I’ll get this spotlight post from the Excite King VIP meet started with a car that well, isn’t really VIP. With the whole bippu movement finding obvious roots in the bosozoku and kaido racer styles of the seventies and eighties, there is always one of these gems sitting among the more modern cars present.

This big GX71 MarkII sedan sat nice and low on a set of SSR Mk1s and boasted the usual in your face vertical tail pipe extensions…

…and the externally mounted oil cooler, the latter a throwback detail to the old race cars of the seventies that participated at the various endurance races held in Fuji Speedway.

Whenever I see these sort of cars I always take a peek inside to check out what bizarre accessories are dotted around the cabin. While the wood rimmed steering is normal sight, the dash-mounted ashtray was quite interesting. Very lounge-like!

Of course the obligatory vintage Pioneer TS-X7 parcel-shelf speakers were present, as was classy upholstery.

I really like when people in the VIP scene take hints from more performance oriented rides. The Celsior for example, is the last car you would consider sporty…

…yet slammed on a set of SSR Professor MS1 18-inch rims and painted bright red like this particular example, it does definitely stand out. Check out the size of the ORC brake kit up front.

The interior was probably the most surprising aspect of the build with acres of alcantara covering the dashboard and trim but check out the full on single seater Momo racing steering wheel!

The leather seats have given way to reclinable Sparco sports seats and from this angle you can also see the carbon fiber trim that covers the transmission tunnel as well as the center console.

Add fender flares, a touch of negative camber for the rear wheels and you have yourself a pseudo-performance-oriented VIP sedan. Awesome!

Talk about standing out! This curious “work-in-progress” Verossa was attracting its fair share of looks as people attempted to make sense of all the complex design. The headlights that have always made the Verossa the most awkward of JXZ110 based sedans…

…have given way to a set borrowed from another JDM-only Toyota model. And if you think the front is a bit out there…

…wait till you see what has been done to the rear. As Imamura-san of Bee Dragon once told me a lot of people in the scene are obsessed with Gundam and take a lot of inspiration from it. Maybe that explains it?

The rear fenders also received some work with both flaring and blistering.

Let’s take another look at that rear end shall we!

This C210 Skyline might not be VIP but like I said there are always a few gems that stand out at these sort of events.

The Hayashi Racing wheels are always a nice choice for any vintage car, adding a great contrast to the orange body and black overfenders..

Yokohama Advan Neova AD08 make sure that modern levels of grip are generated at each corner.

A few bozo touches like the trunk spoiler and the rebellious “train handle” attached to the tow hook…

…finish off the car rather well.

Vans make up an ever increasing part of the modern VIP scene. All sorts of models were on display at this year’s Excite King, from small kei-vans to the biggest available on the domestic market like the Toyota Alphard and Vellfire and of course the Nissan Elgrand. And it’s this E51 Elgrand that would have easily took the best van of show award if I were judging it.

I don’t think I’ve ever come across a van that made me go back a couple of times to take a few more looks. Proud, the creators of the custom aero, did an excellent job of transforming the “toaster on wheels look” with an aggressive set of bumpers, front fenders…

…and a slightly extended hood that gives an evil look as it partially covers the very top of the custom headlights.

This big Elgrand rolls on a set of 20-inch BBS LM’s 10.5J +20 front and rear shod in Nitto NT555 tires. Big Wald brakes and a custom set of lowered dampers…

…complete off the look perfectly. That’s it for this set of spotlights, but I think I might have to dig through all the pictures I took at Excite King and post another Spotlight-o-rama. What do you say, want to see more of these VIP cars in detail?

Excite King 2013 coverage on Speedhunters

-Dino Dalle Carbonare

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