Making its public debut was the Horsepower Freaks M3 with an Asuka Design/Karwerkz widebod
Vegas is open 24 hours a day and has consumed more electricity, money, alcohol and adrenaline than any other city in the States. That's why it's a favorite among tourists and an ideal destination for gatherings like M-Fest, North America's first and only BMW event focused solely on the "M" cars.
M-Fest has two simple rules. One, you can't trailer your car to Vegas; even if it's a show car with a custom turbo. If you own an M, it's meant to be driven!
The second rule is to leave your drama at home. M-Fest doesn't welcome whiners or haters. It's for enthusiasts who want to meet new people, have fun and talk about cars.
These are very easy rules to follow and over 200 "M" owners did just that as they caravanned from Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Oregon, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Texas.
Daily-driven '04 M3 owned by Dru Wang features powdercoated 19x8.5/10.5" Volk CE28 wheels,
It was no shock to discover the E46 M3 dominated the event. But that didn't mean there weren't M Coupes, M5s and M6s in attendance. In fact, several modified examples showed up to add diversity. According to head organizer Chris Naguit, "the caliber of cars was way better this time. I guess people knew what to expect after the first M-Fest."
Surprisingly, M-Fest 2 was planned in the six months following M-Fest 1, which took place in March '08 (et 7/08). Chris decided to organize another event for Labor Day weekend due to the high demand and also to determine whether the attendance would be higher if it took place later in the year. Inevitably, this was difficult to gauge since word spread fast about M-Fest and registration doubled compared to the inaugural event.
Even sponsors such as RPI, Capital Forged, Eurodyne, VF-Engineering and Wheel Power came out in force, transporting their booths for the show and supporting each activity. Host hotel, Red Rock, also lent a hand by blocking out rooms for the participants and reserving an entire floor in the garage for VIP parking.
This '04 M3 has it all: Vorsteiner exterior, evosport headers, Rogue exhaust, GruppeM inta
Caravans And Choppers
Despite the number of all-show and all-go cars that showed up, every vehicle drove to Vegas under its own power. Part of M-Fest's mission was to show what these cars could do on the road and none broke down. This included the eight turbo M3s from Horsepower Freaks, ten supercharged M3s from VF-Engineering and a few more blown examples from ESS and Dinan. All proved reliable, in spite of the high desert temperatures.
Ten caravans traveled from as far as Oregon, Texas and California to converge on Barstow midway between Vegas and LA. Over 100 cars gathered beforing heading to a second stop in Primm, where the convoy regrouped with local Nevada residents.
Primm is a miniature town on the border between CA and NV. It has a handful of hotels and casinos, but is quiet enough to coordinate 200 cars into a procession.
M-Fest fired a helicopter for aerial video!
M-Fest then provided a real treat by chartering a helicopter to fly overhead and video the scene.
The M-Fest procession cruised down a deserted arterial street into Vegas, allowing the group to stick together. All you could see was M cars off into the distance - visit M-Fest's website for the incredible aerial footage.
Since everybody had to drive to and from Vegas, the more energetic drivers partook in the organized cruises as well. This included a Friday-night cruise on the Vegas strip, as well as a spirited journey to Mt Charleston for some Sunday brunch.
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Directly after the car show, M-Fest participants headed to the cabana party at the Red Roc
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Eurodyne model Joanna