#BIMMERMEET3
Words by Knotty Nawadhinsukh
Bimmermeet 3, the third and latest installment of the largest gathering of BMW automobiles in Thailand was held on a Saturday 26th of January. Staged from the afternoon and late into the night on the grounds of Wonder World Fun Park in Bangkok, the meeting saw a staggering number well into several hundreds of vintage and the latest models of BMW, showcasing the heritage of Bavarian’s finest in the Kingdom up to the present day.
Organised by BMWCar Magazine Thailand in conjunction with BMW Group Thailand, the collection that were on show were eclectic—to say the least!
With members from various Thai clubs and communities such as the BMW Society, the BMW Owners Club Thailand, BMW Classic Thailand and several sub-cultures like the BMW E36 Owner’s Club of Thailand, BMW02 Lover Thailand, Club BMW E28, BMW E30 Thailand, the E21 Thailand Club, BMW ///M Club Thailand & Siambimmer plus the younger BMW 1 Series Thailand and the BMW 330e Club Thailand, to name but a few, it was safe to say that Bimmermeet 3 pretty much catered to virtually every BMW enthusiasts from all walks of life once more as in the previous years.
If one was to pick out any particular major highlights from this year’s edition, it would be an exhaustive exercise in its own right. But as an added special feature for this year, BMW Group Thailand provided a special showcase to all Bimmer fans with the appearance of the latest 8, not to mention the line-up of the venerable M cars at BMW’s own display.
The top of the chain plug-in hybrid i8 was of course there, in particular the i8 Roadster recently acquired by Tira Sosothikul. Aptly named “Tongdaeng’ or “Copper” in Thai by its owner and sporting a rear wing, it proved quite to be a crowd-pleaser among the enthusiasts right into the night. This culminated with a parade of outstanding BMWs of each era together with a concert by the well-known local band, Singto Numchok, as the finale.
While the sheer size of the turnout and the many festivities that went on throughout the event, one of the many appeals of being at such a meet is being able to come across so many stories of the cars themselves. One in particular that caught our attention was the recently restored E30 M3 resplendent in Misano Red colour code of Isareit Chirathivat. After a painstaking rebuild that took half a year, the car was completed as per the owner’s desire for a period-correct ‘Sport EVO” look. That meant the the inclusion of the M3 Sport EVO style front air dam and adjustable rear wing with 17 ins BBS LM wheels. Aside from the cosmetics on the outside, Isareit’s E30 now has been upgraded with adjustable coil-over suspension with sway bars and strut tower braces in both front and rear. Underneath the hood and inside the car , the owner went through great lengths to remain faithful with the version, which included managing to source new-old-stock and now discontinued Anthracite M cloth upholstery for the Recaro Sport EVO seats and with alcantara steering wheel.
It is the personal anecdote such as this that really captured the spirit of GRAND TOURING and hence it is hoped that BMW would still stage events such as Bimmermeet, so that such a story along with many of those of other great BMWs would continue in the many years to come.
All Photos by FOC DIGITAL
Special Thanks