Event>>the Vip Festival Continued

Have you had enough coverage of slammed Japanese luxury cars yet?
Hopefully not, because here's some more photos from Sunday's VIP
Festival held at Autofashion USA in San Diego. Personally I was pretty excited for this event, as I was itching to get my first real VIP car fix since moving back from Japan in the spring.

Sure, you can flip through the pages of VIP Car or VIP Style at the
local Japanese book store, or look at cell phone pics from Japan on the
internet, but nothing beats the real thing!

This flared Lexus GS is one of Autofashion's recent projects – again setting the bar for what a VIP car can be. When the VIP movement first kicked off in the states, you'd see mostly bolt-on affairs with wheels, suspension and aero parts. Now a lot more custom-fabbed cars with one-off parts and heavy custom work are popping up, just like in Japan.

Japanese builders have more luxury cars to work with than the handful of Toyota and Infiniti models sold in the USA, but American VIP fans have taken to applying the style to non-traditional cars like the V35 Skyline (or G35).

Another G35, this one a V35 sedan with a stock body and aggressive wheels. Simple and effective.

And a V36 coupe, bagged and sitting on the ground. I guess something like this would be termed "sports-VIP"?

Meanwhile the larger Infiniti M45 (or Nissan Fuga in Japan) is considered to be a more traditional VIP car. I can't wait to see what builders do with the next-gen Infiniti M/Nissan Fuga!

No matter what sort of trends pop up among VIP guys, a classic Junction Produce equipped JZS161 in black will never get old.

Can you tell what kind of car this is? Yep it's an Acura TL, or Honda Inspire as it's known in Japan. Again, it's cool to see something besides just Lexus and Infiniti.

And on that note, another shot of the white Chrysler 300C I mentioned yesterday.

I'm a huge fan of Japanese-American hybrids, so this Chrysler really did it for me. Check out how sexy the car looks slammed over Weds Kranze Bazreias.

This white Lexus GS was rolling up just as I got to the meet.

You gotta love the "neo-lowrider" look of the long-discontinued Work Emitz wheels. Of course it also helps that the car's in full low down mode.

There we go! This Toyota Previa (Estima?) was hidden away in the parking lot next door.

The "original" VIP car, the UCF10 Toyota Celsior or Lexus LS400. Toyota spent billions of dollars designing this car in the late '80s, and you still see them regularly – whether in VIP form, or dead stock being driven by old ladies on the street.

That concludes my general coverage of the Third Annual Autofashion VIP Festival.

Next up, some Car Spotlights from the event!

-Mike Garrett

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1

I think the 300c is one of the best VIP cars out there. It just looks so right like that.

2

That's some awesome stuff right there! In my humble opinion, one's garage should have a nice sortiment made out of a sweet VIP styled car, a race car that can be used for drifting as well while keeping some street syle, a big off-road SUV to go where no other can reach, a flatbed trailer and a nice daily driver that would be good enough of a toy on the circuit as well as the open road. THAT would be my dream "humble" garage!:D

3

i said it yesterday and i'll say it again i wish i had booked some days off for this.Can we have some more pics of the 300c in your next post me because that is just wow.

4

LOL no pics of my corolla wagon?!

5

That poor Previa, personally I think its awesome! All of these cars are looking seriously slick.

6

that 300c looks like the one in the weds wheel ads

7

These cars are just stock cars, buffed up to shine with big retarded wheels on them and lowered. What you are looking at is a ricer with $40,000 to buy a new car. They have eye lid things on the headlights instead of fart cannons.

8

LOL stock cars. what a moron. you should really learn what it is you are talking about.

9

OMG they all look sick! great man

10

HELL YEAH! goodfeeling's GS300 leading the pack!

11

any more pictures of the black sc?

12

That black M45 is EPIC. Gotta love the M45s!!!

13

what year is the white q45? my dad wants one ahah.

14

oops i meant the silver q45.

15

There's a dark grey '91 LS400 down the street needing some love. I'm so tempted to go buy it. Love them. How does "Lead Sled" translate directly into Japanese? They remind me of the lead sleds of the 50's. So cool!

16

"sport-VIP'= fast and the furious RICE

17

I thought the TL's were Honda Legend's?

18

who can tell me which wheels are under the silver car in picture 3, next to the Lexus GS on the handicaps parking spot? they look damn good, would that size fit under a sc300?

19

V35 Skyline (or G35).......???????

20

More on the truck next to the V36 coupe! Sorry but not a huge fan of VIPs :/

21

Hey Nick,  A buff and some new wheels and lowered is all these cars can show. Possibly the factory paint replaced with paint that looks half decent. A few non-functional body kits are tossed into the mix on a few of them. Tell me, how is this not pretty much stock? There isn't a ton of money thrown at these under the hood so none of it means anything.

22

The 300c is so beautiful.

23

SPARK are you serious,  These cars are about STYLE and I'm sure you wouldn't understand obviously.  VIP tuning is still in its early stages in the US.  Yes there are some cars that really do it proper and some of these might even be a work in progress.  And for you to say that they are pretty much stock because "there isn't a ton of money thrown at these under the hood" I guess SPEC MIATA is also pretty much stock because of the lack of money "thrown" at the engine.  I'm just saying get your facts straight sense we all know how cheap a LEXUS GS is, and how cheap and stock looking a set of low offset WEDS WHEELS are, And also how easy and available body kits for you luxury ride.  Oh ya air ride can be put on in 30 minutes by the way but only by ricers. DUDE give me a break let me guess your a function only guy LOL an easy way of saying my car  lacks any STYLE but can go fast maybe. PEACE get educated, VIP=RICE thanks for the laugh.            

24

CHRYSLER = FAIL! VIP

25

not much love on this site lately, huh? in the first pic, the fitment on that sc is siiiiick. next time i see thread about a race only car, i'm gonna make fun of all the stickers and say it has no style! why can't we all get along?

26

Spark, the red and grey GS's had serious work under the hoods. Imagine watching a heavy ass sedan with $30-40K in appearance mods doing 11's with a car that crawls an inch off of the ground

27

shame to the person who smacked into the g35 in the 4th picture...



and yes...Junction Produce defined VIP modification...

28

So uh, what is the exact definition of a VIP car? Any car with huge, gaudy rims that can't go over a speedbump?

29

lmfao at efights

if you don't like the car, don't look?

30

Just wondering if anyone can shed some light on the rims on the V36 Coupe?

Jash

31

I agree! sports VIP!

32

Those Weds wheels on the 300C look lika a rip off of a Lorinser design. Still like 'em, though!

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