Roadster Homecoming...What a disappointment!!!

Z FORE · 08-30-2008, 03:23 PM

Before I get flamed, let me explain. I was not registered, so I just drove up for the day. It's just 3 hours each way so no big deal. Besides wanting to see what others have done to their Z4 roadsters, I wanted to check out the vendor area to see what was out there for accessories. You know, wheels, aero kits, etc. I was extremely disappointed to see about 7 vendors there. A dent removal guy, clear bra folks, rock chip repair dudes, rim cleaner guy, LeatherZ (they had some cool stuff), and a Dinan affiliated BMW dealership represented Dinan (cool guys). That's it! No wheel, tire, aero kit, or other type of accessory vendors. I must admit the last time I was at a car event was SEMA a couple of years back...and EVERYONE is there. I wasn't expecting a SEMA type event, but I thought there might be a demo car from Hamann, AC Schnitzer or the like. Nothing.

I was also very surprised that I did not see 1 Z3 or Z4 with any type of aero kits (maybe OEM ones) and very few even had aftermarket wheels.

Is this typical of Z owners?

I did meet some very nice people and saw about 600 Z's in one place, which was cool. I am sure if you are there for 2-3 days and tour the factory, drive the track, go on the group road trip, attend the dinner and auction you get a lot more out of the event. I didn't do any of that so my comments are just about a daily visit!

BlackSapphireZ · 08-30-2008, 09:48 PM

u gotta realize, most Z owners are retired... they don't wann fucks with bodykits and shit like that...

i personally am against body kits and aftermarket anything on the BMW.

jamboMR · 08-30-2008, 10:30 PM

I am nowhere near retirement age but I do appreciate clean lines and factory engineering so not really into the modding scene myself either

wrh3 · 08-30-2008, 10:47 PM

Yeah, my wife and I drove up today too, about 2 hours each way. When we got there and found out we really couldn't do anything without being registered (even getting in the panoramic picture which was really all I expected/wanted to do), we left to come home. There were at least 4 other couples with the same standby status that were turned away while we were at the registration table.

ianbiz · 08-31-2008, 12:09 AM

Most Z4 owners are between the ages of 35-59 and this is primarily their third car.

But, I see why you would be a bit on the downside. How was the weather on the cruise?

epbrown · 08-31-2008, 02:49 AM

I don't know why you'd expect that stuff at Homecoming - you don't see it here, either.

Offhand the only person I can think of with any aftermarket bits is Rom3n with his ACS bits. There simply isn't alot of demand for it.

OH FO SHO · 08-31-2008, 04:12 AM

come to california

Dammmittt · 08-31-2008, 09:27 AM

I think you also need to realize that this is the last Z4 homecoming in SC, and a lot of vendors are looking to the future Z4.

Z FORE · 08-31-2008, 02:38 PM

I wasn't thinking it was going to be a moded out "carshow", but out of 600 cars maybe there were 10 with some sort of exterior accessories. I wasn't even looking for a body kit b/c I prefer the lines of the car now, I was just surprised that people are passionate enough about their Z to drive from Canada or California, but not passionate enough to personalize it. Just seemed kinda wierd to me.

Z FORE · 08-31-2008, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dammmittt

I think you also need to realize that this is the last Z4 homecoming in SC, and a lot of vendors are looking to the future Z4.

I talked to a guy that had been there the last 9 years and he said there has never been a good vendor turnout. I guess that's why BMW never put a list of vendors on the Homecoming website.

ianbiz · 08-31-2008, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OH FO SHO

come to california

California has everything.

GH41 · 08-31-2008, 06:52 PM

"California has everything"
And you can keep a lot of it there! GH

ianbiz · 08-31-2008, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GH41

"California has everything"
And you can keep a lot of it there! GH

I'm in Florida, only 1 state separating us

vicj · 08-31-2008, 07:41 PM

I went last year and was let down by the low number of vendors. I had planned on attending this year too, but when I called Dinan, and they let me know they weren't bringing anything new, I decided to skip it.

Z FORE · 08-31-2008, 08:13 PM

I did get an update on my Dinan software there, but that was the highlight.

ovrkll · 08-31-2008, 08:47 PM

HC is about the friendship and camaraderie amongst people that share the same passion,,,, DRIVING! It is not a car show for the tuner crowd! If you want aftermarket bits, go to NOPI and hang with people that are usually all show and no go. Most of us bought this car specifically because we no longer wanted to have to mod it to perform or look good. If you really want a Z that you can mod the hell out of, get a Z3. There were massive amounts of them available for viewing at the ES parking lot. From body kits to superchargers/turbos, they were there. The Z4 has very little demand for aftermarket items, partially due to cost and the fact that there are really not a lot of Z4's on the road compared to Honda's.

BTW, you were quick to point out that no aftermarket cars were there,,,,,guess you ignored the ALL carbon fiber coupe from TC Kline that was in attendance

End of Rant

Z FORE · 09-01-2008, 07:43 AM

I didn't see EVERY car. There were about 600 cars there. And I have said it about 3 times, but I wasn't expecting to see a NOPI style event. I was just making a comment that I was surprised. I was just disappointed the vendors did not show up to support the event.

There are a lot of vendors between the Z3 and Z4 to attend. Maybe BMW charged too much to participate?

20Ducks · 09-01-2008, 07:43 AM

Jeez, didn't make the effort to register (sold out in 41 minutes) on registration day and then expected the same benefits as those who did? Didn't yo Daddy teach you better? If you would have mingled more and looked more and asked members that had badges more you would have learned more. Showing up the way you did, I'm surprised someone didn't show you an exit ramp the hard way.

I had a great time and spent very little time with my or anyone else's car. This is about meeting up with old friends and making new friends. Looks to me you accomplished neither.

rosierobins2003 · 09-01-2008, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GH41

"California has everything"
And you can keep a lot of it there! GH

Hey, HEY, lets play nicely.

Rosie

20Ducks · 09-01-2008, 07:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rosierobins2003

Hey, HEY, lets play nicely.

Rosie

I always play nicely, especially for you Rosie. Hello....again!!

rosierobins2003 · 09-01-2008, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 20Ducks

I always play nicely, especially for you Rosie. Hello....again!!

Yah, nice to run into you again....I was about to say, and you beat me.

Thinking you are saying that you get out of the meet the attitude you come in with...true, so true.

Rosie

caseysc · 09-01-2008, 11:22 AM

I registered and attended and participated in the driving event. It was my first HC. My feelings:

1. Class act. Reception on Friday evening was much more than expected. Open bar for two hours, great buffet, and a very good band.
2. Attended the Performance Driving Center sessions (5 out of 6). There were no Z4s to drive. Huge disappointment for me. But driving the high powered non-Zs was still fun.
3. Vendor participation did not meet my expectations, or even get close.
4. Enjoyed looking at the cars of some of the major forum contributors and got a chance to place some faces w/handles.
5. We did not attend any of the other events and instead chose to visit downtown Greenville, which was very entertaining.

Overall, I would rate the total experience as a 7 on a 10 point scale. I was told by the BMW CCA rep that Octoberfest will be held there next year. I am planning to attend.

08-30-2008, 03:23 PM	#1
Z FORE Private First Class 15 Rep 184 Posts Drives: 2010 E93 Convertible Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: South Carolina iTrader: (0)	Roadster Homecoming...What a disappointment!!! Before I get flamed, let me explain. I was not registered, so I just drove up for the day. It's just 3 hours each way so no big deal. Besides wanting to see what others have done to their Z4 roadsters, I wanted to check out the vendor area to see what was out there for accessories. You know, wheels, aero kits, etc. I was extremely disappointed to see about 7 vendors there. A dent removal guy, clear bra folks, rock chip repair dudes, rim cleaner guy, LeatherZ (they had some cool stuff), and a Dinan affiliated BMW dealership represented Dinan (cool guys). That's it! No wheel, tire, aero kit, or other type of accessory vendors. I must admit the last time I was at a car event was SEMA a couple of years back...and EVERYONE is there. I wasn't expecting a SEMA type event, but I thought there might be a demo car from Hamann, AC Schnitzer or the like. Nothing. I was also very surprised that I did not see 1 Z3 or Z4 with any type of aero kits (maybe OEM ones) and very few even had aftermarket wheels. Is this typical of Z owners? I did meet some very nice people and saw about 600 Z's in one place, which was cool. I am sure if you are there for 2-3 days and tour the factory, drive the track, go on the group road trip, attend the dinner and auction you get a lot more out of the event. I didn't do any of that so my comments are just about a daily visit!
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08-30-2008, 09:48 PM	#2
BlackSapphireZ Major 99 Rep 1,191 Posts Drives: 22 GLE 53 Coupe Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Ladson, SC iTrader: (0)	u gotta realize, most Z owners are retired... they don't wann fucks with bodykits and shit like that... i personally am against body kits and aftermarket anything on the BMW. __________________ 2022 GLE 53 Coupe
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08-30-2008, 10:30 PM	#3
jamboMR Private First Class 9 Rep 192 Posts Drives: Z4MR sold sniff sniff Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: San Francisco / UK / Australia iTrader: (0)	I am nowhere near retirement age but I do appreciate clean lines and factory engineering so not really into the modding scene myself either
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08-30-2008, 10:47 PM	#4
wrh3 Car Guy 34 Rep 798 Posts Drives: BMW M2, Alfa Romeo Giulia/4C Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: ATL, GA iTrader: (10)	Yeah, my wife and I drove up today too, about 2 hours each way. When we got there and found out we really couldn't do anything without being registered (even getting in the panoramic picture which was really all I expected/wanted to do), we left to come home. There were at least 4 other couples with the same standby status that were turned away while we were at the registration table. __________________ Bill- 2024 M2 www.billswebspace.com/bmwindex BMW CCA Member # 389948
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08-31-2008, 12:09 AM	#5
ianbiz Back in a BMW 205 Rep 5,208 Posts Drives: 2015 335i Msport Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Dallas, TX iTrader: (8)	Most Z4 owners are between the ages of 35-59 and this is primarily their third car. But, I see why you would be a bit on the downside. How was the weather on the cruise? __________________ Ian
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08-31-2008, 02:49 AM	#6
epbrown Colonel 61 Rep 2,128 Posts Drives: BMW M Coupe, Porsche Boxster S Join Date: May 2007 Location: Chicago, IL iTrader: (0)	I don't know why you'd expect that stuff at Homecoming - you don't see it here, either. Offhand the only person I can think of with any aftermarket bits is Rom3n with his ACS bits. There simply isn't alot of demand for it.
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08-31-2008, 04:12 AM	#7
OH FO SHO Captain 16 Rep 615 Posts Drives: z4 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: california iTrader: (0)	come to california __________________ '03 3.0i z4: tiag ext., red int., SMG, sport, premium HAMANN exhaust l HAMANN front lip l 19" Miro type 366 (HAMANN edition race replicas) l RPI air scoop l KW v2 coilovers *-MY PICTURE THREAD-*
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08-31-2008, 09:27 AM	#8
Dammmittt My favorite sign. 169 Rep 4,333 Posts Drives: 2007 M Coupe Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Der Autobahnen iTrader: (0)	I think you also need to realize that this is the last Z4 homecoming in SC, and a lot of vendors are looking to the future Z4. __________________ 07 ///M Coupe (Premium Package) Black Saphire Ext. Imola Red Int. Best Website EVER!
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08-31-2008, 02:38 PM	#9
Z FORE Private First Class 15 Rep 184 Posts Drives: 2010 E93 Convertible Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: South Carolina iTrader: (0)	I wasn't thinking it was going to be a moded out "carshow", but out of 600 cars maybe there were 10 with some sort of exterior accessories. I wasn't even looking for a body kit b/c I prefer the lines of the car now, I was just surprised that people are passionate enough about their Z to drive from Canada or California, but not passionate enough to personalize it. Just seemed kinda wierd to me.
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08-31-2008, 06:52 PM	#12
GH41 New Member 0 Rep 27 Posts Drives: Z4 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: South Carolina iTrader: (0)	"California has everything" And you can keep a lot of it there! GH
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08-31-2008, 07:41 PM	#14
vicj First Lieutenant 10 Rep 316 Posts Drives: '06 M Roadster; 2010 Mini Join Date: May 2008 Location: Maryland iTrader: (0)	I went last year and was let down by the low number of vendors. I had planned on attending this year too, but when I called Dinan, and they let me know they weren't bringing anything new, I decided to skip it.
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08-31-2008, 08:13 PM	#15
Z FORE Private First Class 15 Rep 184 Posts Drives: 2010 E93 Convertible Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: South Carolina iTrader: (0)	I did get an update on my Dinan software there, but that was the highlight.
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08-31-2008, 08:47 PM	#16
ovrkll Lieutenant 8 Rep 412 Posts Drives: Interlagos Blue Z4M Join Date: May 2007 Location: McDonough, GA iTrader: (0)	HC is about the friendship and camaraderie amongst people that share the same passion,,,, DRIVING! It is not a car show for the tuner crowd! If you want aftermarket bits, go to NOPI and hang with people that are usually all show and no go. Most of us bought this car specifically because we no longer wanted to have to mod it to perform or look good. If you really want a Z that you can mod the hell out of, get a Z3. There were massive amounts of them available for viewing at the ES parking lot. From body kits to superchargers/turbos, they were there. The Z4 has very little demand for aftermarket items, partially due to cost and the fact that there are really not a lot of Z4's on the road compared to Honda's. BTW, you were quick to point out that no aftermarket cars were there,,,,,guess you ignored the ALL carbon fiber coupe from TC Kline that was in attendance End of Rant
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09-01-2008, 07:43 AM	#17
Z FORE Private First Class 15 Rep 184 Posts Drives: 2010 E93 Convertible Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: South Carolina iTrader: (0)	I didn't see EVERY car. There were about 600 cars there. And I have said it about 3 times, but I wasn't expecting to see a NOPI style event. I was just making a comment that I was surprised. I was just disappointed the vendors did not show up to support the event. There are a lot of vendors between the Z3 and Z4 to attend. Maybe BMW charged too much to participate?
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09-01-2008, 07:43 AM	#18
20Ducks Lieutenant 28 Rep 403 Posts Drives: 2011 e93 335i w/M pkge Join Date: May 2007 Location: Shawnee Mission, KS iTrader: (0)	Jeez, didn't make the effort to register (sold out in 41 minutes) on registration day and then expected the same benefits as those who did? Didn't yo Daddy teach you better? If you would have mingled more and looked more and asked members that had badges more you would have learned more. Showing up the way you did, I'm surprised someone didn't show you an exit ramp the hard way. I had a great time and spent very little time with my or anyone else's car. This is about meeting up with old friends and making new friends. Looks to me you accomplished neither. __________________ back by popular demand...
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09-01-2008, 11:22 AM	#22
caseysc Second Lieutenant 10 Rep 274 Posts Drives: 2010 128i Conv. Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Aiken, SC iTrader: (0) Garage List 2005 Z4 2.5i [8.00]	HC was a bit of a disappointment I registered and attended and participated in the driving event. It was my first HC. My feelings: 1. Class act. Reception on Friday evening was much more than expected. Open bar for two hours, great buffet, and a very good band. 2. Attended the Performance Driving Center sessions (5 out of 6). There were no Z4s to drive. Huge disappointment for me. But driving the high powered non-Zs was still fun. 3. Vendor participation did not meet my expectations, or even get close. 4. Enjoyed looking at the cars of some of the major forum contributors and got a chance to place some faces w/handles. 5. We did not attend any of the other events and instead chose to visit downtown Greenville, which was very entertaining. Overall, I would rate the total experience as a 7 on a 10 point scale. I was told by the BMW CCA rep that Octoberfest will be held there next year. I am planning to attend.
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