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Posted
Feb 10 2012, 03:35 AM
by
Mike Garrett
with 25 comment(s)
Good evening everyone from the home of the Hanshin Tigers, fried octopus balls, and some of Japan's friendliest people - the city of Osaka.
I've just returned to the hotel after a long day of shooting at Osaka Messe and thought I'd go ahead and post up a few photos and some initial impressions from the show....
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Posted
Feb 09 2012, 08:20 AM
by
Matt Malcolm
with 20 comment(s)
So far we've shown you the indoor show component of New Zealand's V 4 & Rotary Nationals. And now it's time to focus on the second day, which was all about who was the quickest down the quarter mile. Meremere Dragway, located just south of Auckland, plays host to the event each year and always draws a large crowd. And although this year's weather wasn't great, the grandstands still filled with people eager to see some drag racing action. It's open to a number of different...
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Posted
Feb 07 2012, 10:30 AM
by
Mike Garrett
with 26 comment(s)
I had a fantastic time shooting the GTCC event at Tsukuba Circuit the other day, and based on your comments it seems you guys have been enjoying the coverage from this brilliant grassroots race meet. Regardless of what sort of you cars you like, I think everyone can appreciate both the passion and the fun-loving attitude that these weekend racers have.
With that said, here's the third and final part of my GTCC event coverage....
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Posted
Feb 07 2012, 08:00 AM
by
Dino Dalle Carbonare
with 13 comment(s)
Time for some more Battle Evome action from Tsukuba now with this final look at the event I attended the other weekend. You can think of this as a kind of preview of what's to come, as I will be meeting up with all these guys once again at the end of this month for the final session of the year. You can expect Under Suzuki and Horikoshi-san to push their cars even more, fine tuning engine settings and aero details to shave off as much time as possible from their already blisteringly fast laps...
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Posted
Feb 07 2012, 12:00 AM
by
Mike Garrett
with 27 comment(s)
Now that we've had an intro to the atmosphere from Sunday's GTCC race at Tsukuba Circuit, I wanted to spend some time showcasing more of the cars from this event, as well as the day's on-track action....
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Posted
Feb 06 2012, 02:00 AM
by
Matt Malcolm
with 33 comment(s)
Our final part of show coverage from the 4 & Rotary Nationals 2012 looks at one of the largest categories from the show: the rotaries!
I'll also cover off the American classics and the few European cars that attended in this article too....
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Posted
Feb 05 2012, 08:35 PM
by
Mike Garrett
with 37 comment(s)
As my adventures in Japan continue, I spent the day yesterday at one of my favorite places on the planet - Tsukuba Circuit here in Ibaraki. The course was playing host to the weekend racers from the GTCC series, and I knew this would be the perfect occasion to reacquaint myself with Japan's rich circuit culture....
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Posted
Feb 04 2012, 06:06 AM
by
Matt Malcolm
with 31 comment(s)
Our next lot of coverage from the V 4 & Rotary Nationals 2012, in association with NAC Insurance and Hell Pizza is all about purpose-built machines. Drag, circuit and drift cars have dominated shows in New Zealand since they began and have definitely played an even bigger role this year. Not only were the machines on display inside the halls, but a handful also entertained the crowds in the NAC Live Action Arena. This Datsun 1200 drag car had been in the build for a while and only recently made...
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Posted
Feb 03 2012, 05:00 PM
by
Dino Dalle Carbonare
with 20 comment(s)
Let's head back to Tsukuba for Part two of the Battle Evome soukoukai, for yet more time attack goodness, of the amateur variety. There is something so addictive about chasing lap times, for both those that do it as a hobby as well as for those that just like to drop by and spectate. The whole technical aspect of the cars will satisfy even the biggest nerds out there and I am admittedly one of those. There is a lot to learn... ...by walking around and checking out what each owner/driver has done...
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Posted
Feb 03 2012, 07:00 AM
by
Mike Garrett
with 24 comment(s)
For my final bit of event coverage from the JCCA New Year Meeting, I have a wide assortment of photos from both the inside of the show. Unfortunately It's impossible to show every car that was there, but hopefully this will give you an idea of just how great the New Year Meeting is.
There's a lot to post, so let's get started....
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Posted
Feb 02 2012, 06:00 AM
by
Mike Garrett
with 40 comment(s)
By the time I'd finished walking Sunday's JCCA New Year Meeting and the surrounding parking lots it was pretty late. The sun was beginning to go down and the event was wrapping up. That of course means there was a seemingly endless stream of vintage cars heading home. Naturally, I decided to pull out the camera do some more shooting....
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Posted
Feb 01 2012, 02:30 PM
by
Matt Malcolm
with 42 comment(s)
Lets kick off our V 4 & Rotary Nationals coverage with what was the biggest part of the show: the imports. There were a number of Nissan GT-Rs on display, such as this immaculate R33 V-Spec. Honda S2000s aren't too common down here. This one looked great sitting flush on a set of Work Meisters. Steel wheels have taken a little while to catch on here but a few of the cars at the show were sporting them in various colours. This Honda Civic was a member of the Untamed Motorsport Club display...
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Posted
Feb 01 2012, 06:00 AM
by
Mike Garrett
with 24 comment(s)
While the JCCA New Year Meeting draws some of Japan's finest vintage cars to Odaiba every year, the event is about much more than just the automobiles. The swap meet and "auto jumble" sections of the show always draw massive crowds looking to part with their hard-earned yen in exchange for an amazing selection of vintage car parts, accessories, and collectables.
As part of my New Year Meeting coverage, I thought it would be fun to take a look through some of the items up for grabs this year....
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Posted
Jan 31 2012, 11:00 AM
by
Matt Malcolm
with 30 comment(s)
The V 4 & Rotary Nationals 2012 is an annual New Zealand event that sits quite high in the priority list for local car enthusiasts. The event has two main parts, a large showcase in central Auckland and then drag racing on the following day at Meremere Dragway in North Waikato. This year marked the event's 15th anniversary and it was the biggest and best yet. The show covers a whole range of cars and trade stands to entertain any and all niches of the automotive fraternity. Azhar and the...
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Posted
Jan 31 2012, 05:00 AM
by
Mike Garrett
with 20 comment(s)
Whenever I can I like to stroll through the parking lot at events I attend. Whether it's a Hot Rod show, a race event or something else - there's always cool machines to be found outside in these parking areas. The lot at the JCCA New Year Meeting though, is on an entirely different level.
As I mentioned before, there are lots of people that head to this event every January without any intention of viewing the main show. Such is the power of the New Year Meeting parking lot.
Now then, let's begin our journey through these lots of glory....
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Posted
Jan 30 2012, 08:30 PM
by
Mike Garrett
with 20 comment(s)
As we begin our look through the 2012 JCCA New Year Meeting, let's go ahead start off with a look through the main show itself. The parking lot is great mind you, but that doesn't mean the official festivities are to be missed. Not by any stretch....
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Posted
Jan 29 2012, 09:00 PM
by
Mike Garrett
with 41 comment(s)
Last fall when I began planning my trip to Japan, I wanted to make sure our visit included some cool automotive events. Tokyo Auto Salon came to mind of course, but being a classic car nut there was one event I absolutely had to see this year - the JCCA New Year Meeting in Odaiba.
The last time I attended the New Year was back in 2009, and ever since I've had the itch to get back for a fix of vintage Japanese motoring. ...
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Posted
Jan 29 2012, 05:00 PM
by
Dino Dalle Carbonare
with 22 comment(s)
While Mike was down in Tokyo covering the JCCA New Year Meeting yesterday, I headed up to a frozen Tsukuba Circuit to catch what has probably become the most competitive amateur time attack soukoukai in Japan. I am of course talking about Battle Evome, an event that initially started out as a Lancer Evo only gathering but has now matured to include a wide variety of cars. This is where Under Suzuki has made his name in and yesterday, after a few small modifications to his Scorch Racing S15, he managed...
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Posted
Jan 12 2012, 03:00 PM
by
Dino Dalle Carbonare
with 56 comment(s)
Seeing a show as big as the Tokyo Auto Salon materialize in front of your very eyes is an indescribable experience. As armies of contracted workers erect complex booths, the year's most anticipated demo cars are driven into the vast Makuhari Messe exhibition center. For me nothing beats the few hours I spend every year roaming though the various halls as everyone rushes to set up. Seeing all those new cars for the first time, the latest parts unboxed and of course catching up with so many people...
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Posted
Jan 11 2012, 05:00 PM
by
Dino Dalle Carbonare
with 28 comment(s)
It's time to devote some time to a Lancer chassis that not a lot of people may be familiar with. Most of us associate the 4G63 with the latest crop of Lancer Evolutions, starting from the Evo I in 1992, but it was actually first used in the Lancer EX2000 Turbo, which came out in 1981. This angularly designed Lancer was never sold in the US but it sure made a name for itself in Japan and Europe. Most notably it helped Ralliart's initial success in the world rally scene as Pentti Airikkala...
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