Achtung! Clubsport started because I wanted to photograph and video my friends' cars. As I built my car and got to know the community of classic BMW enthusiasts, I wanted to shoot their cars for them, documenting their unique builds and sharing some of their ethos. As a commercial photographer I work across the country and on a few of these trips I tested my idea, meeting my internet BMW friends, talking cars and life, and shooting some photos. After a couple of these meet ups I knew I was on to something. Authentic good times, connecting and documenting a grassroots community, and a great creative opportunity. I just needed somewhere for this work to live.
I was always inspired by JDM brands, the lifestyle, the tuning companies, the magazines. They had so much style, especially the Japanese inspired english slogans, that weren't quite proper but communicated a shared feeling connected to the car culture. Creative plays on words and quirky expressions. I've always loved language so I learned Spanish and German in school. I saw an opportunity to create a cultural crossover like we experience with JDM culture in the US, but instead highlight German language and culture, creating this weird triple crossover.
I knew I needed a good name first, and ruminated on the idea for a couple years but nothing felt quite right. I realized "Achtung" would be familiar to almost anyone because it's printed on warning labels around the world, including under the hoods of our BMW's. Of course it means "attention" / "caution," which I thought was a bit ironic in respect to racing and motorsport, and although the name draws immediate attention; in contrast I wanted the brand itself to remain understated, with minimal design aesthetics. So I enjoyed this bit of irony in the name, design, as well as recognition (just in case: it's "AHK-toong").
And "Clubsport," because I especially love the idea of a car you drive to and from the track. Street cars carefully sharpened past OEM capability for discerning enthusiasts. As we know, this is specifically where BMWs and their owners excel. Tinkered with, improved upon, driven harder than originally thought possible, underdogs, old cars that embarrass new cars, "Respect Your Elders." Serious builds for serious drivers. And purely BMW. So that's Achtung! Clubsport.
The vision for this project is massive, from content, brand, all the way to a physical location but none of it is possible without the support of the people. The best way to support us is to support our content on all the main platforms, pick up some merch, and stick around for the journey.
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