With warm humid breeze blowing over Japan's capital it is safe to say that it's finally the time of year when every single car guy has finally awoken from the off-season hibernation, dug out their racing t-shirts and fitted those sticky summer tires. Meanwhile, the usual group of what could only be described as world's wildest supercar owners are busy throwing themselves the annual summer party.
I personally couldn't think of a better way to start the season and as I was approaching the entrance gates of the Special Import Car Show I was as excited as a kid in a candy store.
Yes, that very same event that I had a pleasure of attended last year got bigger, louder and has a lot more surprises waiting for me on the inside of the hall as well as at the outside parking lot.
Tokyo's A-Team is based around Anija's body work and car care shop is the usual player at these events as they brought their large assortment of insanely modified supercars.
We begin withe unique and no holds barred JDM version of Pagani Zonda. It took a giant leap from last year's version sporting a new crystal blue with black/red accents vinyl wrap of extraordinary high quality. You really need to get close to this car to appreciate the man hours put into this project.
Next to it in the same booth was pa very rare blue Ferrari F50 and Koenigsegg CCX
Going further down the hall and we can see that the exhibitors stepped their game up from last year. With only a handful Gumpet Apollo's ever built, seeing one here in Japan quite a rare experience.
Same could be said about the Ford GT, the presence of which, at what supposed to be a low key event was setting the tone for the classic cars exhibited on this day.
From the same American manufacturer - the highly sought after Ford Mustang Boss 428, powered by Ford's old school big block FE engine.
Not every day you get to see a Lancia Stratos...
or a Lamborghini Miura - arguably the most beautiful car ever designed.
An d then there was this: the bizarre creation based on what looks to be Mercedes Benz W109 300SEL properly slammed to its belly.
As for more modern approach to luxury, this Masonry Rolls-Royce Ghost is here on a mission to set the standard for comfort, prestige and visual appeal.
Masonry also presented their version of the Huracan. Not so sure about the wheels, but the titanium exhaust, installed to replace the noticeably loud stock unit looked menacing.
Of course Mr. Kimura's Mclaren P1 was the highlight of the show. Mr Kimura uses Boom Craft's clear vinyl paint protection to keep the body fresh. After all, this 2 million dollar turbo charged hybrid monster sees plenty of black top ranging from daily commute to occasional track days and is definitely no garage queen.
Once I got outside, things began to look like there was no sign of slowing down.
The A-Team brought their best cars including this F40LM Competizione,
and the Giallo Modena track customized F50. While we took a closer look at the F40 last year, we will return to this car with our detailed coverage in the next update.
Next to it was this gorgeous Roberuta air suspension equipped Porsche Carrera GT,
the V10 soundtrack of which I had a pleasure of hearing as it was approaching the entrance.
The new C7 Corvette was also present giving the show a bit of that USDM touch.
And it doesn't get any more USDM when first Generation Viper shows its beatiful lines.
Meanwhile, the party atmosphere was setting the mood across the entire event space, allowing everyone to let loose, girls to come out, and the dudes to experiment with latest technology, angles and that all important JDM photo stance.
The microphone was occupied and club music was pounding the hot air throughout the event. Atmosphere was simply fantastic!
And then there were the cars....
Audi hit the nail on the head with the design of the R8. Looking timeless and modern at the same time it also gave a proper platform for tuners to experiment on.
The futuristic i8's are extremely popular in Japan, yet despite the little 1.3L 3-banger they don't seem to lack in exclusivity.
No supercar event could carry on without a doze of Porsche's, especially in Japan where the brand has a huge following.
As for this year unexpected surprise: I seem to have stumbled across the real legend. Yes, this is the original 300kph "Blackbird" Wangan Midnight Porsche 930 Turbo tuned by DORF with RWB fender work, as seen on Jalopnic. This is another car that will be featured in the next update, so definitely stay tuned!
As with most Porsche's, flashy supercars were not the only objects of interest as Lotus had their own thing going with the owners' club throwing a party for themselves and everyone interested.
Compact Lotus Elise is an overwhelmingly popular car here in Japan due to its size and agility. It almost seems that it was built specifically for Japanese mountain roads.
The Legendary Lotus Esprit is enjoying its popularity as well. The S2 with turbocharged V8 was a pinnacle of modern technology back then, and still looks awesome 30 years later.
Back in the Lamobrhini area, the mood was celebratory and the line-up of cars was matching.
From chrome wrapped Murcielago,
to red Aventador. This confirms my hypothesis that red is not just for Ferrari's!
Lamborghini's can be red inside and out; and truth is - they look absolutely gorgeous!
Exhaust upgrades are not uncommon in peace and quietness loving Japan, and Supercar owners make sure to take their exhaust modifications to the next level.
Some opting for every opportunity to show-off their loud-pipes right on the spot.
As anybody have imagined by now, there wasn't any shortage of Ferrari's - anything from new to old, from stock to modified could be seen.
This customized wide body F430 immediately caught my attention, but i will leave this with this photo. However, rest assured as I have a few more shots, which I will post in the next update.
458 Italia turned out to be a real hit among Japanese fans of the brand and there were plenty of them present during this event. This cherry red sporting carbon bonnet and custom exhaust was definitely a fine example.
Japanese aren't religious about colors of their Ferrari's, and given that white is the national motorsport color here, it is a given that we get to see plenty of white prancing horses at such gatherings. Not only white is pleasant to look at and photograph, the color also enhances the vehicle's beautiful lines and curves.
Speaking of white body and curves - the Liberty Walk 458...
2 of them in fact, and both left me speechless, until....
Until I managed to catch with the boss Wataru Kato himself for a friendly chat and a mandatory LB Walk shot.
His creations are resonating around the world, and we will catch up with one of them in the next update!
Until then, let's have a look at some of the cars that the world's most charismatic shop brought from Nagoya as well as some customer cars that were on display.
The wide body 435i is an amazing creation. There is something about the shape of modern BMW's that make them take this JDM treatment so well.
Then there was the all time classic, the car that started it all - Lamborghini Murcielago
Dropped on AirRex bags, sporting extreme fender flair and stretched Nitto tires this is a true no holds barred LB Walk machine that transformed JDM and global tuning scene forever.
From my first encounter with Liberty Walk charismatic approach during SEMA 2013, to such vast collection of cars almost 2 years later, Kato-san and his crew never showed a sign of losing momentum. As their popularity around the world sky-rockets so does their variety of cars. With the Huracan prototype nearing completion I can't wait to see what's next in store for Liberty Walk!
This concludes our coverage from the Special Import Car Show 2015 and the supercar meet, but please stay tuned as I will return with some additional photos of the cars that stood out the most. Until then, don't forget to check out the bonus gallery below and don't forget to share, comment, and follow.
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