Automotive Cocktail: <br/>Auto Legends 2013
Mixing things up

This past weekend was all about mixing things up. We have seen countless times how well the Japanese manage to fuse different styles into one single event, but the Auto Legends really takes this whole concept to extremes.

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There I was being blown away by countless immaculately executed old school rides…

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…slammed kaido racer-inspired JDM classics…

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…and on the other side of the Nagoya Port Messe was a mouthwatering line-up of exotics. But it didn’t end there. The organiser of the show, Watanabe-san at Rocky Auto, sure knows how to assemble the most individualistic kyusha in the country – but he didn’t forget to add a little extra flavour in the form of pretty much everything else. So with every step it was all about finding out what was on the next display.

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From pristine AE86s like this Black Limited Trueno sitting next to a boosted Levin…

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…to the legendary sort of machinery we’ve now come to expect to find at a show of this calibre.

Tales of the unexpected
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And then there is the more unexpected! One section was all about crazy drag machines like this AVO/Motec Japan R31 sporting an RB26 conversion and a very serious stance. Despite having full drag tires front and rear and a tubbed chassis, the owner has managed to get it street registered! The car has just been completed and will be undergoing testing pretty soon.

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More drag goodness from KKR AutoWorks…

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…and JUN Auto Sales with this pair of Zs.

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Japanese rarities were also present in surprisingly big numbers, like the five Toyota 2000GTs I spotted lined up in a display from a private collection.

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By my first loop of the Port Messe I was beginning to kick myself for not having had the chance to check out this event in the past. Watanabe-san has always mentioned I should stop by, as it would provide the right sort of cars for an interesting series of posts on our site…

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…and he was definitely not wrong.

A celebration of Japanese car culture
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Probably the best way to describe Auto Legends is to call it a celebration about what is right about Japanese car culture in general, how every scene is accepted and respected by the next…

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…where such different cars can all coexist in a display of pure automotive passion.

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If you’re not into the older stuff, how about something a little more modern – like this Z10 Soarer. I don’t know if this car has been sitting in an air-tight room for the last 30 years, because it looked like it had never turned one of those shiny BBS wheels!

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And under the hood, I hear you ask?

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I noticed this G-Tech Fiat 500 from a little distance, and it just looked so strange seeing it head-on. It wasn’t until I got a little closer that I noticed a good 20cm had been chopped off the roof!

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Sticking with Italian cars, I came across this wide-body Alfa Romeo 156 on the Wolf Exhaust Systems display riding on some Mesiters. Italian cars plus Japanese wheels gets a big thumbs up from me…

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…as did this 911 right in front of it.

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If there was one car I thought didn’t need additional customising, it was probably the Mitsuoka Orochi. As you can see, I was obviously wrong!

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Oh, and I did forget to mention the ample number of old and new amesha, or American, rides?

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To say I have tons to show you from Auto Legends would be putting it lightly. I’ve filled up a couple of CF cards with such a mix…

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…it will be a pleasure handpicking the best cars I came across. But before I do that, I’ve got to jump on a plane to Italy – so you will have to wait until I touch down to see the best of rest!

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1

Don't understand how the chapters add to the experience of reading the article.
Just three chapter titles that could be used interchangeably.

2

Alex Moore I don't understand how you add to the experience of the internet. Get over it already! The chapters are here to stay. I have never read so much speedhunters as I have since chapters. I love them

3

Alex Moore its just a different way of taking you to page 1, 2 etc which is common in online articles.  At least it doesnt bring about a host of ads etc when you click through

4

"Despite having full drag tires front and rear and a tubbed chassis, the owner has managed to get it street registered!"
 Well, the rear tires seems to have a bit of thread, they aren't full racing slicks, but still...

5

Great article! Chopped Cinquecento got my attention. How does the inside look?

6

Great article! Chopped Cinquecento got my attention. How does the inside look?

7

IDK about pristine Black Limited. Left turn signal is smoked while the other is normal :p

8

IDK about pristine Black Limited. Left turn signal is smoked while the other is normal :p

9

Alex Moore I agree.  I liked the simple action of scrolling down, down, down...

10

Alex Moore I agree.  I liked the simple action of scrolling down, down, down...

11

No words... Just drool...

12

No words... Just drool...

13

it's so good to see the old classic Japanese drag cars since the sport is no where near as popular as it used to be. hopefully it starts to pick up in popularity soon!

14

As hard as I hear it is to get a car on the road in Japan, I'm extremely interested in finding out how they managed to get that R31 to pass muster.  
And I just know you got some Rotary Love for us, right?

15

As hard as I hear it is to get a car on the road in Japan, I'm extremely interested in finding out how they managed to get that R31 to pass muster.  
And I just know you got some Rotary Love for us, right?

16

Very nice, Dino.  I love that Soarer.  Was a hit car back in the day when I came to Japan.

17

Very nice, Dino.  I love that Soarer.  Was a hit car back in the day when I came to Japan.

18

SO awesome :D !

19

@TokyoCarGuy Thanks!

20

@TokyoCarGuy Thanks!

21

Simply P Yes it can be sort of easy to pass wild things at the shaken but that R31 is on another level lol.  Yes some rotaries coming too ;)

22

@MrMike0c I wish!

23

meal stub Hehe

24

koko san How does it look? Cramped haha

25

ToyotaSupraMan Yeah but still....

26

Alex Moore Give it a couple of weeks, and then let me know what you think again :)

27

speedhunters_dino koko san thought so ;)

28

Just brilliant :) This is the first time I've heard about the Mitsuoka Orochi outside of Top Gear when James May tested it.

29

Just brilliant :) This is the first time I've heard about the Mitsuoka Orochi outside of Top Gear when James May tested it.

30

Just brilliant :) This is the first time I've heard about the Mitsuoka Orochi outside of Top Gear when James May tested it.

31

AlexanderEvensen They were made by Devil Japan. I think the line is called shadow spoke. There are lots of different print ads on the web. 
http://image.importtuner.com/f/features/1308_20_Coolest_Old_School_Wheels/56517739/Best-Old-School-Wheels-Devil-Shadow-Spoke-12.jpg
Check out this site too: http://kyushashoes.com/

32

AlexanderEvensen They were made by Devil Japan. I think the line is called shadow spoke. There are lots of different print ads on the web. 
http://image.importtuner.com/f/features/1308_20_Coolest_Old_School_Wheels/56517739/Best-Old-School-Wheels-Devil-Shadow-Spoke-12.jpg
Check out this site too: http://kyushashoes.com/

33

Ferrero1911 Thank you! I'll check it out.

34

Ferrero1911 Thank you! I'll check it out.

35

SirbuCalin1 Thanks man!

36

yuzusheep Picky lol

37

hey, keep the download wallpaer feature.. really nice pics you take there..

38

hey, keep the download wallpaer feature.. really nice pics you take there..

39

I was looking at posters of the event... Nagoya seems pretty far from downtown Tokyo :(

40

Good work!! Really need some high resolution/wallpaper picture on mobile, I've found two picture high res here, the kenmeri in opening and the purple kyusha datsun,but need more!!

41

Good work!! Really need some high resolution/wallpaper picture on mobile, I've found two picture high res here, the kenmeri in opening and the purple kyusha datsun,but need more!!

42

Good work!! Really need some high resolution/wallpaper picture on mobile, I've found two picture high res here, the kenmeri in opening and the purple kyusha datsun,but need more!!

43
speedhunters_dino

Zeafone They are all high res, plus check out the other coverage from the show ;)

44
speedhunters_dino

LouisSoon It wouldn't be if it wasn't for the traffic!  Then again with the Shinkansen it's only 1h and 20 min away :)

45
speedhunters_dino

Muhammad Harith Thank you Sir :)

46

need more drag racing on this site!!

47

Any more photos of the classics ? See some interesting rides like the 1200 Ute, the 2000GT Datsun/Nissan, and Mazda RX3 amongst others.

48

that 6m powered soarer is amazing. i wish you would have gotten the engine bay pic from the other side though, he had to have had some sort of after market manifold (maybe itbs! :D) because the stock yota one goes across from cold to the hot side of the engine bay.

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