SR All Star Meeting: SR Paradise
If you have owned or know of someone who has owned a Nissan 240SX, then you are probably familiar with the Nissan SR20DET engine. For those that aren't in the know, the SR20DET is the engine found in the original Japanese version of the 240SX known as the Silvia and 180SX.
A Brief Review
There are more engines in the SR family, however, than just the SR20DET, which include its NA brother the SR20DE and other variations ranging from 1.6 liters to 2.0 liters. But those others pale in popularity when compared to the SR20DET with its turbo and huge tuning market.
Social Media Spread
Every year in Japan there is a gathering of fans to celebrate the beloved SR engine. Primarily announced through Facebook and Twitter, it has a bit of an underground feel, but in reality it is really well organized with vendor booths and media coverage; it is the SR All Star Meeting.
This year's event was held at Shizuoka Ecopa (Ecopark) — a huge facility with an arena, a sports stadium and many parking lots. Upon my arrival, I noticed the main parking lot was quite full of everyday cars; apparently a boy band was scheduled to perform that day (I promise that's not the real reason why I came). Tucked away in the back corner and scattered through the parking lot were small groups of tuned cars.
Some were of the Nissan SR-powered variety, but many were not. Walking the lot I came across a rather unique looking Honda NSX. Unfortunately, the modifications took away from the natural lines of the NSX rather than enhancing them. I moved on.
Paradise Found
After roaming around a bit, I finally found the actual meet location. There, in Parking Lot 2, was the largest collection of SR-powered cars I had ever seen. I had arrived at SR Paradise.
All Silvia & 180SX
The only models in attendance were quite noticeably Silvias and 180SXs, but I was okay with that. They were neatly organized by model, starting with S13s and 180SXs, then S14s and S15s. There were also several vendors present, including big names like Origin Labo, Enkei, Work Wheels, Vertex and G Corporation.
Famous tuning shops were also in attendance such as Yashio Factory and Garage Mak, signaling to me the legitimacy of this event. However, the stars of the show were the enthusiasts' cars. The diversity of styles was exceptional, ranging from street to stance, time attack and drift.
I was so impressed with everyone in attendance that it was impossible to pick out a clear favorite. If you're a fan of SRs, then I definitely recommend that you try to make it to next year's event, which will probably be even bigger!
