hfmstrs - Streetwell

Community building, Evolve Automotive style: take over a BMW dealership with Rennstil.

On paper, it sounds pretty straightforward. Get a dealer to hand over the showroom for a day, move in a bunch of your own cars, invite some friends, and you’re done. The reality is a lot harder. It takes months of planning, plenty of favours, and knowing the right people to make it happen.

That’s where Imran Arshad comes in. As the man behind Evolve Automotive, he’s built a network most enthusiasts can only dream of. Spend a minute on his Instagram and you’ll see two things: he’s obsessed with BMWs, and he seems to know everyone in the scene. Those connections have helped Evolve do things few others can. After three years of taking over BMW Park Lane’s showroom in the UK, the team started looking further afield. The Netherlands was first in 2024. This year, Rennstil joined the party for a takeover at BMW Procar in Wuppertal, Germany.

Few cars capture the imagination of motorsport fans quite like the McLaren F1 GTR Longtail, and among them, chassis #42 from the 1997 24 Hours of Le Mans stands as an icon of speed, engineering, and drama. A machine built for endurance, piloted by legends, yet fated to a heartbreaking retirement—this is the story of one of McLaren’s most memorable endurance racers.

By 1997, the McLaren F1 GTR had already cemented its status as a dominant force in endurance racing. However, rule changes meant McLaren needed to evolve, giving birth to the Longtail variant. This version featured a significantly extended rear bodywork to enhance aerodynamic efficiency, better high-speed stability, and improved downforce. It retained the raw power of its BMW S70/2 6.1L V12 engine, capable of producing around 600bhp, but was further refined for the grueling challenge of Le Mans.

Tag: hfmstrs

Gallery: Evolve x Rennstil BMW Takeover

McLAREN F1 GTR LONGTAIL #42: LE MANS 1997