Brothers Mike, Karl and Rob Hugh were born to play with power. Growing up on a small island, they learned how to make the most of the limited resources there. Making it work better was the challenge from their father. They were constantly tinkering with engines and their dirt bikes were always the fastest and the most fun to ride. As they grew older, the bikes were replaced by cars but the challenge remained and fastest was best.

In 1981, Mike and Karl took the bold step of turning their hobby into a business and Active Autowerke was born. Their motto at the time "Anything and Everything BMW" probably should have included “everyone”, since the endeavor was a classic family affair with branches of the Hugh family tree pooling their talents into building the business.

The timing was right. The company grew as America’s motoring public developed a healthy appetite for BMWs. Soon Active Autowerke had grown into the largest independent BMW service facility in Florida with state of the art equipment, certifications from leading component firms such as Bosch, and a hard-earned reputation for setting the benchmark in service, integrity and professionalism.

In late 1995, Karl set the future direction for Active Autowerke as he tapped into his passion for speed. This was the thrill of turning a fast BMW ... into a faster BMW.... a BMW for drivers with aspirations far beyond the norm.

As a graduate of the University of Miami School of Engineering with a specialty in Internal Combustion Engines, Karl was more than qualified to execute his vision. In less than a year, working with some of the most respected professionals in automobile performance, the first Active Autowerke M3 & 325i Turbo Kits were born. Many rave reviews and magazine articles later, these kits and their successors have become known for their quality, reliability, clever bolt-on engineering and affordable pricing. Active provided BMW owners with the ability to breathe fire into their everyday BMW driving experience. No longer a brand known just in Florida, today’s Active Autowerke has built a worldwide following for its line of flawlessly engineered and manufactured performance parts for BMWs.

As new models and challenges are introduced, Active Autowerke continues to innovate – and deliver – world class products that make the cars run better. And with the expansion of the BMW world into Mini and Toyota (with the 2020 Supra), Active is building on its foundation as the premier BMW tuning and performance company to offer software and performance updates for both brands that bring an adrenaline rush back into driving these cars. Active has also completed the development of Porsche GT3RS tune that provides an additional 25 whp without any other changes to the car following that with a GT3 tune. So the improvements continue with an emphasis on driving fun.

The Hugh brothers can’t help it. It’s been in their genes from the beginning.