
Cars are different things to different people, but one thing that ties us all together is passion. And there was a lot of passion at this year’s Slammed Society Japan gathering in Fuji Speedway, where a love of cars was celebrated with a fusion of styles.

Stance is the obvious defining factor that binds all these cars together, but it was extremely interesting to see how things have evolved in the space of 12 months, as people continue to push the boundaries.

Unlike fast-paced events, Slammed Society is always a great place to relax. You can really take your time to stroll through the hundreds of cars on display and see the sheer creativity that has gone into making each ride different from the next.

It kicked off early on Sunday morning, when a long line of cars began to slowly make its way from Fuji Speedway’s gate all the way to the paddock behind the grandstands…

… where they were lined up one by one.

Aside from the 350 registered entrants, another 50-odd cars showed up as an extra…

… and much-welcomed bonus to the turnout. This being Japan, it’s that little bit extra that really helps take a great event and make it amazing.

Yes, it’s really all about standing out, and witnessing different approaches people take to achieve the ‘wow’ factor.

It’s also the place where you will find love it or hate it onikyan – that exaggerated negative camber look…

… and a uniquely-Japanese facet of the ever-expanding stance movement.
Pushing boundaries
One of the most anticipated cars of the second half of 2013 has been Kei Miura’s Rocket Bunny Ver. 2 aero kit for the ZN6/ZC6. After flooding the interwebs with CG images of every possible color variation of the car, it was finally great to see the prototype in person. Built for a TRA Kyoto customer, it’s still sporting a couple of coats of white primer but will be sprayed in metallic green later on this month.

If you’re not big on bolt-on flares, then the FR-S that Weld have put together is probably going to impress you. Both front and rear fenders have been widened the old fashioned way: by meticulously welding on and shaping metal to create the new aggressive pumped-up contours. What Weld has planned for the engine is even cooler though – think N/A tuning and velocity stacks and you might get some sort of idea where this project is heading.

BNR34 wheels on an E46 M3? Well only Kawasaki-san at Doriten magazine could have come up with a combo like this. We dig it!

Struuth maate! A Holden ute in Japan? The guys at l’aunsport – famous for creating WRC-inspired body conversion for Impreza and Evos – have began bringing in these V8-powered trucks from down under. How about that for standing out!

During the show we had a special guest show up at the Speedhunters booth. Miura-san was looking for a few stickers to add to his latest project.

And speaking of our partners, how could we possibly not mention the car that started off 2013 with a bang – the BenSopra 380SX. The guys at BenSopra have been a little quiet over few months, but that’s because they’ve been working hard on a new project. What could it possibly be?

The canopy area of the paddock at Fuji was hiding a select few cars riding on the new AME x Fatlace wheels…

… which were making their Japanese debut fitted to a select number of iconic Japanese cars…

… as well as a favorite in the stance movement – the Honda Civic.

And speaking of Hondas, take a look at this flat pink CR-Z on white BBS rims. This is definitely one hybrid you won’t miss!
Purists look away
It may not be what Senna might have done with his own NSX, but when it comes to getting noticed, shocking people is a goal that owners shoot for in this scene.

Spray-on rust may have taken over the real thing, as this Toyota bB shows. Call it an evolution…

… but as an alternative, the clean look seems to still be very much in vogue.

It’s cars like this R32 Skyline that really define Slammed Society Japan for me. A concoction of styles coming together to create a one-off look which embodies everything that this movement represents, while so obviously screaming ‘Japan’. While it may not be something I would ever imagine doing to my own Skyline, it did bring a smile to my face.

Admittedly, at the beginning of the year I did question the lack of a rear bumper on the BenSopra 180SX kit, but I’ve come to understand what Miura-san was thinking. As long as the rest of the car has enough ‘in your face’ details like center exit pipes and a wild rear diffuser, it’s a look that can really be pulled off.

As you will see from the coverage that I will post up in the next few days…

… variety is what really makes this show so special. It may only be in its third year, but Mark at Fatlace has really managed to bring together a great mix of cars…

… that collectively represent where Japanese car culture has come from; where it’s at ,and where it’s going…

… all spiced up with plenty of entertainment and cool beats pumping throughout the day.

I’ll leave it here for now, but make sure you check back to see which cars stood out at this year’s event. Before I do that though, there’s a certain flat-white Toyota 86 we must take a closer look at…
Thanks Dino! Excellent shots of the FT86's Im rockin those on my desktop for sure.
Bah Im in Japan yet so far from the car scene =(
that 180 is mental
Nice meeting you again Dino! Missed out on that Silvia with takeyari pipes; damn public viewing times! But at least they let us in for free (^o^)/
jcali Stay tuned for a full feature on the Rocket Bunny
Omnigear Where?
tokuku Which one?
azmedaj Ah yeah the roll in is one of the best part of these events as you hear and see the cars actually moving lol
S15 with the pipes was awesome but that WELD Gt86 is something else, Kinda reminds me of a BMW 1M.
The amount of 86 projects going on kinda numbs me to them but I think a feature on that could be promising ;).
I think Im going to have to get a flight over for November. Great Article Dino!
Any word on whether or not the BenSopra boys are planning to hit up Italy this year for reelz? Or will that 380SX just become another hard-parking demo car?
PaulDYuen Oh don't you worry, once Jonny at Weld is finished with his 86 I'll be the first one shooting it!
FunctionFirst Forgot to ask them that actually. Last I heard it was still on, but hey who knows with these things...
The grey, Q45 I think? Has my personal favorite fitment. Screams Bee Dragon, shorudazuri style!
Gotta say I'm not really a big fan of Muira-san's ver 2. However the 380 is mental
Completely agree, V1 looks way better in my opinion, and that Weld 86 looks incredible!
oneslyfox Each to their own as they say but yeah, that Weld car is a work of art. Can't wait until the engine is all done and I can shoot the damn thing!
@TomKimmell shorudazuri ftw!!!
Oddly enough. I love both V1 and V2 of the Rocket Bunny kit for the GT86. The Weld GT86 is mentally crazy (can't wait to see the feature on that)
This is a great event for me i like the japanese usdm touch.
This is so much better than that crap H2Oi that people seem to like so much.
I hope that I live in Japan
speedhunters_dino Omnigear
Sasebo, about 30-40 miles north of Nagasaki-ken >_<
wow, certainly didn't expect to see a vy ss ute in this post! i wish it had been a falcon though
envyxf250 Yeah tell me about it! There really is something for anyone in Japan
KRaZyAmmo Yep, will have to show how the fenders were actually made
I just can't get into this "half" flared look....they just look unfinished the way they end and leave a lot of the tyre exposed......not to mention the crap that must get sprayed down the side of the car.
Great coverage though!
How do you spray on rust?
speedhunters_dino KRaZyAmmo I would LOVE that VERY MUCH
me not like onikyan, me think look silly hahaha. Great coverage! How many in total?
speedhunters_dino envyxf250 I'm interested in seeing what the Japanese can do with them, as long as it's not cut springs and dodgy V8 Supercar inspired body kits.
speedhunters_dino PaulDYuen
Awesome man, looking forward to it!
love the first pic
Great coverage like always Dino!!! ( would love to see more wp content)
What a great event.... Japan in a nutshell.
Thanks for the pictures!!
Listening to Zion I's "Re-Load" and thinking to myself this could be the very last decade of car life as we know it, and with the way things are going right now there is no way of telling what will happen in say 10 years from now...cherish the moment. I never thought I would say this, but even hellaflush has it's place in the car world. After all, how else would you attract kids these days to cars, am I right or am I missing something?
Can we PLEASE get a special on that Weld FRS? It's GORGEOUS.
Dino, when is Slammed Society 2014?