It is without a doubt that within the last decade of Australia’s tuner car scene, dedicated automotive shows which cater to this niche have dwindled significantly. 2010 was the last year Australia saw a full national tour of the Auto Salon show series. Since then, enthusiasts from this sub-culture haven’t been blessed with as many consistent and quality indoor oriented events to attend.
There are lots of factors which have contributed to the downsize of Australian-based indoor tuner car shows but a contributing reason is the rise in casual events. Thanks to social media and this interconnected 24/7 world we presently live in, all it takes is 5 minutes to create an event on your smart phone and for that notification to reach a few hundred people. These events are usually hosted at public venues, people turn up with their rides, have a good time and decided to do it again next week. It’s so easy to create an event so everyone creates one. I have nothing against this; I sometimes attend these types of events here in Adelaide but like Newton’s Third Law states: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The indoor tuner car shows were essentially replaced by casual meets.
The surge in popularity of casual and regularly hosted events – with their ease of creation and participation – saw the push to innovate with creative and quality modifications reduced. Also taking a toll as part of this phenomenon was vehicle presentation and overall standards, as punters rushed to install knock-off parts, tacky mods and other questionable alterations in preparation for their next event (which was often a car park meet, held every other week). When this scenario escalates, the standards seen in the tuner car scene community takes a dive. Don’t get me wrong, not every enthusiast subscribes to this thought – with quality modified vehicles still being built – but just at a biased ratio in favour of the questionable.
Would punters of the modified car scene prefer to attend 24 fortnightly subpar meets or enjoy 2 quality larger events with perhaps 4 minor meets each year? This is a subjective question with no right or wrong answer but if you asked me, I’d elect for the latter. I would rather be mind blown once or twice a year by all of the amazingly built vehicles displayed at a dedicated event or show, than attend a meet each fortnight/month with shabby cars. When a quality over quantity approach is applied – in the context of automotive shows and events focusing on late model modified vehicles – I’m positive the overall standards of vehicle presentation will rise. Don’t get me wrong, casual meets have their place in the circle of modified car scene life but when that’s all there is, the roots of larger and carefully orchestrated events (as well as their accompanying byproducts such as the equilibrium or rise in modified vehicle standards) aren’t able to blossom.
If the count of casual events or meets reduced significantly, in addition to only one or two major events materialising in your own state each year – the push to buy that new kit, fit those new genuine wheels, re-do that interior or debut a new paintjob, increases tenfold. This was how the scene operated before 2010. I always stand by the belief that you should own and/or modify your car for your own pleasure and not anyone else’s but there seems to be a correlation between vehicle presentation and quality of modifications when there’s less influencing events one can enjoy their car at. Too much of anything can sometimes be a bad thing; it’s all about equal yin and yang in the end.
The last few years saw WTAC’s Stylized Show and Shine (though not an indoor show) and Hot Import Nights reiterate the above concept to Sydney locals. As you’ve read from part 1 and part 2 of Skibeemo’s report, the Melbourne modified car scene was provided with a similar intensity via Black Label Invitational 2019; in addition to taking things up a notch by being invitational in nature. In my eyes, these events have been a blessing for Australia’s modified car scene as they’ve contributed to raising the standard of not just the vehicles displayed at these shows but the wider tuner car scene community; providing a chug of inspiration to all those who participate in this hobby and industry of ours.
With that said, let’s jump right into the third and final part of Skibeemo’s Black Label Invitational 2019 coverage. The show was now officially opened for business, with the Melbourne Showground’s Exhibition Pavilion filled with spectators wandering around and as I observed – falling over at all of the prodigious exhibits displayed. It was warming to notice the reaction of some, including my friend Anton (who flew up from Adelaide and falls under the third wave group) getting all excited with the cars he witnessed as his eye had never seen modified vehicles executed to this standard in the flesh. This aspect of Black Label Invitational was one I really appreciated and revered; I’m sure there were many spectators who felt the same excitement as Anton and hopefully, all these new experiences and perspective opened their eyes to re-thinking what they could accomplish with their own cars that may assist in raising the standards within their local communities.
Although Black Label Invitational 2019 was packed with a full house by this time, a majority of the photos below were captured during roll-in. When it comes to experiences – especially car shows – I try my best to live in the moment without experiencing the entire occasion solely through my DSLR’s view finder. An example of this thought occurred when I encountered V-Spec Performance’s Millennium Jade BNR34 pair, having spent a solid 15 minutes admiring the duo before my index finger even contemplated reaching for the DSLR’s shutter button.
There are some pretty amazing automotive collections in Australia but when it comes to vehicles of Japanese origin, V-Spec Performance’s fleet takes the cake. The company’s founder holds an incredible portfolio of some of the most desirable and rarest Japanese performance cars on planet earth, including numerous demo cars from legendary Japanese tuning houses. The latter, represented at Black Label Invitational 2019 as a neat pair of Skyline GT-Rs built by famed workshop – Mine’s Japan. While the right hand side example – sat on Pressed Graphite Volk TE37 wheels – was a customer commission build, with the owner shipping said vehicle to Japan for Mine’s to carry out the required surgery including installation of their renown 2.8L stage 2 kit (with forced induction achieved via two GCG GT2860R-2 snails), the left hand side example was quite something special. Mine’s only ever built one Millennium Jade BNR34 demo vehicle and this very car is that example. Now owned by V-Spec’s customer Enson Zhao, the unicorn originally sat on center-lock Nismo LM GT4 rims but Enson has since swapped them for Bronze Volk TE37s. The Mine’s demo car also runs a twin turbo setup, thanks to HKS GT-SS snails. Outputting 350kW, the figure is not sky high but one centered around reliability and response – a tuning mindset and philosophy Mine’s is acclaimed for. V-Spec Performance do own a third Mine’s BNR34 GT-R, a white example originally built for Mine’s company boss Michizo Niikura-san, but this particular car wasn’t present at Black Label.
If you’re a Skyline GT-R enthusiast like me, you would’ve discovered earlier in the year that V-Spec Performance were fortunate enough to acquire a BNR34 Skyline GT-R Z-Tune. With only 19 limited units produced, many would’ve been in the mindset of preserving them in their original and factory condition as values have not stopped climbing. However, V-Spec’s boss – despite owning such a unicorn – decided to make his example different from the other 18 Z-Tunes, commissioning the artisans over at Omori Factory in Japan to perform a complete no-expense spared restoration. The end product resulted in a fresh Midnight Purple III Z-Tune emerging from Omori Factory’s sacred workshop and judging by the photos online, the car looks absolutely stunning. My fingers were crossed, hoping to catch the purplely gold unicorn at Black Label Invitational but V-Spec elected for GT-R Festival 2019 (which took place in Sydney the week after Black Label) as the event they’d debut their Z-Tune at. Nevertheless and in addition to the Millennium Jade GT-R duo, V-Spec also brought along two other vehicles to Black Label Invitational 2019. Amongst them was this second generation NC1 NSX. The first ever customer delivered NC1 to Australia, V-Spec Performance’s NSX adorned a black vinyl wrap for most of last year. The vinyl has since been deleted, revealing the NSX’s original Casino White Pearl hue which was complemented with Racing Titanium Blue 20-inch Yokohama Advan GT wheels.
V-Spec Performance also brought another Honda to Black Label Invitational. When it comes to Japanese tuning shops, Powerhouse Amuse has to be one of the most exotic. The workmanship found on their performance parts are of incredible standards. Powerhouse Amuse have built various demo cars over the last two decades, with one of them – the legendary Amuse S2000 GT1 – having featured in many Japanese automotive media outlets, in addition to appearing in video game titles such as Gran Turismo. The vehicle below is the real deal turbocharged S2000 GT1 built in the mid 2000s by the company’s late founder Hideki Tanabe-san. It was surreal to have an opportunity to get up close to this S2000; I could only imagine what it would’ve felt like to witness the hissing and screaming of the 2.3 liter F20C-powered Honda flying down Tsukuba Circuit’s main straight, banging through each gear within the HKS sequential transmission.
Despite enjoying the vibe from a jam-packed Black Label Invitational 2019, and completing numerous rounds of each entrant row, I still couldn’t get over the quality of each vehicle displayed. This event really defined the notion of standards and should be a case study for punters curious as to what constitutes a well-modified vehicle or well structured showcase.
It’s always a pleasure to see any of Nigel Petrie’s creations in the flesh. Although his infamous Hilux drift ute was not present at Black Label, he did bring along the Engineered to Slide Silvia. Nigel’s naturally aspirated S13 features a ton of amazing craftsmanship and I’m sure the finished product will be spectacular.
Aside from a handful of vehicles representing from Sydney, two cars from Canberra were also invited along to Black Label Invitational 2019. It takes a lot of commitment and effort to ship/drive over vehicles from other states to participate at events so kudos to the white FD and VA STI’s owner for participating. I actually saw these two cars in Sydney last year at WTAC 2018 so it was nice to see them again, albeit in Melbourne.
TNT Garage were also present at Black Label Invitational 2019, showcasing some of the components and services they offer. Founded by brothers Thomas and Toli Sar, the workshop has built a reputation for building some of Australia’s fastest H-badge vehicles. Thomas’s grey S13 Silvia – which is powered by a turbocharged K20 engine – took home the Best Engine Bay award at Black Label thanks to its impeccable smoothed, tucked, painted and reinforced finish.
Also on display at TNT Garage’s booth was Richard’s EK Civic. I recall seeing this EK in 2016 at an event called Hondas by the Dockyard which was hosted by Melbourne Honda Club; it featured the same concave-faced bronze Volk TE37 wheels but the car retained its original factory green hue at that time. Since then, Richard has installed J’s racing front fenders, resprayed his car blue, and added a snail to the Civic’s engine bay.
The four-door vehicle game was strong at Black Label. Incredible examples were parked within every row of the Exhibition Pavilion, including numerous examples which formed the stance-oriented Violent Clique club display.
Corey Joshua decided to ditch the German heart his E30 BMW was born with, and replaced it with a Japanese power train. The smoothed and tucked RB26 found in the E30’s engine bay was remarkable. Parked alongside fellow Violent Clique vehicles, it wasn’t the Fifteen52 Formula TR rims or Airlift Performance bags that had me intrigued but the fact that Corey transported his car all the way from Tasmania to participate at Black Label Invitational 2019. That’s dedication.
Modified Euro cars were shown plenty of love. Immaculate classic and modern examples were spread across the Exhibition Pavilion, each beaming with tremendous amounts of aura.
Nim Mehra had two of his fine cars displayed at Black Label. Two polar examples of different styles, his classic S30 Zed looked the business. Bronze Volk TE37V rims, Sparco seats, half cage and a front mounted oil cooler makes for the perfect Sunday morning driver. Nim’s other ride – a BMW E87 1 Series – was bagged to the floor on Ferrari F40 inspired rims and received a new purple paintjob (which replaced its previous Johnny Walker Blue Label livery) for Black Label; the perfect show oriented workhorse.
I was first introduced to the Mazda Autozam AZ-1 thanks to a Hot Version DVD. A red example with an incredibly loud HKS SSQ BOV was being thrown around the Gunsai Touge by our three favourite presenters. I’d never seen an example in the flesh before so was taken back when I saw Daniel Moldrich’s beast. Daniel also owns Jdmparts.rupewrecht, a parts importing business specialising in sourcing vintage and rare Mazda pieces. A stash of cool wheels were sat behind his AZ-1 at Black Label Invitational 2019.
Going from one uncommon Japanese car to another, this Tommykaira BNR34 Skyline GT-R is quite a rare sight. The Kyoto-based company have manufactured their own cars in the past (namely the ZZ lineup), but are probably better known for various turn-key modified models they’ve produced. Tommykaira have worked their magic on all generations of RB-based Skyline GT-Rs, with the BNR34 receiving three different treatments: R, R-S and R-Z. Aside from all of the wonderful GT-Rs on display at Black Label, spectators were also treated to Shahram’s rare Tommykaira R-Z. Only 11 examples of the R-Z were built, which saw extensive modifications carried out – with the sum of the mechanical enhancements netting 530 horsepower. The R-Z’s also came with a unique analogue tacho/digital speed cluster, in addition to an original aero package the Tommykaira BNR34 Skyline GT-Rs are synonymous with.
I’ve been to my fair share of car shows over the years. It can get quite exhausting spending the whole day on your feet as these types of events typically don’t incorporate dedicated rest areas. In addition to all of the immaculate exhibits displayed, my second favourite component of Black Label Invitational 2019 was the bean bag chill out area. A simple idea on the surface but one that paid dividend to all attendees, just chilling out and resting on a bean bag for a few minutes every couple of hours (while enjoying the sights and sound of everyone’s favourite Hollywood tuner-car movie franchise) made for a revitalising pit stop and kept most people’s physical energy levels high throughout the day. This technology needs to be implemented at every car show.
The facilities and nature of MK Motorsports’ workshop, which can be found in the suburb of Clayton, is truly immaculate in all manners. MK Motorsports is a supplier of premier parts and distributes some of the world’s most reputable performance brands including but not limited to Akrapovic, KW Suspension, Rays Wheels and Michellen tyres. Fittingly, the company had assorted racks of forged Japanese wheels on display, in addition to a couple of exotic display cars such as this warship grey BMW i8 and M4.
Black Label Invitational 2019 was a sensory overload on all accounts. The event was setup in a very unique way, as each entrant was personally selected and invited to display their vehicle at Black Label, ditching the traditional application/screening/approval method. This fundamental of Black Label ensured that the event showcased only the best of Melbourne’s modified car scene – forging an incredible automotive showcase experience for both entrant and spectators alike.
There were nothing but quality examples of modified vehicles in every direction you faced. Black Label was an automotive show the Melbourne tuner car scene desperately desired but it takes a lot of time, money and energy to orchestrate such event. We all owe it to Raymond Christophorus and his team for answering the Melbourne community’s longing with the delivery of Black Label Invitational 2019.
It’s now been just under two months since this incredible automotive showcase took place but the long lasting high and continued conversations regarding just how magical Black Label was continues to occur on and offline. It took 3 post, 300+ photos and over 6,500 words in an attempt to describe my experience of Black Label Invitational 2019 here on Skibeemo but it’s been nothing but a pleasure to undertake. I hope you all enjoyed the report. I can’t wait to repeat the process again as Raymond has officially announced that the automotive art gallery that is Black Label Invitational will be returning with a version 2.0 in 2020.
Every modified car enthusiast in this country should be stapling Black Label Invitational to their automotive events calendar. Black Label Invitational introduced a new paradigm to delivering an indoor tuner car show and has already directly, as well as indirectly, contributed to the rise in modified vehicle standards within Australia; an element our scene requires at this point in time.
