Antonio Alvendia
Website:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/antonioalvendia/
Profile:
I am... a nonstop buyer of Japanese car magazines even though I can't read them, a long-time collector of rare steering wheels, horn buttons, deep offset wheels, fresh Kangols, hip hop mixtapes, and vintage Japanese automobilia.
I'm addicted to taking photos (especially with my Canon SLRs and my iPhone) - I shoot at least one photo every single day. My background is in shooting advertisements and editorial photos for print magazines, as well as working with major motion picture studios in Hollywood.
I love cars. I have a huge collection of vintage Toyota memorabilia and rare parts to go with all the cars in my collection. Life is too short to drive a car that sucks. Enjoy life with your favorite car! My life revolves around photography, cars and car culture; I am extremely passionate about these things! At the same time, I grew up around the culture of hip hop music, with a reverence for graffiti art, underground mixtapes, and street fashion.
I've been involved with the emerging drifting scene in the USA since the late 1990s, and back in 2004, I decided to quit my corporate job as a Director of Sales and Marketing for a technology company so that I could chase my dreams, traveling all over the world to document drifting as it evolved from Japanese subculture to pop culture.
After several years of working with print magazines worldwide, I accomplished a big goal of mine in 2006, by authoring my first hardcover book, entitled "Drifting: Sideways from Japan to America," the first book ever produced on the topic of drifting. One year later, I was contracted to create the first mass-produced and internationally distributed calendar on the topic of Drifting (2008 release). These projects were just a labor of love for me, so I never expected them to be as successful as they were; I certainly didn't expect to randomly see my book on bookshelves and coffee tables in other countries. That book certainly opened a lot of doors for me!
In fact, one of the many doors that my book opened up for me was that of a big video game company in Canada - Electronic Arts. One of the art directors stumbled upon a copy of my book at the local Chapters Bookstore, and they eventually decided to contact me. I was shocked and honored when they told me they used my photos and stories as a reference to add authenticity to their video games. Soon enough, I found myself getting flown up to Vancouver to consult EA on the Need for Speed franchise's marketing/brand extension projects. I became one of the presenting hosts on camera for EA's Birth of Pro Street documentary film that aired on SpikeTV and Motors TV internationally. Soon after, we formulated some plans and began working to create one of the biggest corporate-owned car culture blogs on the internet - Speedhunters. I have since left Speedhunters so I could team up with several of my close friends to build up the MotorMavens Movement.
Our website has come so far since it first started. MotorMavens is driven by the passion and hard work of each of our contributors. MotorMavens does not have a corporate expense account or huge multi-million dollar corporation paying our bills. Instead, every individual member of the Motor Mavens Crew works hard, spending hard earned money on camera equipment and travel. I think I can speak for all the members in the crew when I say that I don't mind putting my own money and sweat into the project because I passionately believe in what we're doing.
I love to build and be productive. I'm extremely goal oriented and motivated to be successful in what I'm passionate about, so I'll never stop pushing forward. Of course undertaking big projects can be difficult at times, but nothing worthwhile comes without a struggle. I just feel that people shouldn't waste any opportunities to do something that drives them. Isn't that the whole point of living?
-Antonio Alvendia
www.ANTONIOALVENDIA.com
Connect to me on Facebook!
PERSPECTIVE> Ten Years Of Formula Drift Atlanta
Over the past decade, there have been a ton of new faces in the traveling Formula D circus - new drivers, new photographers, new teams and sponsors, new models, and new fans. When the very first Formula Drift event was held at Road Atlanta back in 2004, drifting was very much new to the United States. Most people didn't even know what it was. Most of the drivers and teams were very grassroots in appearance; we certainly didn't see the big corporate event activations and sponsor logos that you find at Formula Drift events nowadays.
Many of the original drivers, models, and teams from the inaugural Formula Drift event in 2004 have moved on to pursue other things. However, there are still a few OG Formula Drift heads (like me) still around. Man, we're getting old! Read more...
COVERAGE> Speed&Stance Swarms SpeedVentures
We advertised the meet to run between 12 noon and 5pm, but every single one of the infield parking lots at the speedway were FULL by 2:45pm! There was a crazy line of cars backed up from the infield parking, through the tunnel, wrapping all the way around to the Cherry Avenue entrance! I was told that once the parking lots allocated to the event hit capacity, the people at the gates had to turn away well over 100 cars! Insane.
Since traffic and road congestion became an issue, the good folks from Auto Club Speedway quickly opened up a couple more parking lots so that cars could pre-stage before rolling in to the actual show area, which saw both autocross and high speed road racing with Speed Ventures on the ROVAL course, and a beginner level car control clinic for Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ owners called the 86 Dynamic Driving Academy. Read more...
COVERAGE> ALMS Long Beach Street Circuit
The Streets of Long Beach get transformed into a race track about 2 months before the annual Long Beach Grand Prix and as it gets closer to race day you can almost feel the excitement in the air. This will be the last year in which the ALMS will be running as a stand alone series, merging with Grand Am racing in 2014, and ultimately becoming the United SportsCar Racing Series. Read more...
COVERAGE> Scenes From Formula D Long Beach
NEWSWORTHY> Dai Yoshihara Wins FD Long Beach
OH SNAP> Happy Birthday, Ayrton Senna!
Happy Birthday, Ayrton Senna! If he were still alive, Ayrton Senna da Silva, who many consider to be the greatest driver in the history of racing, would be 53 years old. In honor of our favorite Brazilian driver’s birthday, we’ve compiled a great collection of Senna videos for you to watch… (more…)
VIDEO> Violent Drifting At Ebisu w/ Naoto Suenaga
AMAZING!!! Check out violent high speed drifting at its best, from this helmet-cam video of D1 Grand Prix driver Naoto Suenaga from Team Orange in his missile – an RPS13 Nissan 180SX “battle car.” Most people know Ebisu for its legendary Minami Course (the famous South Course used in D1GP competition), but check out Naoto as he drifts the high-speed Higashi Course (East Course) at Ebisu Circuit in Fukushima Japan. (more…)
VIDEO> A Close Look At The Singer Porsche 911
Ever since I first laid my eyes on Singer’s customized interior treatment, I’ve been in love with the Singer Porsche 911. It looks pretty damn perfect in my eyes.
It’s the precise blend of vintage Porsche soul, mixed in with some modern touches that don’t ruin the nostalgic aesthetic of the car. I wish more retro car builders would take notes from the examples that Singer has created! (more…)
GALLERY> HT Cup Challenge Racing with Raceline
Raceline also added a new component to the trackdays they organize - a challenge series for the new 86 Platform,"Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ. Even though it is called the 86 Challenge (coincidentally the same name as the previously announced 86 Challenge from Speedventures), the series is tailored towards Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ drivers, not AE86 owners. Read more...
DRIVER SEAT> 370Z Roadster At Raceline Track Day
At first, I felt like the odd man out in a bone stock 2013 370Z Touring Roadster, because almost everyone else in attendance drove the track day in a modified or race prepared car. I quickly got over that feeling though, because a day at the track with friends is always a fun experience. And a 6-speed 370Z Roadster is definitely a fun car to drive! Read more...
GALLERY> Global Time Attack & Shift S3ctor Pro Am
VIDEO> Tuerck’s 240SX Drifting Tree-lined Touge
There are so many crappy drifting videos on YouTube. This is not one of them. There are also tons of over hyped, overproduced “viral videos” on YouTube. This is not one of those either. While most of the drifting videos on the internet are incredibly lame, THIS video of Ryan Tuerck navigating his way through dense thickets of trees while bouncing off the rev limiter is really a breath of fresh air! (Or should I say… a breath of freshly burnt tire smoke?) (more…)
CARSPOTTING> Ben Sopra R35 GTR at Buttonwillow
When I walked up to the car in the paddock garage, I was thinking, "Oh damn. Someone built another Ben Sopra GTR?!" While I see R35 GTRs all the time (there are 3 of them on the street I live on), it's not often that I get to see one done up with the super expensive Ben Sopra aero kit. At $45K, the Ben Sopra aero costs slightly more than half the price of the car! This was definitely a treat and a surprise - this weekend was the first time I got to see a Ben Sopra GTR in action on a race track! Read more...
GALLERY> VW of Van Nuys Volkswagen Gathering
My good friend Mitch Sison from EcoShine Auto called me up over the weekend and told me about this meet happening at Volkswagen of Van Nuys, organized by Brandon Chasin of Wustefest. I figured it would be a good opportunity to see some nice looking local Vee Dubs, so I grabbed my camera and my brand new Canon EF 35mm 1.4L lens and headed to the meet. Read more...
DRIVER SEAT> Track Testing The BF Goodrich Rival
Last week, I was given the opportunity to test the new BFG Rival at NOLA Motorsports Park, and it delivered on every single one of its claims. The BFG Rival might even be the best new tire in the Tire Rack lineup for weekend autocrossers, road racers, and midnight canyon runners. However, before we jump to any conclusions, let's take a closer look at our experiences on the racetrack. Read more...
CENTER STAGE> Hwy 341 Hillclimb Hero Porsche
As the twisty road slices through the mountains towards the oldest city in the state of Nevada, a gold and silver mining town called Virginia City, it allures drivers with breathtaking views of the snow capped mountains in the Sierras - but this is all part of Highway 341's deadly charm.
Drivers who are tempted into gazing upon the majestic beauty of the Sierras while behind the wheel are often fooled into making fatal mistakes at high speed. Taking one's eyes off the single lane road even for just a few seconds can easily lead drivers headfirst into the rocky face of the mountain, or worse - off the treacherous cliff side, where the drop is hundreds of feet, with sharp boulders and abandoned mine shafts below.
For close to twenty years, a man named Duck Fuson has been challenging Highway 341 in a 1974 Porsche 911. This is his story. Read more...
OH SNAP> Tsuisou! Tandem Drifting at Ebisu Circuit
I love Ebisu Circuit!!! And I’m not the only one. This photo is one of the reasons why! Look at the white S13, being driven by Naoto Suenaga from the world famous Team Orange – his front wheel is right up against the sideskirt of the purple S13, being driven by street drifting hero Naoki Nakamura of Team Burst!
No wonder people from all over the world make the pilgrimage to Ebisu Circuit in Fukushima Japan several times a year! (more…)
GALLERY> Celebrating HotRod Culture w/ Mooneyes
As Southern California car culture evolved from traditional handcrafted V8 powered hot rods to include the modification of small bore, high power output Japanese cars, our car scene truly has come full circle. It may be difficult for some to grasp this, but today, one of the most popular events in Southern California celebrating hot rods and the culture behind them is actually run by a group of hardcore hot rodders from Japan! The event I speak of is the annual Mooneyes Christmas Party at Irwindale Speedway, and year after year, it captivates me like it was my very first car show. Year after year, the Mooneyes Christmas Party remains paramount in my mind as the very best hot rod event I've ever attended. Read more...
CARSPOTTING> Bentley Continental GT3 Close Up
Signalling Bentley’s return to the racetrack for the first time since its historic sixth Le Mans victory in 2003, Continental GT3 remains faithful to the company’s founding motorsport philosophy of developing racing cars from their road-going counterparts. Read more...
GALLERY> Scenes From The 2012 LA Auto Show
CAR&CULTURE> Le Rendez-Vous Toyota in Paris
Everyone who knows me personally knows that I have an enduring love and passion for the style and history of fine Japanese automobiles, especially those from a particular automaker - Toyota. As a driver, restorer, and collector of vintage Toyotas, I've owned something like 40 Toyota and Lexus vehicles in my lifetime, with tons and tons of rare parts and Toyota motorsports memorabilia in my private Cipher Garage Collection.
For those who also share the passion for Toyota automobiles, Toyota Motor Europe has graciously created a place for all of us to rendezvous. Read more...
CAR&CULTURE> MotorMavens Adventures in Spain
Truth be told, I'm not heading there to attend a motorsports event or anything like that - I'm there on other business. However, by Facebook chatting with a fellow AE86er who hails from Madrid, Jorge Azcoitia Moreno, I learned about some of the exciting things that his hometown of Madrid has to offer. Aside from amazing paella at Casa Nemesio near Plaza de Castilla and patatas bravas from Las Bravas, I also learned about the local racetrack, Circuito del Jarama, and the Jarama Vintage Car Festival. Read more...
DRIVER SEAT> Ferrari vs Lambo At Exotics Racing
Luckily for us, MotorMavens sharpshooter Mike Kim and I were given the rare opportunity to test drive a pair of exotic supercars on a race track at Exotics Racing in Las Vegas! Located just a few freeway exits away from The Las Vegas Strip, Exotics Racing blends all the luxury and service that one expects from a Las Vegas Resort with an amazing supercar driving experience.
To be honest, Mike and I have always thought that test driving cars like the Ferrari 458 Italia, Lamborghini Aventador, Mercedes Benz SLS AMG, Audi R8 and Aston Martin V8 Vantage were out of our price range, so we never really bothered to look into it. Big mistake. As it turns out, our stupid assumptions were wrong. Completely wrong! Read more...
COVERAGE> FR-S, BRZ & AE86 Passion at 86FEST
With help from sponsors like Falken Tire, OEM Audio Plus, Turn 14 Distribution, Whiteline Suspension, Motul, Spec Clutch, Mann Engineering, Flossy Shift Knobs, and M7 Japan, it's pretty crazy how quickly our inaugural 86FEST came together! Just a few weeks ago, I was driving at a Volkswagen event at Big Willow, and got to talking with the Speed Ventures organizers, Dave and Aaron, about how cool it would be if we could get a bunch of FR-S, BRZ, and AE86 owners together at a track day. They both expressed a lot of interest in the idea - especially since we have been thinking about ways to work together for nearly two years! Read more...
