COVERAGE> Formula Drift After Dark: Las Vegas!
The MotorMavens Crew is once again back at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for Formula Drift After Dark. For those of you that couldn't make it, consider yourself lucky that you don't have to deal with the searing desert heat. Luckily it's not as hot as it was last year, but we're still baking in the sun so we can bring you imagery of whats current in Formula Drift. Read more...
GALLERY> Nisei Showoff Vs Infamous Long Beach
This past weekend, there were tons of automotive events happening, so those of us located in Southern California faced a dilemma - should we go to Nisei Showoff or Infamous?!
The tried and true Import Showoff event thrown by legendary import carshow promoter Ken Miyoshi during Downtown LA's annual Nisei Week Festival in Little Tokyo is always a good time. Everyone knows that Nisei Showoff symbolizes the best of the best - the highest standard in modified import cars, with attendance by the OG crews that used to run the streets of Los Angeles when the sport compact scene was just beginning to blow up. The whole vibe at Nisei Showoff feels a bit nostalgic, to be honest. Can it be that it was all so simple then? Good cars and good friends in a relaxed atmosphere, surrounded by good Japanese restaurants and boutique shops in Little Tokyo.
However, some young car enthusiasts don't care about memory lane nostalgia or waxing poetic about the good old days. For this rapidly growing new generation of frame-scraping tire stretchers, the newly conceptualized Infamous show was thrown as a collaboration between the Fatlace and Canibeat Crews at the Queen Mary in Long Beach.
It's obvious that MotorMavens connects to both scenes and both types of automotive taste, so those who follow @MOTORMAVENS on Instagram and Twitter already know that we decided to hit both shows. Here's a quick gallery of images from both events! Read more...
The tried and true Import Showoff event thrown by legendary import carshow promoter Ken Miyoshi during Downtown LA's annual Nisei Week Festival in Little Tokyo is always a good time. Everyone knows that Nisei Showoff symbolizes the best of the best - the highest standard in modified import cars, with attendance by the OG crews that used to run the streets of Los Angeles when the sport compact scene was just beginning to blow up. The whole vibe at Nisei Showoff feels a bit nostalgic, to be honest. Can it be that it was all so simple then? Good cars and good friends in a relaxed atmosphere, surrounded by good Japanese restaurants and boutique shops in Little Tokyo.
However, some young car enthusiasts don't care about memory lane nostalgia or waxing poetic about the good old days. For this rapidly growing new generation of frame-scraping tire stretchers, the newly conceptualized Infamous show was thrown as a collaboration between the Fatlace and Canibeat Crews at the Queen Mary in Long Beach.
It's obvious that MotorMavens connects to both scenes and both types of automotive taste, so those who follow @MOTORMAVENS on Instagram and Twitter already know that we decided to hit both shows. Here's a quick gallery of images from both events! Read more...
DRIVER SEAT> Longo Scion FRS Tour of LA Drive
With all the attention the new Scion FR-S and Toyota GT86 have been receiving, people have been scouring the internet for photos and information on the exciting new front engine, rear wheel drive sports car platform that has been taking the world by storm. Scion dealers around the nation have been participating in Scion "First 86" unveilings, but the good folks at Longo Toyota/Scion have decided to be proactive in connecting with the newly developing Scion FRS owners community.
While other dealers concentrate on trying to move units, Scion salesman Jeffrey Chang and Longo Scion decided to sponsor the very first Scion FR-S Tour of LA driving event! Lots of great looking cars were in attendance, but I just couldn't take my eyes off the newly built Cusco Scion FRS, which was already outfitted with Toyota emblems, and the full line of Cusco suspension and accessories. Read more...
While other dealers concentrate on trying to move units, Scion salesman Jeffrey Chang and Longo Scion decided to sponsor the very first Scion FR-S Tour of LA driving event! Lots of great looking cars were in attendance, but I just couldn't take my eyes off the newly built Cusco Scion FRS, which was already outfitted with Toyota emblems, and the full line of Cusco suspension and accessories. Read more...
COVERAGE> Bay Area’s Best Unites For WekFest
The annual WekFest gathering in San Francisco always has something tasteful to offer. The event brings a sense of unity and community among car builders and enthusiasts from all parts of California, but especially in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Today's visit is no different. With hundreds of amazing builds to gaze upon packed into San Francisco's Fort Mason Center, the event becomes a bit overwhelming. It really is a sensory overload. Read more...
Today's visit is no different. With hundreds of amazing builds to gaze upon packed into San Francisco's Fort Mason Center, the event becomes a bit overwhelming. It really is a sensory overload. Read more...
VIDEO> Team Yellow in Norway Never Stops
It’s official. Team Yellow is the most awesome grassroots team there is. With at least eight running/driving/drifting/awesome cars at any one time, drivers from all over Scandinavia, and several tracks to lay down ridiculous amounts of smoke, these guys get sh!t done. They’ve got an SR powered AE86, and all their other cars are 2JZ powered. There’s never a dull moment with Team Yellow. Huge thanks to Lars and Dag Harlem for inviting Joe and I over multiple times and even allowing us to drive their 1JZ MarkII. We heart Team Yellow. 
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COVERAGE> The 2011 Formula D Seattle Experience
Formula Drift in Seattle is definitely one of my favorite stops on the Formula D tour. It always happens in the middle of the summer, and summertime is the best time to visit Seattle anyway! The event planners at Formula Drift always seem to pick the FD Seattle weekend perfectly, when the rainy state of Washington is blessed with a little break from the gloomy rain, and the sun comes out to put everybody in a good mood!
Since most drift fans outside of Seattle were able to watch the event play-by-play on Justin.TV's Formula D Driftstream, Seattle-based MotorMavens sharpshooter Yoshi Shindo and I decided we'd post up photographic highlights from the event, based on our own experiences there! Read more...
Since most drift fans outside of Seattle were able to watch the event play-by-play on Justin.TV's Formula D Driftstream, Seattle-based MotorMavens sharpshooter Yoshi Shindo and I decided we'd post up photographic highlights from the event, based on our own experiences there! Read more...
GALLERY> Traffik Tour Heats Texas Motor Speedway
For those who haven't been to Texas Motor Speedway in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, the complex is HUGE. It may seem like a cliche that "everything is bigger in Texas," but this is a case where that saying is actually true! I experienced the Texas Motor Speedway complex first hand recently when I attended the inaugural event of the nationwide Traffik Tour series, which is a car show series that has partnered up with the Indy Racing League (IRL).
For the first Traffik event, the entire car show was organized right by the main entrance of Texas Motor Speedway's main track entrance, so the 80,000 recorded event attendees for the IRL event and the special "Ultimate Drifting" Formula Drift competition event (not for series points) had an opportunity to check out all the cars in the Traffik show, as they melted underneath the sun's 100 degree heat. Read more...
For the first Traffik event, the entire car show was organized right by the main entrance of Texas Motor Speedway's main track entrance, so the 80,000 recorded event attendees for the IRL event and the special "Ultimate Drifting" Formula Drift competition event (not for series points) had an opportunity to check out all the cars in the Traffik show, as they melted underneath the sun's 100 degree heat. Read more...
SHOPAHOLIC> Street Party At The Flagship Society
This has been one hectic weekend - it's as if the Southern Cali car events just don't stop, even on the motorsports off-season! This was a weekend of Christmas Parties and get togethers with good friends, but it was also a weekend of really bad weather in Los Angeles - with lots of rain causing car crashes for non-rain trained drivers. It was hydroplane city out there on Southern California freeways, but it still didn't stop people from coming out and packing the hell out of the Flagship Society grand opening event last night!
This was only the first official party held at Flagship Society, but when people heard through the grapevine that L-Con founder/fabricator Louie Contreras was working on organizing an event, everyone knew that they better not miss it!
There were lots of people in attendance, so it was pretty tough to find parking outside the shop. There were tons of fresh cars on the streets lining the shop, but it was raining so hard, people weren't really hanging out by the cars. Instead, everyone was having fun inside the shop itself with DJ A1 in the mix, getting everyone to bop their heads and groove as they walked around and checked out the shop with friends. Our good friends from the ItsJDMyo! Blog had a table inside the event, passing out posters, with a bunch of scantily clad Vietnamese coffee shop girls smiling for pictures... and sometimes not. Read more...
This was only the first official party held at Flagship Society, but when people heard through the grapevine that L-Con founder/fabricator Louie Contreras was working on organizing an event, everyone knew that they better not miss it!
There were lots of people in attendance, so it was pretty tough to find parking outside the shop. There were tons of fresh cars on the streets lining the shop, but it was raining so hard, people weren't really hanging out by the cars. Instead, everyone was having fun inside the shop itself with DJ A1 in the mix, getting everyone to bop their heads and groove as they walked around and checked out the shop with friends. Our good friends from the ItsJDMyo! Blog had a table inside the event, passing out posters, with a bunch of scantily clad Vietnamese coffee shop girls smiling for pictures... and sometimes not. Read more...
COVERAGE> MotorMavens Mass Appeal Experience!
When most people think of the term car culture, they immediately (and possibly unconsciously) picture particular types of cars in their minds - cars that fit their own personal spectrum of interest. That is car culture’s dirty little secret – it can be extremely balkanized, or broken up into little niches and peer groups.
If you’re into muscle cars, then screw those four bangers. If you're into rotary powered vehicles, then screw those pistons! If you're into road racing and time attack, then screw drifting. If you’re into Formula One, well, screw everybody. If you’ve been around car culture for any length of time, you know exactly what I’m talking about. You also probably know that not everyone feels this way. As we get a bit older and experience some of the great aspects of other car cultures, more and more of us are discovering that we’re all the same under the hood – we're all just car guys.
In the middle of 2009 when we started MotorMavens, we established the site on a basic principle – that everyone’s voice is validated by their passion for the cars and car culture because the one thing that brings the entire spectrum of car culture together is passion. We call it the “passion principle.” Wherever you find some mind blowing interpretation of the automobile and the lifestyle that revolves around it, you also find some passionate person wrenching away – usually with a ton of pride and satisfaction in his/her accomplishments but very little money to show for it. That’s exactly what the MotorMavens Crew searches for; we look for that passion in every possible niche of car culture so that we can broadcast it loud and clear to everyone when we find it.
So, what does all of this have to do with the Mass Appeal Show? It’s simple. When Ken Block and the Gymkhana Grid team approached us to produce a car show at their Ken Block Invitational, we already knew that it would need to be different than what most people might expect. We knew our car show would need to represent the driving principles of MotorMavens... the car show would have to be multi-car-cultural; reflecting the wide spectrum of car culture that we love so much. It would have to have mass appeal - get it? Read more...
If you’re into muscle cars, then screw those four bangers. If you're into rotary powered vehicles, then screw those pistons! If you're into road racing and time attack, then screw drifting. If you’re into Formula One, well, screw everybody. If you’ve been around car culture for any length of time, you know exactly what I’m talking about. You also probably know that not everyone feels this way. As we get a bit older and experience some of the great aspects of other car cultures, more and more of us are discovering that we’re all the same under the hood – we're all just car guys.
In the middle of 2009 when we started MotorMavens, we established the site on a basic principle – that everyone’s voice is validated by their passion for the cars and car culture because the one thing that brings the entire spectrum of car culture together is passion. We call it the “passion principle.” Wherever you find some mind blowing interpretation of the automobile and the lifestyle that revolves around it, you also find some passionate person wrenching away – usually with a ton of pride and satisfaction in his/her accomplishments but very little money to show for it. That’s exactly what the MotorMavens Crew searches for; we look for that passion in every possible niche of car culture so that we can broadcast it loud and clear to everyone when we find it.
So, what does all of this have to do with the Mass Appeal Show? It’s simple. When Ken Block and the Gymkhana Grid team approached us to produce a car show at their Ken Block Invitational, we already knew that it would need to be different than what most people might expect. We knew our car show would need to represent the driving principles of MotorMavens... the car show would have to be multi-car-cultural; reflecting the wide spectrum of car culture that we love so much. It would have to have mass appeal - get it? Read more...
OH SNAP> Mass Appeal was Sex on Wheels!
It’s 2:00pm on Sunday, the day after our very first (should we say inaugural?) MotorMavens Mass Appeal car show, which took place inside the Ken Block Gymkhana Grid Invitational at Irwindale Speedway. This entire event was such a blur to me! I didn’t even get a chance to have one wink of sleep on the night before the show! The out-of-state members of the Motor Mavens Crew just went to the airport, and I’m about to get busy crunching my photos for my version of the show coverage!
However, before I work on presenting our show coverage… I want to show some support to another event that’s happening today, so I’ll be driving out to Fontucky, CA for the Battle of the Imports at California Speedway. I have to give big respect to Frank Choi, the pioneer who basically started import drag racing – so attending his event is a must!
I’ll be driving over an hour to get there, so please be patient! We’ll post up some Mass Appeal/Gymkhana coverage tonight!
Before I leave though, I just want to give a sincere and heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who brought their amazing cars out to Mass Appeal! You know who you are… we gave out some awards at the end, but I don’t even feel as if we had enough awards for all the cars (and people) we wanted to give awards to!
On behalf of the entire Motor Mavens Crew, THANK YOU ALL! We love you!!!
:: Antonio Alvendia
COVERAGE> 2010 Greddy Festival in Irvine CA
After spending an entire day in the scorching hot sun for the IDRC Finale, I felt sooo incredibly burnt out (literally) and didn't feel like doing anything at all. However, I couldn't exactly just relax at home, because I had plans to link up with some good friends for dinner and an after hours party. Needless to say, it was pretty hard to get out of bed early again (I had to be at IDRC by 7:30am on a weekend!) for the GReddy Festival this past weekend, so I just made a leisurely day out of it.
Since I had plans to hit up the GReddy meet with my friend Brian Urbano, we decided to cruise one of his Supras down to Orange County for the event. On this particular day, the vehicle of choice would be his black JZA80 Supra twin turbo. Read more...
Since I had plans to hit up the GReddy meet with my friend Brian Urbano, we decided to cruise one of his Supras down to Orange County for the event. On this particular day, the vehicle of choice would be his black JZA80 Supra twin turbo. Read more...
COVERAGE> Formula Drift Las Vegas Highlights
When it comes to Formula D Las Vegas, what can I say that hasn't been already mentioned? It was hot. Damn hot. Too hot to be outside without air conditioning. I don't understand how Las Vegas locals can handle the incredible heat over there, but they say they're just used to it now. Getting used to it is one thing... but I wonder if they like it though?
Just like the gypsy camps in the days of old, this year's Las Vegas round of Formula Drift brought thieves out of the woodwork. I was really surprised to find out that former Formula D judge (and current Tanaka Racing Corvette driver) Alex Pfeiffer's helmet was stolen. I suppose someone was a fan of Alex's Hawaiian print helmet, which had the traditional Hawaiian plumeria flowers painted on one side. The only question I have about that is... Okay, thieves. Now that you have Alex's helmet, what the hell are you going to do with it? Read more...
Just like the gypsy camps in the days of old, this year's Las Vegas round of Formula Drift brought thieves out of the woodwork. I was really surprised to find out that former Formula D judge (and current Tanaka Racing Corvette driver) Alex Pfeiffer's helmet was stolen. I suppose someone was a fan of Alex's Hawaiian print helmet, which had the traditional Hawaiian plumeria flowers painted on one side. The only question I have about that is... Okay, thieves. Now that you have Alex's helmet, what the hell are you going to do with it? Read more...
COVERAGE> Insider’s Look at FD Long Beach
It's hard to believe that it has already been a week since Formula Drift took over the Streets of Long Beach. This weekend, the famous street course is still home to many a race fan. However this time, Long Beach has been taken over with open wheel racing fans that have been going to the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach for years and years. Since we don't really cover open wheel racing on Motor Mavens, I thought it would be good to post up some more photos from our experiences at Long Beach last weekend. (I know, some of you are thinking, it's about damn time!)
The first photo in our series is from one of the practice sessions. I think the practice sessions were actually a lot cooler and funner to watch at times than some of the tandem bouts, because it felt like freestyle drifting chaos within the confines of the white cement barriers and tire stacks that lined the streets of the LBC. Read more...
The first photo in our series is from one of the practice sessions. I think the practice sessions were actually a lot cooler and funner to watch at times than some of the tandem bouts, because it felt like freestyle drifting chaos within the confines of the white cement barriers and tire stacks that lined the streets of the LBC. Read more...
COVERAGE> Top Speed At The Texas Mile
What's up, MotorMavens readers! Before I proceed with the coverage, I'll go ahead and introduce myself. My name is James Evins, and I'm a photographer from Houston, Texas. Like many of you, I've always been a big fan of MotorMavens. When Antonio first approached me about contributing to the site, I jumped at the opportunity. I'm definitely excited to give you guys an inside look at whats going on here in Texas!
This past weekend, I found myself waking up to my alarm at 4:00 AM. After hitting the snooze button about ten times, I finally woke up and dressed and packed my car. I departed before sunrise, making my way out to I-59 and heading South.
Three hours later, I found the "exit" I was looking for - a small, country road with a sign nearby reading, "Goliad Airport." I had arrived at The Texas Mile. As I entered the airport and made my way around the small, rundown control tower I saw the venue sprawled out before me – hundreds of trailers, campers, cars, and bikes spread out across a mile long strip of runway! Read more...
This past weekend, I found myself waking up to my alarm at 4:00 AM. After hitting the snooze button about ten times, I finally woke up and dressed and packed my car. I departed before sunrise, making my way out to I-59 and heading South.
Three hours later, I found the "exit" I was looking for - a small, country road with a sign nearby reading, "Goliad Airport." I had arrived at The Texas Mile. As I entered the airport and made my way around the small, rundown control tower I saw the venue sprawled out before me – hundreds of trailers, campers, cars, and bikes spread out across a mile long strip of runway! Read more...
COVERAGE> Supras Swarm SP Engineering
This past weekend, something like 70+ Toyota Supras came out to the Supra Appreciation Event at SP Engineering in Industry, California. I was pleasantly surprised; I couldn't believe how many Supra owners braved the rain and the bad drivers on the freeway with their high horsepower monsters. All the parking lots surrounding SP Engineering were packed to the hilt with Supras and other cars that had variants of M and JZ engines under their hoods. Most of the cars in attendance were JZA80s, but there were also quite a few MA70/JZA70 Supras that caught my eye... I even spotted an MA60 in the lineup!
The JZA80 Supra Turbo is normally regarded as Toyota's "top of the food chain," but at the SP Supra event this weekend, I was honestly jocking the MA70/JZA70s more. Now THAT is a big statement. Let me explain... I've been a big fan of JZA80 Supras since the very first time I laid my eyes on one... and I never really gave the JZA70 much thought (that is, until I started hanging out with the late Mike Urbano [RIP homie] and his always late brother Brian). However, this past weekend, at least in my eyes, the MA70/JZA70 Supras took the win in terms of sheer style.
You might be thinking, "What?! Are you crazy? We're talking about JZA80s here," so I should explain my opinion. I think MA70 owners need to do a lot more in terms of restoration and "clean up" than the JZA80 guys do. The JZA80 Supra is such a good looking car that all you really need to do to accentuate the already gorgeous body is lower it, get proper fitting wheels and tires, a good looking exhaust and a front lip spoiler. That's not much at all. Meanwhile, MA70 owners have to think about getting a clean body (or fixing dents and whatever), painting the car, cleaning up the engine bay, piecing together a clean interior, making sure everything works, making the car run right... and only then can they turn their attention into making the car look good. Read more...
The JZA80 Supra Turbo is normally regarded as Toyota's "top of the food chain," but at the SP Supra event this weekend, I was honestly jocking the MA70/JZA70s more. Now THAT is a big statement. Let me explain... I've been a big fan of JZA80 Supras since the very first time I laid my eyes on one... and I never really gave the JZA70 much thought (that is, until I started hanging out with the late Mike Urbano [RIP homie] and his always late brother Brian). However, this past weekend, at least in my eyes, the MA70/JZA70 Supras took the win in terms of sheer style.
You might be thinking, "What?! Are you crazy? We're talking about JZA80s here," so I should explain my opinion. I think MA70 owners need to do a lot more in terms of restoration and "clean up" than the JZA80 guys do. The JZA80 Supra is such a good looking car that all you really need to do to accentuate the already gorgeous body is lower it, get proper fitting wheels and tires, a good looking exhaust and a front lip spoiler. That's not much at all. Meanwhile, MA70 owners have to think about getting a clean body (or fixing dents and whatever), painting the car, cleaning up the engine bay, piecing together a clean interior, making sure everything works, making the car run right... and only then can they turn their attention into making the car look good. Read more...
