Konnichiwa! That’s “hello” in Japanese. Why are we greeting you in another language? Mishimoto went to Tokyo Auto Salon, of course! One of the most highly anticipated car shows of the year, Tokyo Auto Salon features some of the most creative and innovative vehicles in the industry. Some cars show off form, some show off function, and some are just … because! Check out some of our favorites below:
While at SEMA, Mishimoto caught up with some our sponsored car owners. It’s always a pleasure meeting these guys (and girls!) face-to-face and hearing their stories. These cars are incredible, and we couldn’t be more proud to have our products make them even better. Check out the interviews below, with even more to come.
Nic Ashby gives a guided tour of the convention.
Ashton Stander and the Hillbank Motorsports HBR Mustang!
Ching Ching and the Infamous Scion xB!
Ed Stikeleather and the Felony Z!
James Gill and the 2005 “Butters” Scion xB!
Jeremy Hancock and the 1997 Honda Odyssey!
Mike Bonanni and the 2009 Nissan 370Z!
Michael Ma and the 2011 Ford Fiesta!
Patrick Widner and the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X MR!
Starting in early summer of this year, we’ve been getting asked by fans and friends in the industry if we were going to have a booth this year at SEMA. Over and over again, we kept saying, “No, not this year.” Our originals plans included having the Mishimoto 370Z exhibited in a booth and we would attend the show for meetings, catching up with old friends, as well as making new ones. Well, at least, that was the story until October 21st. In a last-minute decision, our team pulled together and decided we were going big or going home (or I guess in this case, staying home). To put things in perspective of how seemingly insane that decision was, that gave us exactly five business days to plan what most businesses plan out for months.
Behind the scenes, we were planning yet another secret involving our 370Z and a live transformation during the SEMA Show. We wanted to keep the lid tight on it because we didn’t want anyone to steal our idea of having the car undergo a “graffiti” makeover with the help of Krink Markers and the artists at Hydro74. Our partners didn’t end there. We also decided that we would have different celebrities stop by our booth throughout the week to autograph our hood that we would later put up for auction, with all benefits going to charity. The recipient charity of choice was the Make-A-Wish of Southern Nevada By the end of the last business day before SEMA, our team managed to pull together and have a great game plan for SEMA.
The team flew out to Las Vegas over the weekend and worked diligently on setting up the booth between Sunday and Monday. Everyone helped lay the flooring down, and helped get the 370Z jacked up to be placed onto display ramps, courtesy of Race Ramps. Tim, our videographer set up his 7D video cameras, as well as multiple RePlay XD HD cameras placed strategically throughout the booth so he could pull footage to make a stop motion video and ensure that no moment of SEMA would be missed. The artists from Hydro74 also began sketching out the outline of their design so they could begin work when the show opened the next day.
But… enough with the talking, let’s get to the pictures.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Not pictured: Ryan Tuerck (professional Formula Drift driver), Andrew Moschuk (professional DMCC driver), Dai Yoshihara (professional Formula Drift driver)
We haven’t auctioned the hood off yet, as it still needs to be clear coated and set first, but we’ll be sure to update you as soon as we have the official number of what we’ll be donating to Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Nevada.
