As the calendar year draws to an end, the Essen Motor Show comes to conclude the year of European motor shows with numerous tuning, motorsport, and track-race production models. The organizers expect more than 300,000 visitors to come to the exhibition halls at Essen's Grugapark, which will have a wide array of cars and aftermarket products on display, including many from BMW.

The German automaker will bring its latest M Performance parts to Essen, as well as eight vehicles, including the M240i Convertible and the M2 Safety Car. The public will also be able to demonstrate their racing talent at the “DTM M4 Driving Simulator” by following in the tracks of Marco Wittmann, the newly crowned DTM champion.

As for the actual performance parts, BMW will introduce a handful of upgrades for the M3 and M4. First up, there's carbon rear wing made entirely of carbon-fiber with the struts sporting M motorsport stripes in blue, red, and violet, and "Performance" lettering on the sides of the blade. The coupe and sedan will also get an M Performance suspension that will enable drivers to adjust ride height between five and 20 mm (0.2 and 0.8 inches) via a spring plate on the front and rear spring struts. The coil springs are painted red for a motorsport-inspired look. Both the carbon wing and the suspension system will be offered starting summer 2017.

The M3 and M4 will also get something new under the hood. Unfortunately, I'm not talking about power upgrades, but the new carbon engine cover should make a few enthusiasts happy. Made from hand-crafted, high-quality carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic, it will give the M3 and M4 a race-inspired look under the lid.

The BMW booth will also showcase the brand's new M Performance Accessories, including an Alcantara steering wheel with carbon trim and race display, gear selector lever and carbon handbrake grip with Alcantara bellows, 19-inch, double-spoke 405 M Bicolour alloy wheels, black matt rear diffuser, and carbon tailpipe trims. All these parts will be exhibited on an upgraded M240i Convertible model.

Continue reading for the full story.

Why It Matters

Essen might not be as important as Geneva, Paris, or Frankfurt as far as new production cars go, but it's a very significant event for the aftermarket. Therefore, BMW's presence at the German show is extremely important now that premium customers are more into personalizing their cars. With an accessory range of around 1,300 items, ranging from carbon exterior mirror caps to carbon-ceramic brakes, BMW sales figures in Germany are the second highest worldwide, following those in the United States. In 2015, demand in Germany increased by around 15 percent over the previous year and sales are likely to continue to increase with numerous new parts scheduled to go on sale in 2017. Just like SEMA in the U.S., the Essen Motor Show is the perfect environment to display and promote such products.

|