With A Parking Lot Filled With Mercs And A Beer In Every Hand, the First Annual Orange County Mercedes-Benz/AMG Oktoberfest Was Truly An Ideal Oktoberfest - Eurotuner Magazine
Imagine this: you're driving along minding your own business when out of nowhere a convoy of Mercedes-Benz rolls past. And you can't help but be amazed at the numbers and quality. And just as fast as they showed up, they disappear over the horizon. Where were they headed? More than likely they were on their way to the First Annual Orange County Mercedes-Benz/AMG Oktoberfest Meet in Irvine, CA.
"There are 15 different Mercedes forums online with most members residing here in southern California. I thought it would be a great idea to have everybody come out and meet each other," said Carlos Munoz, the mastermind of the event. On Saturday October 15, over 175 cars filled the parking lot of TiaJuana's Bar & Grill restaurant. The weather was picture perfect and the atmosphere very laid back. It wasn't a car show, so there was no pressure for trophies. After all, it was an Oktoberfest.
One of the most impressive cars in attendance was a classic '61 190SL that had been restored and babied by Bill Ainsworth. The interior was amazing, with tan leather and wood trim. Others, like Josh Richards, preferred a modern machine and brought his supercharged '01 CLK 430 Convertible. His company, House of Power, developed the world's first Vortech supercharger kit for the car. It currently runs at 10psi boost pressure and produces 350hp to the wheel. Displayed next to it was another CLK 430 belonging to Josh Keaton, outfitted with the same kit.
The wildest car was easily Jerry Lin's'03 C32 (et 1/06). It sports a custom DTM widebody, performance parts that boost power over 400hp and a killer sound system.
Another car that gained a lot of popularity was the only Smart Car in attendance. The appeal was its compact size and the fuel efficiency of its 44hp engine. This example was black with marble graphics.
Although this wasn't a show, they had several giveaways that included free dyno pulls at the House of Power, Meguiar's cleaning products, plates from europlates.com and much more.
Regarding the long title of the gathering, Carlos assures us next year's will be shorter. "The gathering wasn't just a meet and greet; it was a preliminary test for next year's Benzfest," he said. That's right, you heard correctly. As Bimmerfest is to BMW and Waterfest is to VW, Benzfest will be to Mercedes. Carlos plans to have vendors, giveaways and raffles, along with food and possibly a charity fundraiser. Visit www.thebenzgroup.org for more info.