Stance Nation Japan G Edition
The term "stance" is relatively new in Japan, but the concept has been around for decades. This is a case of Japanese trends being emulated and evolved abroad. That evolution is in turn picked up back in Japan and evolved even further. This was evident at this year's Stance Nation Japan G Edition car show.
Held in Odaiba, Tokyo, Stance Nation Japan's second annual event was a big one. All vehicles were pre-screened and had to be accepted to attend the outdoor event, with a limit of 940 spots. In addition, there were plenty of vendors, including well known tuners like Liberty Walk and Tra-Kyoto, as well as some you may not recognize, such as Garage-Ill and Speed Forme.
The biggest surprise for us was the variety of vehicles on display. VIP, Van, Spo-com and Kei were all well-represented, along with American, Euro and old school. There were, of course, some styles that were impossible to classify.
Though not as large as Tokyo Auto Salon, we feel that one day was not enough to appreciate everything Stance Nation Japan's show had to offer. Unfortunately, we probably missed a few details, or even entire cars.
What we did catch were plenty of cars to drool over and enough that had us scratching our heads. Here are some of the vehicles that stood out the most to us at Stance Nation Japan. We'll start with something that caused quite a stir this summer.
So Popular: Ferrari 348 TS
Shot by our friend Ron for Speedhunters, Ginpei's Ferrari 348 TS drew quite a large crowd.
If one car could represent the stance movement in Japan, it would be this. Whether you agree or not, anything that can be stanced, will be stanced.
Quite Conspicuous: Toyota Century
Japan is known for its small kei and compact cars, so when you see a Toyota Century, it sticks out like a sore thumb (not in a bad way!).
Produced by Garage Startin, it is definitely something we wouldn't mind being driven around in. Just hope we can make it in and out of driveways and through the extremely narrow streets!
Mixing It Up a Bit: RX-7 FD3S
This may make a lot of RX-7 purists cringe. Overfenders, front face conversion and big wheels made this FD3S stand out.
Personally, we will probably pass on this, but it is definitely different, which is something we have to give them credit for.
Side Show: Z-Project 350Z
Even outside the event area, there were plenty of cars that could have easily participated. While walking to the entrance, the Z-Project 350Z grabbed our attention with its striking color combination and aggressive lines.
You may recognize those lines as the same sported by the Mercury 350Z campaigning in Formula D Japan.
Van Slammed: RB Honda Odyssey
The RB Honda Odyssey has to be one of our all-time favorites. There is just something about the front face and low roof line that make it appear more like a wagon than a mini-van.
Of course it is nearly impossible to drive at this height, so the owner raises it up about three inches when he needs to actually get anywhere. Not sporting air suspension, we can only imagine how long it takes to make the adjustment.
Nissan Legends: Skyline GTR Hakosuka & Datsun Bluebird 510
A pair of immaculate classics built for the track, the Nissan Skyline GTR Hakosuka and Datsun Bluebird 510 have legend status both in the U.S. and Japan. It was awesome to see these two in such great condition.
Noteworthy: Daihatsu Mira Gino
We'll finish off our review with this crazy Daihatsu Mira Gino. Mr. Yamamoto single-handedly crafted this to race around his local circuits.
Essentially just lowering the body to the height he wanted, the suspension appears to have functional geometry to support retaining grip and steering. We're sure we'll be seeing more of this Daihatsu in the future.
There were plenty of other cars at the show, so check out the gallery below.
