Bimmer INVASION, Wekfest LA & Project Louisville

September took GYEON USA from Southern California to the East Coast, but the most interesting part of the trip wasn’t simply the distance covered. Each stop called for a very different kind of work.

At Bimmer INVASION, the challenge was scale: preparing dozens of cars ahead of one of the largest BMW-focused events on the calendar. At Wekfest LA, the focus narrowed to two Hondas and the days of work that went into getting them ready for the show floor. On the East Coast, Project Louisville became something different altogether, bringing GYEON into an ongoing M539 Restorations project centered around a very special BMW 850 CSi.

Three stops, three different objectives, and three different looks at what goes into the finished result.

Bimmer INVASION 2026: Putting Products to Work

Before Bimmer INVASION got underway in Pomona, there were a lot of cars that needed to be ready for the show.

GYEON partnered with the event to create the INVASION Wash Lab, a dedicated pre-show setup where participating vehicles could be properly cleaned and prepared. Over the course of the preparation, the team worked through 41 vehicles using complete GYEON product setups.

That scale made the Wash Lab different from a typical detail. Instead of focusing on one vehicle in a controlled shop environment, the team was working through dozens of cars in a temporary setup, repeating the cleaning and preparation process so each one could arrive at the event looking its best.

Inside the main show, the GYEON booth featured three BMW 2002s from Analog&Grit, all prepared and ceramic coated with GYEON. Among them was Dave’s full-carbon Son of Cobra #2, which went on to take home overall Best of Show.

The weekend wrapped with an Angeles Crest drive alongside friends and creators, capturing content in the mountains north of Los Angeles and taking the trip beyond the event.

Wekfest LA 2026: From Prep to Awards

At Wekfest LA, the job shifted from volume to presentation.

GYEON served as title sponsor and main detailing sponsor of the event, with two Coto Collection Hondas taking center stage in the booth: Jason Haradon’s EG Civic and Ty’s EK9 Civic.

What visitors saw on the show floor was the end of several days of work. Both cars went through reconditioning, unwrapping, rewrapping, and final preparation before the event began.

For cars being presented at this level, getting them ready goes beyond a final wash before they roll through the doors. Paint, trim, wheels, glass, film, and all of the smaller details contribute to how the complete car is seen once it reaches the show floor.

In Los Angeles, that preparation paid off. Ty’s EK9 earned Best Honda, while Jason’s EG took Best Vendor Car.

The trophies made for a fitting end to the week, but they also highlighted something that is easy to miss at an event like Wekfest: by the time the public sees the car, most of the work is already finished.

Project Louisville: Protecting M539 Restorations’ BMW 850 CSi

Rather than preparing for an event, GYEON was joining an ongoing M539 Restorations project: Sreten’s 1995 BMW 850 CSi, finished in BMW Individual Santorini Blue over black leather.

M539 Restorations centers around reviving and restoring older BMWs while documenting the work in detail along the way. For viewers who have followed Sreten’s projects over the years, the process is as much a part of the story as the finished car. Project Louisville brought GYEON into one chapter of that process.

And this particular car gave the project plenty to work with.

The European-spec 850 CSi is one of just two examples produced in Santorini Blue over black leather. Under the hood is BMW Motorsport’s 5.6-liter S70 V12 paired with a six-speed manual, making an already distinctive E31 considerably more special.

As the restoration progressed, protecting the exterior became another stage of the project.

At BimmerWorld in Virginia, GYEON PPF specialists from Poland led a hand-cut bulk installation of GYEON enhanced-hydrophobic paint protection film, bringing international experience into the project alongside the U.S. team.

The objective wasn’t to change the appearance of the 850 CSi. It was to protect the work already invested into it while allowing the Santorini Blue finish and original character of the car to remain the focus.

From BimmerWorld, Project Louisville continued through Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey, with stops and collaborations along the East Coast before the PPF work was completed.

That broader collaboration is a big part of what made Project Louisville significant. GYEON wasn’t creating a standalone feature around a finished car. We were contributing to a restoration story already underway, alongside M539 Restorations and specialists from both Europe and the U.S.

And the story isn’t finished yet. More from Project Louisville and the Santorini Blue 850 CSi is still to come.

The Process Changes With the Car

A 40+ car pre-show Wash Lab, two Hondas being prepared for Wekfest, and a rare BMW 850 CSi in the middle of a long-term restoration require very different approaches.

At Bimmer INVASION, it was about working efficiently across dozens of vehicles. At Wekfest, attention narrowed to the details that complete two show cars. With Project Louisville, the priority shifted again toward preservation and contributing to a much larger restoration.

The products may overlap, but the process changes with the car, the environment, and what the finished result needs to accomplish.