The Driven to perform car show touched down in Vancouver last weekend, and brought with it a barrage of cars that remind me that car culture is alive and well. I was there to see the local scene as it came out of hibernation.
As for the "Who the hell are you?" bit, here goes: Based out of Vancouver, and being an artist on the Need For Speed games, I'm a bit of a car nut, and a "Honda guy". You know. One of those. Anyways, on with the show.
With an array of Toyotas to chose from, and even a few Nissan President's on hand, it was clear that VIP styling has grown into a vibrant branch of the Vancouver scene. It was refreshing for me to see the influx of VIP style. While I've seen drift has been one of the more dominant trends for the last couple of years, it bodes well for the scene to be able to constantly reinvision itself. I don't know about you, but seeing VIP style instead of under-body neon brought a great sense of satisfaction.
I saw that there was an sick example of the 1992 Toyota Aristo right in the middle of the show floor. The owner had completely gone to town with Garson Tuned styling. He was strutting the Garson Tuned aero and Lexus badging, the ultra deep Garson Deep Racing wheels, a Junction Produce Tsuna, and even an ultra rare VIP hello kitty (for real, as far as JDM VIP bling goes, it's a must have!!!), this car was the complete package.
As a representation of car culture at large, DTP showcased all walks of tuning life. There were the highly organized and polished shop crews, rolling many cars deep. As well as the local clubs, held aloft by their members dedication. Drift or time attack, Nissan or Honda, VIP or stealth, euro or japanese, if you want to find your niche it's available here. This 8 6 is positively immaculate. And while I've seen this car before, it's got something new under that hood. I think I spot a little forced induction addition in there.
In terms of a particular models' on the floor, I saw almost every manufacturer represented. Many platforms were fighting for dominance on the floor. However, I think it was the S2000 and the 350z platforms who were out in full force this year. While there were many amazing variants of each, I found that the A&J Racing S2k (Time Attack car) stuck out as one of the best in show. To me, it was the embodiment of what can become of an s2k when it's honed and balanced into a time attack weapon. (And having that sweet Spoon hard top never hurt anyone either).
As the show carried on, and the models and entertainment made their appearances, I was left to pick my way through the crowds on the floor. (Seen here is Jayla Rubinelli, of "America's next top model" fame)
While there were few domestics there, this Impala stood out as stunning. I was floored. You could eat off of this engine bay!
Jim's photos relly captured the essence of this car for me.
Takeda Enterprises showcased a beautiful FD RX-7, and an R32 GT-R in their booth.
I met many tuners who were only too happy to brief you on their creations. (This particular DC2-R has seen plenty of track time, with it's K20 swapped heart.)
I came across numerous cars that could become future features all by themselves. (4AG purists, may want to avert your eyes. This AE86 has the heart of a Mazda!)
The Vancouver, B.C., scene is alive and well, and I'll be bringing you further coverage on DTP and some future features on some of the highly finished rides we've seen.
-mike hayes
Driven to Perform