a worrying look painted on our faces. We had to hope and pray that the nearly 100 curated show cars would brave the weather as we just did.

Relief came in two phases. The first was an umbrella from Frank at ST Suspensions that shielded me from further onslaught. The second was a break in the rain, and with it, a chorus of naturally aspirated BMWs who were queuing in the park’s once vacant lot. The sudden influx was shocking, but our crew’s car show experience made quick work of sorting the filing each of the cars into their respective staging areas. Soon, each generation of naturally aspirated BMWs—starting with the E30—crawled into the space and winded around the lighthouse at the top of the hill. Everything was starting to fall into place.

RAIN OR SHINE

Admittedly, rain has been part of our Cars+Coffee vocabulary for a couple of years; we’ve gotten used to putting on events, rain or shine. But there are never any guarantees that our event attendees would share our viewpoint on Mother Nature’s predilections. Still, the anticipation for NA Heroes has been building for months. With Bimmerfest officially defunct, this was the first time in a long time that the marque’s naturally aspirated cars were able to gather for a single event.

Driving into the show was a spectacle. After crossing the threshold between the parking lot and vendor row, entrants were treated to oceanside views. Cell phones were out trying to capture the scenery as the cars trudged along at a tick over idle. Once through here, the road’s radius tightened dramatically, slowly and magnetically conforming to the beckoning lighthouse at the top of the hill. The E30s had the longest journey to travel; aside from the four generational hero cars—including Jon Sibal’s iconic E36 and Vorsteiner’s “V20” E46 M3—that wrapped tightly around the lighthouse’s base, the first 3-Series M cars were rightfully placed at the summit. Each subsequent generation followed, allowing spectators to understand the evolution of BMWs design language with each step.

WORTH THE WAIT

By the time the show officially started, Mother Nature had run out of rain and the ominous, dark skies gave way to plentiful sunshine. Spectators had their pick of bounty at the Pit+Paddock check-in tent: the official Pit+Paddock event poster, a slew of Pit+Paddock stickers, a small bottle of Griot’s 3-in-1 cleaner, or Leen Custom’s newest creation featuring the Pit+Paddock x Bilstein E91 GTS Tribute Built by PSI.

If the volume of cars wasn’t enough to validate our efforts, the words from show car owners and spectators added valuable praise: “This is the event we’ve been waiting for.” Still, volume was never a core value for any Grid Icons affair; the true purpose of the series was to effectively represent the antithesis of the traditional car show—prioritizing quality over quantity—and help establish a much-needed “gold standard” for the next generation of automotive enthusiasts.

VENDOR ROW

The intent behind having a well-curated vendor row was similar. As more fly-by-night companies came to market, it was important for Grid Icons to put trusted manufacturers, rather than those birthed in basements, in front of enthusiasts. At NA Heroes, these vetted companies—which have been responsible for creating BMW’s strong aftermarket support for decades—had the opportunity to get in front of old and new audiences alike, all within the Grid Icons landscape. Our official partners—Akrapovič, AST/MOTON, H&R, and ST Suspensions—had prominent placement amongst the booths strewn along the pier and each managed to put some mean machines in front: the Pit+Paddock x Bilstein E91 GTS Built by PSI held position between the first two, while Mike Burrough’s E36 sat at the H&R booth, and Alex Bernstein’s E92 M3 and Connie’s E46 M3 flanked the ST tent. Enthusiasts Auto Group, more often referred to as EAG, came through with three impressive cars, all of which met the company’s stringent restoration standards. The brand is freshly resurgent with new ownership and it was an honor to have such an iconic name be a part of NA Heroes.

After our successful pre-meet, GarageWelt set up station at the event too, and our limited edition capsule was readily available, in addition to other GW skate decks and soft goods. SoCal Drivers Club used their physical and digital footprints to give away a free track day during the event. Over the last few years, this connecting point between brands and enthusiasts has been a top priority for our agency, and adding vendor row helped manufacturers directly understand the organic opportunities that Pit+Paddock can create for them moving forward.

BAVARIAN IDOLS

Forward movement was an inspiration for how we chose to lay out the entire show. The two motorsport icons I mentioned earlier—the E92 M3 GT and Z4 GTLM—were the first two cars that anybody saw after walking through the entrance. The placement set the tone for the event, encouraged spectators to walk freely into the park grounds, and marked our valuable collaboration with BMW CCA and BMW Motorsport. At 3 PM, the Z4 GTLM roared to life, putting its P65 V8 on show for a piece of live entertainment. For NA Heroes guests, especially ones who hadn’t had the privilege of watching these on track, this two-car cameo was incredibly special. The freedom to admire them up close was the proverbial cherry on top. It was inevitable that the spectacle brought several new faces to the BMW CCA tent to find out how they could join.

TOP HONORS

Like any good car show, the end of the day brought glory to a select few. Sam, both guys from GarageWelt (Narek and Eric), and I got together to pick the winners. Conveniently enough, there were four Top Honor GarageWelt decks—meaning, we could give one away to each of BMW’s naturally aspirated generations. Each of the four body styles had something different to offer the show, so the winners were judged similarly to Werks Reunion: by subjective merit rather than by a traditional points tally. As a result, the Top Honor awards went to a mixed bag of tasteful mod selection, OEM+ restoration, cleanliness, presence, and overall “cool” factor. Given our priority to select the best of the best, judging was one of the hardest things to do. In the end, we called forward the owner of an Evo-inspired E30 M3, Lawrence’s Dakar Yellow E36 M3 on BBS LMs, a perfectly executed E46 M3-converted touring on HREs, and Sean’s dual-duty E92 M3.

But there was still one thing to doll out: the coveted Best of Show award. For this, it was virtually unanimous: Jeremy Whittle’s E28 540i. The M60-swapped car has been a beacon of style, OEM+ execution, and unrelenting commitment to a platform. As I mentioned in the GarageWelt pre-meet article, that collection and this event were made for the BMW heads. Jeremy is one of those and it’s always shown in his E28.

ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED

NA Heroes was the biggest Grid Icons show to date but more than volume, we achieved something deeper here. Our second effort may have reignited the flame of a largely neglected VW/Audi community, but the third felt like a big family reunion. That’s an important distinction. BMW’s glory years have never gone without recognition; the automotive community has cherished these Bavarian creations since their inception. But the celebrated history of this brand went hand in hand with doors that have opened for us. Owning and modifying these machines somehow brought us closer to people within this unique aftermarket subculture. They became the connecting points to life-long friendships, to automotive careers we never knew truly existed. NA Heroes was just as much a celebration of the cars as it was a nod to all of us.

JUST GETTING STARTED

For as much of an impact as NA Heroes had, the Grid Icons series is far from finished for 2024. Be on the lookout for the next event’s announcement in a handful of weeks. Thank you to our official industry partners—Akrapovič, AST/MOTON, H&R, and ST Suspensions—for supporting this titanic effort, the plethora of vendors that exhibited at the show, the food trucks that kept us fed throughout the day, and to everyone who’s believed in Pit+Paddock’s earnest mission since our very start. It’s truly been an honor to do what we do for the automotive community.

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