2022 has been quite a year for BMW M, and rightfully so having garnered countless enthusiasts over the past 50 years of its existence. It’s no surprise then that peppered throughout the calendar year we’ve seen special events organized all throughout the world in honor of this milestone – celebrating 50 years of BMW M – and at the center of it all you’ll find that the attendees of these events are true enthusiasts that love the cars, the culture, and the feeling of being united under the most powerful letter in the world: ///M
Naturally when BMW CCA decided to host a 50 years of BMW M celebration in Seattle I had to attend, and I’m glad I did! Hosted at The Shop in collaboration with BMW Seattle, we gathered together like it was some sort of yearly automotive pilgrimage. As owners pulled into the venue we all would stop and take in the new arrival, do an obligatory head nod, smile, and proceed to talk about the M car in our sights while sipping coffee and eating the delicious breakfast that was provided by The Derby restaurant.
M beauties spanning almost all generations were present, but the one that basically made EVERYONE stop and stare was undoubtedly the stunning BMW 3.0 CSL “Batmobile.” This all original rarity owned by Mr. Peter Gleeson is but 1 of 57 examples produced and it is a pristine example of BMW M history. If you’re into M cars, then this is essentially what amounts to rolling art and we were all in awe. After we all collectively picked our jaws off the ground we were treated to a fun raffle hosted by BMW CCA with multiple prizes, accompanied by some adorable dogs that made a special appearance.
Of course a lot of car talk was had amongst owners and fans alike, many photos were taken, a lot of pointing and explaining took place as well, and every now and then someone would gasp and then immediately dive into how the E39 M5 in LeMans Blue cemented their love for the M brand (ok so it was me, I was that person, give me a break) E30’s were present too, as well as a stunning Japan import left-hand-drive E36 M3 with…
