Most people do not know what H2Oi is or what it stands for, unless you just say H2O they think you are talking about water. But for car enthusiasts, this is one of largest and notorious car shows known on the east coast. H2Oi stands for water-cooled import vehicles, meaning cars that are manufactured by Audi and Volkswagen. Now of course these cars are not your normal cars, these are heavily-modified and worked vehicles. This event takes place over the course of two days in Ocean City, Maryland. For a car to be shown, the owner would have to go to the website and register. The difference between this specific event and other car meets or shows is how serious this one is. Most car meets that people would go to around their area are free to be part of and most of the cars have just a few things done to them but at H2Oi its car meets on steroids.
The cars you will see at H2Oi have been worked in and out, having the owners spend upwards of thousands of dollars from engine parts which can help make their car faster and/or louder, to how the car looks by changing the level of the car (lifting or lowering), or unique paint styles, to fancy rims or wider wheels, or even changing the whole style body of the car. Some cars are even put on bags, which can make the car rise up and then go back down by just clicking a button. And do not think that the interior isn’t touched; some cars have the whole inside reupholstered from changing from fabric seats to leather or even changing the color of the current seats. For a simple task such as getting tints done on a car can cost hundreds of dollars if gone to the right place. For many people this is more than just showing off their car and all the work they have put into it, it’s a passion.
With all that being said it’s quite understandable to see why this event has attracted more than just the Audi and Volkswagen owners. The actual event is still just for Audi and Volkswagen owners who have register online for the two day event that takes part on the specific weekend listed. But others have and still go to Ocean City and rent houses, or get hotel rooms because of the scene it has now become. You will see every type of vehicle from cars to SUVs to trucks. This has caused a great controversy with those who go down for the specific event and for those who go down to just take part in seeing all the other vehicles that go there and that have been worked and modified.
Personally I do not see the harm in having other people go to Ocean City who aren’t there to attend the specific event, since it is private and unless you are registered you cannot show your car. The one thing that is amazing about the car scene is how appreciative the people can be towards others builds. Of course there is going to be teasing of what kind of car you drive, but there is something to be said about every car, so it’s not like it’s picking on one specific car and the owner. This event attracts all types of car groups from old-fashioned American muscle to the newest European exotic cars. And with all these different cars they bring all the different groups.
These groups can be as small as a few friends who share a passion and just like driving together to a whole ‘team’ that schedules meets in their hometowns and attend smaller car shows that come up during the year. When all these people go to H2Oi, there are opportunities that become present. Such as being able to meet other teams and see what they are all about. From seeing all these other cars and what people do can certainly spark a fire in one’s head and get them thinking about doing things to their car they would never have thought of otherwise. It also can bring people closer by bonding over working on the same car and having similar builds. H2Oi has a whole new meaning behind it now than just being an event for those two specific car owners. It has now become a weekend in, usually in the beginning of October, that all car enthusiasts all head out to.
This past year I attended H2Oi for my first time and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I am just getting into the whole car scene and am starting to work on my car. However, being able to see all the different possibilities and what people have done was not only overwhelming but exciting and motiving; it made me want to run out and spend every dime I have on my car. I do not own a Volkswagen or an Audi so I did not attend the actually event but being at Ocean City during this time was something I would recommend anyone, who truly has a passion for cars, to go to.
