Big SoCal Euro Details:
The expression "location, location, location" can apply to a variety of things, especially when it comes to events. Quite frankly, anything in the city of San Diego will be spot on with its excellent year-round weather, legit Mexican food, and extensive beaches. Throw in a car show like Big SoCal Euro and you're guaranteed to have a good time.
This year the show returned to Qualcomm Stadium, home of the NFL's Chargers, which local San Diegans dub "The Q." It just made sense to host it at the Q with the massive attendance SoCal Euro gets ever year.
Like many car shows, Big SoCal Euro's origins can be traced to an informal car meet at a mall back in 2002 as SoCal VW and SoCal Audi. Later that year it became the Big SoCal Euro to incorporate all European car enthusiasts. Founder Lon Mok probably didn't plan on it but in the span of a few years it became one of the largest West Coast European car events displaying the hottest Euros around. Caravans sprung up all across California, kicking off from cities such as Santa Monica, Costa Mesa, Temecula and others. An estimated 3,000 to 3,500 cars came this year.
Previous years they had a driving clinic, but new for 2013 and this 2014 there was a drag racing session. This year's drag racing was hosted by HG Motors. For just $30 you can drag race all day - if your car passes tech inspection, that is. Of course it was open to all makes and models, but the fastest European car of the day took home a Borla Exhaust sponsorship.
A good car show always has raffles and the prizes at Big SoCal Euro were too hard to resist. Toyo Tires gave away a set of tires, EuroCode offered an APR ECU flash, Borla exhausts, Neuspeed lowering spring kits, and HRE with a set of FF01 FlowForm wheels.
There's no doubting the new M3 and M4 are extremely sexy and there was no shortage of them at SoCal Euro. Aero and wheel producer Vorsteiner had a great display of cars, especially its McLaren MP4-12C with carbon fiber pieces. You couldn't miss Darren Woo's custom widebody Porsche at the Toyo booth. We're told that the guys at LTMW built that car in four days.
The Big SoCal Euro meet will go down as one of the highlights of the summer. You can't beat a location like San Diego; add in some great cars and good company and you have one hell of an event.