The Petersen Automotive Museum has a cruise-in about every month or so. Each one usually has a theme: There’s the Sunset GT Supercars of O’Gara Coach coming up May 24, the Japanese Car Cruise-In and Motorcycle Show May 31, Italian Car Cruise-In June 26, the All-American Cruise-In July 28, the All-Porsche Cruise-In August 30, Oktoberfest September 27, and it goes on and on.Most recently it was the BMWs—250 of them parked at the Pete. The longer you lingered out there on Levels 3 and 4 of the Petersen’s parking garage, the more you recall about Big Bygone Bimmers of the Beforetimes. The oldest car present had to be the 2002 Touring hatchback, one you either love or have not yet grown to appreciate. The newest one was the 2027 M3 CS Handschalter that made its public debut at the show. The latter was cool, the only M3 CS ever offered with a six-speed manual, 75 pounds less weight than the standard M3, sports-specific tuning for chassis, steering, engine, and gearbox, and a 0-60-mph time of 4.1 seconds, not to mention a top speed of 180 mph with the standard M Driver’s Package. So you see? BMW still makes very cool cars. Pick your favorite(s). Or nominate your choice in the comments section. It’s a big gallery, shot by me (a few) and the talented Billy Rehbock of Motor Trend @carguybilly in the IG. Auf weidersehn, baby!1973 B2S Alpina 3.0 CSiA car just like this—maybe it was this one—was listed on Bring a Trailer three years ago. BaT said then that it was a 1973 3.0 CSi delivered new in France and modified by Alpina to B2S specification in October 1977. A company called Oldenzaal Classics of the Netherlands did a refurbishment in 2022 before it was imported to the US. It’s finished in Fjord Blue with blue and green Alpina deco stripes over black upholstery with blue and green seat inserts. Power comes from a 3.0-liter inline-six mated to a five-speed manual and a limited-slip differential. Alpina features include an Alpina B2S cylinder head, forged pistons, triple Weber 45 DCOE carburetors, a 123 Ignition distributor, a stainless steel exhaust system, Bilstein dampers, power-assisted steering, 16-inch Alpina wheels, a front spoiler, power windows, air conditioning, and Scheel-Mann front seats.That’s all assuming it’s the same car. If so, that car sold for $250,000 on June 14, 2023.2004 E46 M3Carlos De Luna polishes up his fine ride. The car is wrapped in Milliotone Frozen Ghost Chrome Romanee Red, Carlos said.“I’ve always wanted a BMW M3, and I modified it to be able to handle spirited canyon and track driving,” he said. “I upgraded all the suspension components, intake, exhaust header, and manifold along with a flash tune for higher hp/torque output. Recaro Sportster CS in Paprika Red. I added a carbon interior with roll bar. I have two sets of wheels both with high-grip tires (Michelin/Nankang): the triple-chrome Work Meister for showcasing at car events and a set of Volk Rays TE37 in dash white flake metallic for the track. This is my third iteration of the build and I’m continuing to mod it.”He got into it thanks to a friend.“I was inspired to build my own E46 M3 by my good friend Alex, who owned an ’06 Alpine White M3. I would ride shotgun while he would take it on spirited driving, as well as letting me drive it once or twice. The car felt like being on rails and since then, I had to own one of my own. It is my favorite M3 and I enjoy how it has been tuned.”2002 Series Touring1800The BMW 1800 is a compact “executive sedan” produced between 1963 and 1971 as a core part of the brand’s Neue Klasse (New Class) lineup, the first Neue Klasse lineup, not the one we’re seeing today. Credited with saving the company from financial ruin, it combined family-friendly practicality with a sporty, race-bred chassis to establish BMW’s modern “Ultimate Driving Machine” reputation.Starting in 1965, BMW supplied the 1800 TI/SA with the specific objective of motor-sport campaigning, BMW says. Equipped with two twin carburetors and enhanced compression, the engine delivered 130 hp and transformed the speedy family sedan into a “racing touring car” that was a serious proposition as a motor-sport touring-car campaigner. The car’s reliability meant that a host of international successes were to be achieved with this speedy BMW four-door motor car. Only 200 BMW TI/SA touring cars were produced, and today they rank among particularly exceptional rarities.2002 TurboDinan E36 M3E28 M5 in Jet BlackE30 DuoE30 TrioE31 8-SeriesE36 CompactE36 CoupeE36 M3 with BBS WheelsE36 M3 SedanE36 RacecarE39 5-Series TouringE82 1 M CoupeE92 M3 with BBS WheelsF01 Alpina B7F06 M6 Gran CoupeLeft to Right: F32, F82, E28, G87F82 M4F82 M4 GTSF87 M2 CSF87 M2 CSF87 M2 50th Anniversary BadgeF90 M52 CSG80 M3 CS HandschalterG82 M4 CSLG82 M4 G87 M2G99 M5 Touring2002 CustomThe license plate frame read, "God stopped making BMWs in 1976."Z3 Clown Shoe with BBS WheelsZ3 Clown ShoeZ3 Coupe Convertible, G80 M3ZS8 with Alpina Wheels, 1-SeriesZ3 M CoupeThe “BMW Clown Shoe” is the affectionate nickname given to the BMW Z3 Coupe—and the high-performance Z3 M Coupe shown here—produced from 1998 to 2002. It earned the name because of its unique “shooting brake” design—a long, sweeping hood and a stubby, upright rear hatchback that resembles a classic clown’s shoe.2002 tiiEven among 2002s, the 2002 tii is revered as something of a demi-god. Produced from 1972 to 1975, it is one of the most celebrated classic sports sedans in automotive history. The tii stands for “Touring International Iniezione.” It offered a high-performance (for the day) 130-horsepower, 2.0-liter M10 engine with Kugelfischer mechanical fuel injection. It remains highly coveted by driving enthusiasts for its lightweight agility and timeless design.E30 M3The original BMW M3, based on the E30 3 Series, was introduced at the 1985 Frankfurt Motor Show and produced from 1986 to 1991. It was designed as a homologation special for Group A touring car racing. Powered by a high-revving 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine, it generated 192-238 horsepower.I got to drive one around the Nürburgring one day, and it remains one of the all-time best drives of my life.M4 CSWhen this M4 CS came out two years ago, we said, “If you thought the latest BMW M3 CS was cool but had too many doors, you’re in luck. BMW is adding another example to its long list of legendary CS models with the 2025 BMW M4 CS. Like the ’24 M3 CS, the M4 CS takes the bones of the pedestrian M4 and adds power, enhances the suspension, and takes away some weight.“Powering the M4 CS is essentially the same hopped-up S58 mill that powers the 2024 M3 CS. If you don’t speak BMW, that means a turbocharged 3.0-liter I6 to send 543 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque through an eight-speed automatic transmission. That power then travels to the standard all-wheel-drive system.”M2When the current M2 came out in 2023, we said, “You have to get past the confused front end to find that the rest of the second-generation 2023 BMW M2 is pretty much fantastic. With straight-six power and torque, a stiffened body, and an active differential for this rear-drive-only coupe, your only problem will be getting someone to pry it from your hot, sweaty hands when your track time is over. Sticker price starts at $63,195.”M5The first M5 was based on the E28 5 Series and was manufactured from 1984 to June 1988. It changed the way the world thought about sedans. 840 CiThe BMW E31 8-Series was produced from 1990 to 1999 for “The Boss With an Attitude,” as we said on our cover. The 840Ci was offered with a 282 hp 4.0-liter M60B40 V8 from mid-1993 to late 1995, or with a 4.4-liter M62B44 V8 in mid-1995. That was replaced by the 295 hp 5.0 V12.2002 TouringThe hatchback Touring model was available on the 1802, 2000, and 2002, available from 1971 to 1974. It was a more practical take on the mighty 2002 coupe.