May 03 2008   Story: Bryan Joslin

Thousands of rabid BMW enthusiasts once again flooded the Earl Warren Showgrounds in sunny Santa Barbara, California, filling every available parking space. As usual the atmosphere was very laid back, with people and cars constantly shuffling.

Numerous vendors filled the lawns and indoor spaces, showing off their latest wares and projects. Surprisingly, there was only a handful of new 1 Series cars on hand, and the majority of those were parked in vendor stands. The silver-with-gold-wheels 135i coupe from EuroTuner magazine was the only one that really stood out. Also absent were many new M3s. Apparently those lucky few first owners had better things to do with their Saturday than show off their new toys.

We could go on with a bunch more words about the show, but we know all you really care about are the pictures. Lucky for you our camera was snapping all day long. Click the gallery link to see the fruits of our labor.