Lexus Delights 20th Toyotafest Attendees
The 20th annual All Toyotafest, hosted by the Toyota Owners and Restorers Club (TORC), took place this past weekend in Long Beach under perfect Southern California weather.
TORC’s main goal is to “promote the preservation, restoration, modification and use of pre-1985 Toyota models,” but it also wishes to encourage an appreciation of the car maker’s future, which is why the All Toyotafest now includes newer models as well as Scion and Lexus.
There’s no better glimpse into the automotive future than at the SEMA show, and Lexus brought out their specially built show cars from the 2014 gathering in Las Vegas. It was a treat for many enthusiasts as this was their first time seeing these cars in person.
The Insta-Built RC F is a definite head-turner, with its seafoam green paint and LEXON aero components. Lexus’s Instagram followers were integral in the design of the car as they voted for each of the modifications that VIP Auto Salon executed.
Sitting low next to the Insta-Built was Beyond Marketing’s RC 350 F Sport, wearing a custom Rocket Bunny wide-body kit designed by TRA-Kyoto. KW Suspensions’ Variant 3 coilovers plus their Hydraulic Lift-System give this red rocket its mean stance.
Beyond Marketing’s second car, an Ultrasonic Blue Mica RC F, rounded out the stable of Lexus’s SEMA show cars along with Seibon Carbon’s IS 350 F Sport and 360 Elite Motorworks’ NX 200t F Sport.
Drifting fans were excited to see the A’PEXi Lexus SC430 that was piloted by Kuniaki Takahashi during the 2014 season of Formula Drift. This car was converted to right-hand drive to facilitate a faster acclimation for D1GP veteran Takahashi.
Toyota stepped up their fan-service game and gave show goers an intimate look at the FT-1 Concept, a track-focused car inspired by the company’s racing heritage.
And in case people weren’t familiar with Toyota’s sportscar and motorsports background, they could look to either side of the FT-1 and see two pristine examples from Toyota’s museum in Torrance: a $1 million 1967 2000GT and an 800 horsepower Eagle MK III GTP.
The privately owned cars on display rival those from any automotive museum. Some of the best examples of classic Toyotas basked in the sun and ocean breeze alongside later-generation nostalgic cars like the Supra and AE86.
The most impressive thing at the show wasn’t a car, but the deep-rooted passion for the marque. There wasn’t a single model that dominated the event. Instead, a diverse group of passenger and sports cars from various decades reflected the everlasting love and enthusiasm from its equally diverse group of owners.
The pride and joy garnered from these cars is inexplicable and unique to each owner. Take this 1988 Cressida for example, a meticulously maintained vehicle with a 2JZ-GTE engine swap.
The Toyota Owners and Restorers Club has come a long way from its humble 1995 beginnings in San Diego. It’s well on its way to becoming a global phenomenon, and we can’t wait to see what next year’s show has in store for us.
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Photos by Andrew Chen
