Driven Edmonton Weekend

Gary Wang July 7, 2018

Has it been over a month since I updated the site? Man, time just flies sometimes and I forget to keep up. Driven Edmonton happened on June 23rd at the Grant Macewan Underground Parkade. Another great event hosted by the Driven team. There were quite a few repeat cars from last year, but also many new ones. Here's a photo dump of my favorites! Let's go!

S14 goodness. Tight fitment and the dark purple is always a treat! Don't think I've ever seen that wing before either!

This stanced miata was super clean. Appreciated the largely stock (although widened/pulled) body

Tasteful wood Nardi pieces inside as well

Mean Subbie. All black is a winning combination

ZE40s, Varis fenders, STi hatch. Perfect.

New widebody! Stock body last year, but it looks so much more aggressive now.

Always a winner. Doesn't matter how many times I see it, I will photograph it

The white car is now black. Still menacing.

@trunger 's S2000. My lord, probably cleanest, meanest, most aero-ed out S2K I've ever seen. Digging the hardtop especially.

I've never seen this Evo before, but I should have. Canards and big front lip fit perfectly.

Freshly built RWB, 993 cabriolet. What is ground clearance?

Clean Hako with some nice Work Equips and overfenders

Love VIP'd Aristos. This was no exception.

This big bodied BMW was a favorite. Largely OEM with a huge drop, it looks sweet.

Murcielago's haven't aged all that well, but the rear end still looks awesome. Especially with that big center exhaust.

This IS was just absolutely ridiculous. Laying frame on the ground, the widest bolt-on fenders I've ever seen, and camber for days.

Special shoutout to this IS. I believe the carbon trunk is an ultra rare Vorsteiner piece. Dammmmnmnnn.

Love this car but the stock fitment is ehhhh. I'm assuming some lower offset wheels are on the way.

This GT-R was just ridiculous. Full Varis Kamikaze kit with CARBON FIBRE Advan GTs. Insanity.

In other somewhat unrelated news, I bought a new car!

2009 Porsche 911 Carrera 2. Excuse the photobomb.

I had been looking for an IS-F for so long, but I had wanted a 2010 or later model. The nice ones were 40-45k, which put me dangerously into cheap 997 territory. Down the rabbit hole we went and after a weekend drive to Calgary, this car is now mine. I'm now part of the Porsche club! Woohoo!

More photos coming (I promise)

Cheers,
Gary

Driven Calgary Weekend

Gary Wang May 29, 2018

Having planned this trip for a few months, I was super excited to join Theresa and Terence of TT Auto and drive down to Calgary to hang out for the weekend. Although things didn't go perfectly (read: ripped off my EZ lip and damaged my Vizage kit), it still ended up being a memorable weekend. Let's get started!

We headed out Friday bright and early at 7:00am. Cars packed and ready to go, we hit the highway and started our 3 hour journey to Calgary.

Theresa was holding onto my camera and used the Ferrari as a camera car to take some photos of the Slamry. Much appreciated, and the photos came out great as well!

The front end was a bug massacre, but thankfully Lightroom helped remove some of it.

Our first stop was the Ferrari dealership, as Terence had an appointment to program some extra keys for his car.

It was a bit surprising how the Ferrari Dealership looked...well like any other dealership. Besides the copious amounts of red supercars!

This F12 was very pretty (It also had immaculate black paint which is always a big thumbs up in my book)

Obligatory photo of the F430 with the big Ferrari logo

Next up was the Porsche dealership to look at cars. Specifically to ask about GT3's (not me, Terence). It was also a great excuse to sit in everything we could get our hands on!

911 Turbo Cabriolet...I'd never buy a convertible (hell, I can't afford one anyways) but after sitting in it, I understand a bit of its appeal!

I've always loved Porsche interiors. They feel luxurious without being overwhelming with the electronic gadgetry.

The rest of Friday was spent eating at OEB, Village Ice Cream, Jinya Ramen, and Uzu Taiyaki. And breaking my car in Chinatown.

Saturday was spent at Driven, and after a big OEB breakfast (again), we headed to Olympic Oval and proceeded to spend money and take photos. Let's go!

Widebody S15 + carbon fiber wheels = recipe for success

Favorite R35 Kit. Varis Kamikaze I think this also had carbon fiber Advan GT's as well.

Speedtech's K-swapped 911 made it down for an appearance as well.

The most recent RWB, built in Vancouver, was unveiled at the show. Not a fan of silver but it works well on this car.

Also got a photo with the man himself, Nakai-san!

Loved this S2000. Looks super aggressive with the carbon fiber lip and canards.

The rear was also decked out with a big carbon fiber wing and diffuser.

One of my favorites at the show was this air ride Accord Wagon. I've never seen one in person and this one was fully decked out.

The trunk setup is super clean as well. Lots of time and effort (and money) went into this car!

Slammed Subies were a frequent sight at the show. Fitment on point on this one.

Purple M4 that came down from Edmonton. Color is kinda obnoxious but also works well for the car.

R34 GT-Rs were also well represented with this clean V-Spec example

Big wheels, deep dish, overfenders. What's not to like?

Birdy's (@kingsmustrise) making his regular appearance at Driven.

A subtly modified S2000. I dig the paint matched front lip.

Cleanest stock ITR I've ever seen. Even the stock wheels are polished to factory spec. Honestly amazed examples like this exist!

I also managed to catch Nakai putting the idlers logo on the tires of the newest RWB build! He sprays them so quickly and doesn't mask much off besides the first inch of fender.

Rally liveries on STis will never get old

@derpyfrs makes another long drive from Vancouver to show off his FR-S. He changes things up every year but the car always looks good.

@nvmyevox showing off his newly wrapped Evo X. This car also won best wrap. Well deserved!

The crew that made the whole RWB exhibit and Nakai-san's appearance possible!

We finished Saturday off with AYCE sushit at Oishii which was amazing, then headed to bed early to get out of the city early Sunday.

On our way to breakfast, Theresa hopped in my car and I lent her my camera to get some rollers of the Ferrari. The results are amazing!

After breakfast in Calgary, we drove back to Edmonton and quickly set up for the ECM meet at Certified Radio. TT had a tableand I was there to document it!

Tina's Genesis at the meet. Great job organizing the meet!

@realwheeldeal 's FR-S. So many goodies on one car!

And of course, some photos of the Ferrari to finish things off.

Things have since calmed down, and I expect there won't be so much content coming up in the next few weeks. Driven Edmonton is coming up in less than a month though, so be excited for some coverage of the event!

Cheers,
Gary

780Tuners Season Opener

Gary Wang May 29, 2018

A bit late to the party, but the 780Tuners Season Opener happened on Sunday, the day after the Legit Society Opener. This year's meet was massive, probably almost twice as large as last year's. The Costco parking lot was completely filled with cars as well, which was unreal. I wonder if they'll have to find a new venue next year. Anyways, on to the photos!

Starting off with the Speedtech crew, who had their K-swapped 911 and Rocket Bunny S13 out. Both cars are immaculate!

This super clean Civic engine bay with a hood exit exhaust was also present.

The 2000GTX Hakosuka, once again. Clean and period correct wheels (which you can't see in this photo).

@lsfohunnid 's LS400. Crazy static setup and in pristine condition. VIP goals!

@neilgounder 's R34 Sedan with GTR body panels. Looking clean!

This S14 was also at the Legit Society opener. Again, so clean and so low.

Loved this GC8. The front lip isn't one I see often and it looks really good.

Don't see many Vipers at these meets. They should come more often ;)

A dime a dozen (but still fast as hell and good looking)

This Lotus Esprit was a surprise, it was my first time seeing one in person!

Finishing it off with a clean wing-less S15

We finished off the blistering hot evening with McDonald's and some Young and Dangerous at the shop...no better way to spend a Sunday!

Until next,
Gary

Legit Society Season Opener 2018

Gary Wang May 19, 2018

The first car meet of the season (that I attended, anyways) was held on a beautiful, warm, sunny, albeit a bit windy day and was a great start to an amazing summer car season. Plenty of cars and nearby food stalls made for a very enjoyable afternoon. I am also probably a few shades darker, but that's okay. The cool cars made it worth it. Let's get started!

Starting off with Kevin's (@special.kai) widebody IS350. New livery and carbon hood this season. Livery is straight fire!

Angle 3 (can you tell I like this car??)

Kanji's (@thekcamacho) BRZ. It's no longer purple, its white/black. Also those Rotiform HUR wheels are gigantic!

@first_gear_project 's FRS. Don't think anything changed over the winter, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

I don't think I've seen this car before.  Super clean, slammed to the ground S14. No idea how he drives with the static suspension in this pothole ridden city... — I don't think I've seen this car before. Super clean, slammed to the ground S14. No idea how he drives with the static suspension in this pothole ridden city...

Some beautiful titanium piping hiding under this EVO X hood

I saw this black supra rolling in at like 9:00pm at the Midnight RevUp show last year. Finally get to see it close up. Work VS-XX wheels in this colorway is one of my all-time favorites.

This S2000 was also at Midnight RevUp. crazy low offset on the BBS wheels to clear brakes. Probably super meaty tires as well.

Blue Advan GTs and carbon fibre canards. Sticky rubber as well.

Peter's (@realwheeldeal) FR-S. ZE40's, Voltex GT wing, Titanium Exhaust. It's like Peter's specialty is JDM performance parts...

Cool bolt-on rear fenders. Doesn't have a cut for between the rear bumper and quarter panel, interesting.

@rj_i_am_groot 's Evo. Always clean. Being a professional car painter probably helps!

Gerick's (@d_d0ubleg) Rocket Bunny RC350

Of course I had to take a photo of Terence's F430

BANANA MR2. More cars need to be yellow!

Berry's (@lifewithbleung) Varis kitted FR-S. The dish is unreal.

Finishing off with Kevin's IS 350 rolling out.

We're not done yet! Tomorrow is the 780Tuners Season Opener, followed by track day on Monday. Expect more posts and photos!

Cheers,
Gary

Portland 2018

Gary Wang May 19, 2018

Before I start the blog post I just want to say that the weather in Edmonton is unbelievable right now. Sunny, warm, breezy, it's perfect. Summer in Edmonton is finally here, and I could not be happier.

Moving on, this is a bit of a late post, but earlier this month I had the opportunity to visit Portland. The whole premise of the trip was to take photos for one of my good friends, who studies Optometry at Pacific University, as she had her white coat ceremony. However, most of the trip was spent visiting Portland proper and surrounding areas and enjoying the warmth and humidity.

Day 1 was spent flying, freaking out over an Airbnb booking, and having ramen when we arrived. Not a brilliant first day but the next few days will make up for it.

Day 2 started with us having breakfast at Broder Nord, is a nordic-style cafe and brunch place. After filling up, we grabbed our rental car and visited some of the better known Oregon waterfalls.

First up was Multnomah falls, easily accessible regardless of fitness level (zero hiking is required). Sadly, it wasn't possible to walk on the bridge in the photo, due to forest fires the year previous.

Next up was Bridal Veil falls. Again, easily accessible, it was probably a 10 minute hike that felt more downhill than uphill. Probably not as picturesque as Multnomah falls, but you could get way closer to the waterfall.

Basic AF girls want photos beside waterfall - Oregon circa 2018

The rest of day 2 was spent vising downtown Portland. Salt and Straw was a favourite, an ice cream shop that had a rotating monthly menu. Absolutely delicious. Must get it with the waffle cone (it's the only way to eat ice cream, in my opinion).

Dinner was at Luc Lac, a sorta-sit down restaurant in downtown that made some bomb Viet food. Also the decor was amazing. I know it's unfair to say that and not include photos, but think slightly dingy but with the coolest murals on the walls (lots of dragons). Like the Vietnamese version of Shiki Menya.

Day 3 started off with arguably the most disgustingly greasy meal I've ever had in my life. Black Bear Diner is apparently a staple breakfast place in the US and holy hell their portions were large enough that one dish was almost enough to get me to puke from fullness. Delicious, but I almost couldn't eat for the rest of the day. After the white coat ceremony, we visited Uwajimaya and Kinokuniya, a grocery store and book store respectively, to browse and grab a quick lunch. It seems that I visit these two stores at every US city I go to (Seattle and San Francisco also have these stores) but the one in Beaverton was quite small. Food was delicious though.

Later that evening, I was looking at photo spots in Portland and learned about Pittock Mansion, just outside of Portland proper. A solid 30 minute drive through some really smooth twisty roads, and we were there.

The grounds surrounding the mansion had an overlook where you could see downtown Portland and Mt. Hood. Fantastic!

The mansion itself was very well maintained, as were the grounds. Almost looks like somewhere Batman would live.

Dinner was at Lupe's Escape, a hole in the wall Mexican restuarant with massive portions and unlimited nachos. I wanted something small for dinner. Things didn't go my way...oh well.

Day 4 we skipped breakfast simply because we were still full from last night and headed over to Pacific City to visit Cape Kiwanda, a large rock/sand formation overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

"the pioneers used to ride these babies for miles" - Spongebob Squarepants

After our adventures on the beach, we finally succumbed to hunger and visited another greasy joint. Mr. Bento Burger in Hillsboro. Best part about that restaurant? Glass bottle Coca-Cola. The only way to drink it!

The rest of the day was spent at the vineyard trying wine (not my thing but the view was great), and visiting the Division area of Portland. Feels kinda grungy, kinda hip. Like Whyte Ave. One of the places we wanted to visit, Pok Pok, had a 2 hr wait, so we cut our losses, visited Salt and Straw again, and ended up having a quick bite at the Whiskey Soda Lounge, Pok Pok's sister restaurant across the street. The evening ended early, as we had to get up at 3am for our 6am flight. Oh the joys of travelling...

Now that PharmD is over (for good, or at least until August), expect a massive amount of car content coming up the next few months. This weekend is already stacked. The Legit Society season opener just happened, the 780Tuners Season Opener is happening tomorrow, and Monday I'll be spending some time at Castrol Raceway.

Cheers,
Gary