Making a commercial at Munich Evolution

My buddy Steve stopped by today from Montesa Entertainment http://www.facebook.com/pages/Montesa-Entertainment/162040889519 Steve and I have worked together over the years, and we have always spoken about making a commercial or ad for Munich Evolution http://munichevo.com and we finally hooked up to work on one. Being a 1-man show is sometimes tough to put everything together when marketing and branding a business. I have reached a point where I feel that we have secured a very solid position in the specialty market, and earned an excellent reputation within the enthusiast automotive community, and now it's time to reach out to the mass markets, and the development of an ad/commercial is one of the next moves for the shop. Steve has done some amazing work in the past, and can capture the style and feel that I am looking for when producing my advertising media. As Steve brought in his equipment, I arranged the 1973 BMW 3.0 CSL, 2000 BMW Z8 and the 1980 BMW M1 for the shoot. We wanted to capture the feel of the shop, and express the direction behind Munich Evolution. Steve captured some amazing aspects of the 3.0, and then filmed me speaking about the story of Munich Evolution. We shot for about 4+ hours, and got some great images. Steve e-mailed me a rough cut, and I am very happy with the results. Steve is having a custom soundtrack created for the video, and it should be done by the end of the week, or early next week. I am very excited to see the results. I am very excited about taking the exposure of the shop to another level, and exposing Munich Evolution to the world. We have taken the development of our shop very seriously, and done everything in our power to earn one of the best reputations in the automotive industry, and will continue to keep striving for perfection into the future. Check out our yelp reviews. We have 15 of 15 5-Star reviews http://www.yelp.com/biz/munich-evolution-seattle Follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/BMWmotorsports?ref=hl

A trip to the LeMay Museum in Tacoma

You can never get to attached to a car, because most of the time, they come and go, but sometimes one really sticks out, and you wish you could keep it, like, this amazing 1993 Jaguar XJ 220s http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaguar_XJ220 . 1-of 6 ever built in the world. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pd3mSLrD7ek This one in particular was purchased by my business partner Peter about a year ago. The XJ 220s is a 700hp, Twin Turbo 6 with custom Titanium exhaust, Magnesium wheels, Lamborghini Reventon Matte Gray paint, and around 4K original miles. Pete let me drive the car the day it rolled off the transport, but traffic was so bad, that I really did not have a chance to see what it could do, although when I got off the freeway, I was finally able to hit boost coming out of first, and it was one of those feeling you really want to experience again, and again. The other time I drove it was when I needed to take it to Group 2 http://www.group2inc.com/ in Ballard http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballard,_Seattle , and I finally was able to get it moving a little quicker, but again, nothing that exciting for what this 200mph+ car is capable of. You would really need to take it on the track to put this car to the test, which I sadly was unable to do, and now the car has been sold, so I won't really have another chance, but I did get to drive a car, that most people will never see in their lives, which is amazing. My business partner just had the car on loan to the new LeMay Museum http://www.lemaymuseum.org/ in Tacoma http://www.cityoftacoma.org/ , and since the car has recently been sold, we needed to pick it up and get it ready for transport. I had never seen the museum yet, so I offered to drive Pete down so he could pick it up. My friend Brad from Deluxe Auto Detail http://www.deluxeautodetail.com/Deluxe_Auto_Detail/Deluxe_Auto_Detail.html and Joe came down as well, as they were interested in having another look at the XJ 220s, and viewing the new museum as well.

Here are a few images I took while we were given a quick tour of the new facility. Amazing structure, and some very rare and beautiful cars. As you can see from my shots, I love cars, but European cars are more of my passion. There are mostly American cars at the museum, but they have a whole hallway dedicated to Ferrari, and that is where most of my images are from.

Munich Evolution: http://www.munichevo.com/ or follow us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/BMWmotorsports

Hope you enjoy.

" Save a Beemer "

So, I came up with a new idea, and wanted to know what you guys think. The idea is "Save a Beemer" A program where we find BMW's that need to be rescued and restored, with the funding coming from "Kickstarter" http://www.kickstarter.com/ and once the car has been restored, we will sell the car on an eBay auction, and donate the proceeds to charity. We would use all local shops and craftsman in the area to complete the projects and support the community to stimulate the local economy, while saving classic BMW's and contributing to local charities. We could apply this process to all makes and models as well, and would be interested in partnering with others in your own community to start your own programs. With each sponsorship or donation, your name would be added on the inside of the hood of the car, as a token of our appreciation. If you donate the car, you choose the charity. What do you think? Please share your comments. Follow us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/BMWmotorsports Thank you. Matt LaCross of Munich Evolution. http://www.munichevo.com/

1991 Porsche 911 C4 on eBay

Munich Evolution offers the sale and consignment of locally owned BMW Motorsport, Porsche and Exotic vehicles. Currently accepting vehicles for consignment sales. Please contact: Matt LaCross 206-898-5418 or visit us on-line at http://www.munichevo.com We offer 100% disclosure on all of our vehicles, including a complete 3rd party mechanical inspection at no additional cost. Copy of inspection available upon request. We have 15 of 15 5-Star reviews on Yelp. Please visit http://www.yelp.com/seattle.com and search Munich Evolution. [Please view "Filtered" reviews for complete listing. Follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/BMWmotorsports Now available on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/C4-/281002848984?forcev4exp=true This 1991 Porsche 911/964 Coupe has just been placed for sale by the current local owner/PCA Member. Grand Prix White exterior with Cashmere Beige interior, 70K miles, New clutch and flywheel, (993 push button rears), Sunroof, Brombacher Works 17" wheels [ some curb rash and clear coat fade on lips], Bilstein PSS9s , New slotted rotors/rebuilt calipers/pads, Euro RS sway bars, All new bushings, KN cone, Steve Wong chip, Strut Brace, Secondary Fabspeed bypass, Cashmere leather 993 seats, Coco Mats, New front windshield, Most of the rubber parts/seals/etc. replaced, Focal speakers and separate amp, No door dings, Non Smoker, No kids, No pets. My client is reluctantly selling his 911 for capital to invest into his business. This is a very well maintained 911 with excellent service history with books and records, and 2-main keys with original key chain. Copy of complete 3rd party mechanical inspection available from Aker's Porsche. VIN Posted at dealer. Munich Evolution 950 North 135th Street Seattle Washington 98133. OPEN: 10-6 Monday-Saturday Phone: 206-898-5418 BMW CCA Member / PCA Member. Current Washington State Automotive Dealer.

Buying a car 101: Don't trust Carfax....

Buying a car 101: Don't trust Carfax. I have so many clients who have been scared by the Carfax marketing efforts, about making sure you have a Carfax when buying a car, and so many people who buy a good number of cars will tell you, don't trust the report when buying a car. It will not tell you if you are buying a good car, and in most cases, there is information that is not correct on the report

, from false claims, odometer errors etc. The best way, in my opinion, when you are looking at buying a car is to have a full 3rd party mechanical inspection performed, as well as a 3rd party body inspection. After 7-years in the automotive business, I have never had one car returned due to a faulty diagnosis, or misrepresenting a vehicle. As an enthusiast, this is the most effective way of seeing what you are actually getting when purchasing a car, not just information on a piece of paper. I want to know what the car is doing today. Period. Don't ever buy a car the day you look at it either. Dealers pray on clients who make irrational decisions, and that is what you will be doing if you get caught up in the excitement of buying a car, and that is how most people get burned when buying a car. Slow down, do your homework, have the car inspected, and save yourself the headache. If you ever have questions about buying a car, I am more than happy to answer any questions you may have. Matt LaCross 206-898-5418

The Legendary BMW M1

Early in my life, before I really knew you could make anything you want happen in your life, if you really want it, did I ever believe that I would drive a BMW M1, let alone 4 of them. Well, in just a few months, I will have been fortunate enough to have experienced this vision. I have already driven two so far, including a 1-of a kind 1979 BMW M1 that was created for the former Prime Minister of Prime Minister of Qatar. http://jalopnik.com/359627/former-qatar-prime-ministers-bmw-m1 Here is a video shoot we did with Rob at Car Domain http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_NRs4JhGks This was the first car that was purchased by my business partner for our shop and part of his collection. We knew this one was not the type of M1 he wanted to collect, but it would make an amazing promotional piece while he searched for an M1 in collector condition. Well, not long after, he found that M1. There had been a local 1980 M1 in the Seattle area, and when it finally became available, we were the first one's that got the call. With only 10K miles on this 100% original M1, it was a very quick purchase. The 1979 was sold, and at the moment, the 10K mile 1980 resides in my business partners collection, and is stored at Munich Evolution in Seattle. We have take the car to a few local shows, and it always attracts the most attention while on display. The next acquisition is the very rare BASF BMW M1 Pro Car, which is 1-of 2 ever made. Check out the sound of this car http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYqiij4HDgA and http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=TRDA6idrTaE this car will be coming in next month as part of the collection, and I will post more images/details upon it's arrival. The most recent purchase is one of the most significant, due to the prior owners amazing accomplishments in the automotive race industry. This M1 was given to him by the BMW, and has only been serviced by BMW since new. Johnny Cecotto is one of the most significant BMW racers in history. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Cecotto   

Johnny Cecotto BMW M3 http://home.intergga.ch/m3e30/

The Cecotto M1 will be here sometime in November-December. I will post details upon it's arrival.

There were only 453 BMW M1's ever made, and of production cars, 54 were competition versions. BMW M Registry: http://www.bmwmregistry.com/model_faq.php?id=20

The M1 is the only mid engine BMW M-Car ever made. They say that the M1 was so significant, that they applied two BMW Roundels on the back. I, like most people, had always assumed that the "M" came from Motorsport, but it came from the M1. It stood for "Mid-Engine" 1st series. M1.

If you are in the area, and are interested in seeing one of the rarest BMW Motorsport cars ever made, stop in and check out the M1's at Munich Evolution. http://munichevo.com/ You can follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/BMWmotorsports?ref=hl

Black Market Consignment in Seattle

What goes better with a retail shop that sells fast and exotic vehicles? Cool man stuff, of course. Well, that's what we are in the development of now. With a warehouse space of over 16,000 sqft, I could not think of a better use for the space. We already sell some of the most desirable automobiles on the market at Munich Evolution http://munichevo.com/ , ranging for 10,000 mile BMW e30 M3's, 10,800 mile 1989 Porsche 911 Carrera's through vehicles ranging over $4.5 Million. Sounds like the perfect place to sell additional high end men's products as well.

Black Market Consignment is an extension of Munich Evolutions vision of providing clients with a no hastle way of selling their toys. We are specializing in the sale and consignment of anything cool, including art, clothing, fashion, electronics, furniture, hi-fi, specialty sporting good, iPhone/iPad http://www.apple.com/iphone/ and collectibles. Our clients are life enthusiests, and their passion far exceed the automotive industry. We have clients who are amazing athletes, titans of industry, lawyers, doctors, creators, and designers, and they have cool stuff.

We will be slowly building our inventory, and mostly selling on-line until we accumulate enough products to open up an additional retail space within our retail location for Munich Evolution in North Seattle.

Automotive and motorcycle consignment sales offered through Munich Evolution. 

There is nothing like this in the United States, and maybe in the world. We are currently accepting your items for consignment.

Follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/blackmarketconsignment?ref=hl

Please contact: Matt LaCross 206-898-5418 / matt@munichevo.com

Lunch in Seattle

Joe: LUNCHTIME! It's like...12:30 and Matt's on the phone. He is easily persuaded to leave the shop and go to lunch, but where? Ezell's http://www.yelp.com/biz/heaven-sent-fried-chicken-seattle is the obvious choice but I heard Mr. Gyro has the best gyro in Seattle. We jump in the white Porsche like the Duke boys and blast down Aurora. I really wanted to park up front so we could get a cool pic but the bus stop took up all the prime real estate. We parked up the block and stopped into a cool second hand store before we hit lunch. Matt found a really cool vintage jacket for his business partner and I found some fucking DOPE engineer blue and white striped overalls. I would have gotten them if they were OSHKOSH but no dice. OK, NOW IT'S LUNCHTIME. The spot was exactly how I imagined it. Small, busy, little write ups about the place laminated, people yelling out orders are ready and a smell that made my mouth salivate before I even saw the man slicing off gyro meat from the rotisserie. We place our order, get our food and find a place outside. It's nice out. Again. Check out the pics.

Matt: As usual, I am running around the shop marketing, detailing cars, pulling cars outside for the day, and here comes Joe. Usual question at about noon on a Monday, where we eating. Well, lets take the 2008 Porsche 911 Turbo http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2008-Porsche-911-Turbo-Coupe-with-8-500-miles-at-Munich-Evolution-in-Seattle-/280979352237?forcev4exp=true as a start to our mission and then we will figure out our spot. We roll up Hwy 99 in Seattle to a new roadside Kabob spot, but just as we roll up, Joe says, hey, let's go check out Mr. Gyro, as he has never been and I have always told him how good the place is, so as I have no problem driving a 480hp white turbo, we take the 10-minute drive down South on 99, and cut over to Greenwood ave and find a good parking spot in front of chocolati http://www.chocolati.com/new/home.php . I wish we had more front row parking in Seattle so you can profile your car outside, but there was a bus stop in front, so no go. We stopped into a really cool specialty retail shop called Insurrection http://www.insurrectionvintage.com/  to check out a good variety of vintage motorcycle leathers, Levi's http://us.levi.com/home/index.jsp and Cowboy boots. We browsed the racks for a few, checked out some cool vintage gear, but we were ready to eat, so after I introduced myself and shared what my shop Munich Evolution http://munichevo.com/ was about, we walk next door to Mr. Gyro for some lunch. As usual, there was a line, and as usual the owner Sammy, knew my order and greeted us with a warm welcome. He asked, 2 Gyro's, as he always knows what you order, and we got 2 San Pellegrinos http://www.sanpellegrino.com/int/en/default.aspx and hit a table outside in the sun. What an amazing day it was. Hanging out with good people, great food and amazing cars. If you have not been to Mr. Gyro, you are missing out. Check them out at http://www.mrgyroseattle.com/

New iPhone app WordFoto

I was killing some time the other day, and I am not much of a tech guy, nor do I enjoy spending much time playing with my iPhone http://www.apple.com/iphone/ , but I was browsing through apps that would give me a whole new way of playing with my images of cars, as I currently use instagram http://instagram.com/ , and that has kept me entertained for a few months, and then I stumbled onto WordFoto http://www.wordfoto.com/ . Although after only using the app for a few days now, and I think it will have a short shelf life for me, due to the limited modifications that you can use to manipulate the images, it is a very cool app. There are still a good number of images that I would like to play with using this app, and I have posted a few here for your review. Although I may not use this app much, I am now on the search for new photographic apps, so if you have any recommendations, please post them here. Have a great week. Matt LaCross