Import Car Show: The Main Event

Undeniably, Import Car Show that I covered in Part One was very diverse and entertaining. As we went through the hallway densely packed with customized and rare exotics we got a taste of what Japanese Import car scene was all about. But stepping outside in adjacent parking lot made me realize that we haven't seen anything yet. 

Perhaps there is no better way of convincing the crowd to come out of the air-conditioned hallway in this early summer heat than a pair of Liberty Walk creations.

Which turned out to be quite a handful, with this beautiful Murcielago next to the amazing R35 GTR.

Liberty Walk kit for Aventador seems to be quite a popular choice as it makes the supercar stand out, but yet does not inconvenience the owner with ultra wide fender flair.  Of course, this is until Kato-san unveiled his latest creation, which of course we will try to get a full coverage of in near future.

Until then, we can admire Liberty Walks most "subtle" upgrade.  Personally I can't think of a better look for an Aventador than contrast of this pearl white color with a LBWalk diffuser and black wheels.

Walking around the parking I lot, I quickly realized that "subtle" was definitely no the theme for this event as various owners, car club members and shop mechanics brought their proud possessions, which could only be described as extreme.

For the moment I felt that I was back at SEMA as car clubs provided various types of entertainment, from sweet music of revving V12's to not so sweet amateur hip-hop, to some barely clad Eastern European models posing with the exotic cars.

But before we jump deeper in to the field of automotive insanity, let's take a look at some of the more unique and rare rides that were on display. Perhaps it's worth pointing out that I don't get to see a lot of LFA's in their homeland even though I live close to the best car spotting location in Tokyo.  Seeing on in black was definitely a refreshing experience.

I do see plenty of Lotus cars however, but I never get tired of such sight,

Especially when the machines are customized in such great taste and function. 

There are definitely not a lot of McLaren SLR's around in Japan, but I do see one every so often.  Perhaps the fact that this hypercar can be used as daily driver makes people want to come out and drive around in one more frequently.

Of course, this being Japan, customized cars are dominant.  There are options for all tastes, presences, but because of sheer abundance of customized rides, sometimes even some of the flashier options may get disregarded,

Especially if raced themed machines are close by,

with some of them looking like they belong on the race track.

There is literally no limits to imagination when it comes to colors and themes. 

Things were becoming even more colorful as I approached Anija's display on the outside.

Audi R8 is a great looking car, but it also loves being customized, which was taken full advantage of by the Anija crew.

Sitting low on on Forgiato wheels it looks like a perfect breed of European engineering and JDM customizing traditions.

With plenty of work done on the inside, this R8 is truly one of a kind supercar.

I am sure the R8 would have attracted a lot more attention if it wasn't for these 2 beauties stealing the show.

Seeing a Ferrari F40 is always privilege, but when there are two sitting next to each other you are definitely having a good day, It's even less common when both of them had custom work done, and when one of them is an Competizione!

The legendary machine build by Ferrari was the last one that was signed off by Enzo Ferrari himself and was the last machine to get the turbo motor until California T gets it in 2015.  Just under 60 were sold to Japan initially so seeing two here is absolutely astounding.  I should also mention that I saw one more the night before at Tatsumi PA, but we will cover that later.

Records indicate that only one Competizione model was imported originally, making it a very rare car.  This particular model was displayed by Roberuta at Tokyo Auto Salon and is fitted with air suspension.

Competizione model has several enhanced features, most notably improved engine intake and exhaust with increased turbo pressure, which allowed the car to output 780 HP.

Aerodynamics have been reworked as well with carbon fiber bits installed all around and rear spoiler upgraded to adjustable type.

Ferrari F40 is one amazing machine that never sees signs of age and its value increasing over time.

With regular model F40's reaching up to 1 million dollars (twice of its sticker price) on auctions, one can only wonder what would this Competizione model sell for.

But with so many cars nearby we can't really get carried away, so let's move on.

Some of the readers may be familiar with this video, which instantly turned the badass gangster into an automotive celebrity. 

He took no time acknowledging his rise to fame and took the extra steps in attempt in blending his grass roots with passion for Italian exotics.

I am sure there are plenty of opinions all over Internet about the taste in which these particular cars were customized, but I don't think anybody in this scene is either concerned or influenced.  One thing for certain though, is that when it comes to standing out, nothing beats this crew.

While it may be not in direct competition with the above Lambo's, there is certainly a bit humor involved in this "wrap-art".  This is from another wealthy owners' club that call themselves "Car Guy" and maybe not as flashy as the Gangster Lambo's above,

they also do know how to raise an eyebrow.  Rest assured, there is a lot more where this came from, as the founder of "Car Guy" club has a hefty collection of vehicles parked in the garage underneath a mega-luxury housing complex in central Tokyo.  We will definitely come back to cover some of them.

Moving away from the sheer madness, I could not walk by this example, as I haven't seen one of these for over 20 years.  This Ferrari Testarossa tuned by Koenig was the ultimate machine of the late 80's, where owning  a regular red-head was too Miami Vice. Popularity of such customizations at that time undoubtedly set the tone for aftermarket world of exotics today.

Many more cars were present at the show, but it's impossible to cover them all in one go.

But even though the organizers put in a lot of work to achieve such excellent presentation, these cars are all driven on the street, and with their owners being anything but shy I guarantee that we will encounter most of these cars again in near future.

So there we have it, a two-sided event that exceeded my expectations by a margin.  While different from SEMA and TAS in terms of technology and innovation, when it comes to car culture it got it where it counts: presentation and atmosphere.

Thank you for reading everyone, please don't forget to follow, share, and comment.

 

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