This year, it’s Wekfest USA 10th Anniiversary, and Wekfest Japan 5th Anniversary. It became one of the most high level event in Japan now.
However, there is always questions. “ do we always have to do new stuff?” “Should we do something only Japanse people can do instead of copying American and Europian?” Euro cars with BBS RS looks like it came out from Wörthersee. Too much negative cambered JDM cars which probably can’t drive long distance.
It’s not that this is good and this is bad or this is right and this is wrong, its one of the important element of wekfest. It wouldn’t be attractive event if there was only maniac cars which you can’t notice the modify without hearing the description.
[1]Next stage of wide body movement
It’s hard to impress a crowd with wide body kit like when Liberty Walk 35gtr and Murcielago came out back in the day. However, there were Old&new, Pandem, the second gen wide body kit guys.
I feel the same atmosphere that we had right before RWB brake through as a king of wide body. But it’s actually very natural changing of the time. Kids who had TRA Kyoto rocket bunny 180SX, Silvia body kit 10years ago grew up and now they do wide body 911 or Cayman. 996 and 987 isn’t super expensive if you didn’t pic stick shift.
[2] Engine bay wars.
The ultimate engine bay war is Eto-san’s Integra vs Inazuma worx Ikeda-san’s AE86. They have been battling for a year through wekfest. This year Ikeda-san brought 2 cars which both have won awards before. However, those 2cars look like they haven’t changed much form outside.
But this White AE86 has the ultimate clean engine bay. You can’t even see water line in the bay. 4AG Club engine bay master SNR Sato-san event said. “I don’t even fight with this he won. I’m even grad that Ikeda-san did it with AE86, not any other car.” But let’s see what happen until this year’s Oura 86 meet.
[3]Pass the culture to the next generation by building a new model.
In history of Civic type R, I would say 9years of FN2 to FK2 was a dark age. The big time Honda tuning pic a place at USA. In this 9 years we didn’t share the same body between USA and Japan, Honda tuners in japan had to work on old civics. If tuner can’t build demo car, it wouldn’t be handed down to the users, and the whole culture shrinks.
Spoon30th anniversary party at Spoon Type One in January, I felt a warm and happy atmosphere about FK8 sharing the same body between USA and JAPAN. They told us how important to develop parts and tune for new generation cars. However, It’s not easy to building FK7 and FK8 at the same time for Spoon,
even though they are a world famous Honda tuner. Also, Five Mart who brought FK8 to wekfest is in the same situation. I know that its cool to keep tuning EG or EK civics but to developing parts for New models would raise up the whole aftermarket parts scene to a better future. And yes of cause if adult didn’t buy a new cars, what happens? Future kids can’t get a base cars for their project!
Wekfest USA 10th Anniversary、Wekfest Japan 5th Anniversaryを同時に迎えた2018年。世界最高峰のCleanで美しいカスタムカーが日本全土から集うイベントとして成長遂げてきました。
