Having seen Larry Chen's posts on this, definitely want to see moreKiwiDave wrote: Wed Mar 18, 2026 6:23 am Is there any interest in a write-up on this here? I don't wanna bore people, but if people wanna see, I'll sort something out.
Luft Tokyo
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speedingfine
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Re: Luft Tokyo
Send me links to cars for sale with throttle bodies.
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Rich B
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Re: Luft Tokyo
Bore away sir!
Re: Luft Tokyo
I'll take that as a yes... As mentioned at the start of the thread, a good friend of mine just DM'd me one morning in Feb saying 'Do you want to go to this?' The words 'Fuck yes!' left my mouth without even thinking about it. What happened between then and the event has been quite interesting. I knew of Luftgekühlt being a certified Porsche fanboy that follows far too many Porsche adjacent social media accounts for what my wallet can afford, but beyond the basic concept I didn't really know what to expect. I'd seen the idea played out on the Hollywood backlot a few years ago with Jeff Zwart, photography and film advertising legend of cars that he is, arranging and staging the cars in a way which is visually pleasing.
So to me - this was my fave cars, staged by someone who is a photographer and thinks like one, in one of my fave cities on earth. Why wouldn't I go!? Especially when my friend has access to cheap flights.
My buddy Ash is also a photographer and has been making steady progress the past few years in shooting cars. He had a fair bit of work up on Speedhunters before it went pop for instance and is continuing that work through other platforms. When his images are done I'll post them up too. Ash got media access, deservedly so. I didn't apply, because despite the idea being attractive, the fact remains I've barely photographed anything for a decade. In the lead up there were a lot of conversations about what to expect, and how to shoot it to get the best results. I maintained to Ash that the period immediately after sunset would be the magic, where daylight balances with the city lights. I also maintained to myself that I was going for the event, and if I happened to take any pictures, they were for me, not for anyone else.
It's also worth noting that the event seemed to grow by the hour in the week before. What started as an expectation of some classic, rare Japanese Porsches grew. RUF, Singer, Ghunter Works all joined and in fact the only big manufacturer/tuner who wasn't there was Tuthill, even though their work was represented via Singer. The hype was real, but when I got into the event, I still only expected to see maybe 40-50 cars. As you'll see the reality was different.
For photographer types here, because I wasn't trying to get anything published, I chose difficult over easy. No zooms, just prime lenses. Everything here is either a 35mm f/1.4, a 50mm f/1.2 or a 135mm f/2. I had a 24 tilt shift lens in my bag which never got used because tripods were banned. I wanted to try and isolate the cars, ideally have them largely alone in their setting, a bit like an architecture photo that happened to have a car in it. It plays to a decades long fascination with minimalism in photography for me. I quickly learned how fucking hard that would be with 12,000 people present and I also cocked up a lot of shots because my technique with silly narrow depth of field wasn't up to scratch after nearly ten years barely shooting...
So what you see is hopefully less of a 'car show' and more of a look at cars in their environment. Maybe...
As you can see, people were everywhere.
The location was the former KK Line in the heart of Ginza, Tokyo. I'm sure many of you will know, but for those who don't, Ginza is one of the more upmarket, classy parts of Tokyo. Think boutiques rather than hole in the wall ramen shops, though in practice, both happily exist together. It's the first time I've moved around Tokyo by car (we hired a little Toyota Sienna) and using the various expressways of Tokyo was eye-opening. Firstly, while we were there, they were running. We hit traffic but never became stationary. Secondly, in the middle of the city, they're all narrow two lane roads and weave through the city in very close proximity to everything else. Parts of the expressways were originally canals and it's not uncommon to find at one spot where you'd drop a pin on a map, to have three, four and sometimes five levels of roads and rail going on. The transport network is essentially a tightly packed, three dimensional weave around the city. Lastly you enter and exit these roads through an ETC toll booth, gateways over the road you drive through (generally) automatically, your car having a card which is activated as you move around. We paid our tolls when we took the car back.
The section of the KK Line expressway the event made use of is approximately 2km long and now unused. It's very shortly going to begin its journey to becoming a green belt pedestrian space. So running a car event on it was a one-off, apparently years in the making. They'll allegedly never have access to this space again.
To some of the cars. There were approx. 200 cars there, and all you need to know is that the six Singers parked close together were probably the cheapest cars in their section. There was a 959 there (badly staged) I only took a photo of on my phone. It was that kinda event.
It comes to something when I genuinely don't know how many '73 2.7 RS cars were there... At least six I think.
Yes, that one. A silly rare factory RUF CTR Lightweight supplied direct to Japan. One owner since new I believe...
If it had GT or RS in the model designation, it was almost ordinary...
Max Orido's 911 (of Best Motoring and being a badass in Japanese race cars fame)
An actual Cup Car under the original Expressway signage... (almost like the idea of a 964 Cup Car on the road should have been done before right Patrick?)
There were Singers...
A Gunter Works Speedster...
A Japanese Police 911 complete with original, crazed paintwork...
And a lot of race cars...
And lastly some detail shots and closeups etc...
A couple of short video clips. First one is the Singer DLS clearing its throat, the second an example of how hard it was to shoot anything without people walking in front of you (and this was already much quieter in the day).
So what did I think? We came away genuinely wondering if we'd ever see anything like this ever again. You felt like you were part of something going down in history, so much so, I ordered the rather expensive commemorative book. In that regard, it was by far the best car event I've ever been to, and it's quite possible I won't ever top it. Even the weather, which the day before was overcast and grey, giving incredibly muted images, came good. We had warm spring sunshine, clear skies and not a drop of rain or snow.
There was a small smattering of the tragics there, dressed head to toe in Gulf or Martini clothing. There were the braying Americans acting like everyone owed them something, and there were influencers there who had no idea what they were looking at. I overheard one guy, equipped with his Sony VHS-C camcorder and fisheye lens on the phone saying "they said to get tech and lifestyle content, so here I am!" On the whole though, they were in the minority, and by far outweighed by impeccably dressed locals and genuine hardcore car nerds.
For me wearing a photographer's hat, it was a victim of its own success. There were, by far, too many people to make decent imagery, which is in itself, the heart and premise of the event. Even those with press access were sharing the space with all the owners and VIPs, 300 'Early bird' ticket holders and the other 115 press pass holders. I would have paid five times the ticket price to have access on a day when just photographers were allowed, I could see hundreds of images which would be gallery worthy waiting to be taken if I had a tripod, tilt shift lens and some space. The amount of effort the shots above where there are few if any people around took to create was silly. I chatted briefly with Jeff Zwart and he intimated that the width of the road hindered staging, with so many cars, there was no option but to line them up like any other car show and as a consequence the number of genuinely staged photographic options was limited. Frankly what Jeff did in that space, whatever he charges, it's worth it.
And so to perhaps the main point, that it was (at least) a two tier event. If you're part of the 'in' group, your access to the event is different to everyone else's. Larry Chen and a select few others had access I'd kill for in the days before, and I understand why they would do that. What I find interesting about that is I don't see any of the images I would have taken appearing anywhere - and to me that means either my taste is way off base and not even slightly of currency, or there's missed opportunity. I could have worked in that space with 200 others and produced stuff I would have been really proud of. And of course, in the Porsche community, the movers and the shakers were a different kind of royalty. The trip crystalised something for me in regards to this - I follow Type 7 and all of the other community adjacent channels. I entirely buy into that lifestyle, the morning coffee runs in the 911, the architecture, the better designed version of whatever you're looking at - I'm a design snob. What I was getting to grips with before the trip was that I don't want to look like that person because I need to portray a caricature of myself to project style, it's just stuff I really like and I'm interested in. To a tee, the Japanese contingent at the event had that nailed - they simply didn't care if you knew who they were or why they were a big deal, they just existed, and just so happened to also be art and design nerds with it.
It left me realising, yet again, Japan does almost everything better than anywhere else, in a classier way than anywhere else.
Would I do it again? 12,000% yes. Would I have a word with the organisers about how to get art rather than social media content that's blown into the weeds in a week, also very much yes.
Did I belong? Probably not, but not sure I care. I'll still own one at some point.
///////
If there's any interest I can do another about the rest of the four day trip.
So to me - this was my fave cars, staged by someone who is a photographer and thinks like one, in one of my fave cities on earth. Why wouldn't I go!? Especially when my friend has access to cheap flights.
My buddy Ash is also a photographer and has been making steady progress the past few years in shooting cars. He had a fair bit of work up on Speedhunters before it went pop for instance and is continuing that work through other platforms. When his images are done I'll post them up too. Ash got media access, deservedly so. I didn't apply, because despite the idea being attractive, the fact remains I've barely photographed anything for a decade. In the lead up there were a lot of conversations about what to expect, and how to shoot it to get the best results. I maintained to Ash that the period immediately after sunset would be the magic, where daylight balances with the city lights. I also maintained to myself that I was going for the event, and if I happened to take any pictures, they were for me, not for anyone else.
It's also worth noting that the event seemed to grow by the hour in the week before. What started as an expectation of some classic, rare Japanese Porsches grew. RUF, Singer, Ghunter Works all joined and in fact the only big manufacturer/tuner who wasn't there was Tuthill, even though their work was represented via Singer. The hype was real, but when I got into the event, I still only expected to see maybe 40-50 cars. As you'll see the reality was different.
For photographer types here, because I wasn't trying to get anything published, I chose difficult over easy. No zooms, just prime lenses. Everything here is either a 35mm f/1.4, a 50mm f/1.2 or a 135mm f/2. I had a 24 tilt shift lens in my bag which never got used because tripods were banned. I wanted to try and isolate the cars, ideally have them largely alone in their setting, a bit like an architecture photo that happened to have a car in it. It plays to a decades long fascination with minimalism in photography for me. I quickly learned how fucking hard that would be with 12,000 people present and I also cocked up a lot of shots because my technique with silly narrow depth of field wasn't up to scratch after nearly ten years barely shooting...
So what you see is hopefully less of a 'car show' and more of a look at cars in their environment. Maybe...
As you can see, people were everywhere.
The location was the former KK Line in the heart of Ginza, Tokyo. I'm sure many of you will know, but for those who don't, Ginza is one of the more upmarket, classy parts of Tokyo. Think boutiques rather than hole in the wall ramen shops, though in practice, both happily exist together. It's the first time I've moved around Tokyo by car (we hired a little Toyota Sienna) and using the various expressways of Tokyo was eye-opening. Firstly, while we were there, they were running. We hit traffic but never became stationary. Secondly, in the middle of the city, they're all narrow two lane roads and weave through the city in very close proximity to everything else. Parts of the expressways were originally canals and it's not uncommon to find at one spot where you'd drop a pin on a map, to have three, four and sometimes five levels of roads and rail going on. The transport network is essentially a tightly packed, three dimensional weave around the city. Lastly you enter and exit these roads through an ETC toll booth, gateways over the road you drive through (generally) automatically, your car having a card which is activated as you move around. We paid our tolls when we took the car back.
The section of the KK Line expressway the event made use of is approximately 2km long and now unused. It's very shortly going to begin its journey to becoming a green belt pedestrian space. So running a car event on it was a one-off, apparently years in the making. They'll allegedly never have access to this space again.
To some of the cars. There were approx. 200 cars there, and all you need to know is that the six Singers parked close together were probably the cheapest cars in their section. There was a 959 there (badly staged) I only took a photo of on my phone. It was that kinda event.
It comes to something when I genuinely don't know how many '73 2.7 RS cars were there... At least six I think.
Yes, that one. A silly rare factory RUF CTR Lightweight supplied direct to Japan. One owner since new I believe...
If it had GT or RS in the model designation, it was almost ordinary...
Max Orido's 911 (of Best Motoring and being a badass in Japanese race cars fame)
An actual Cup Car under the original Expressway signage... (almost like the idea of a 964 Cup Car on the road should have been done before right Patrick?)
There were Singers...
A Gunter Works Speedster...
A Japanese Police 911 complete with original, crazed paintwork...
And a lot of race cars...
And lastly some detail shots and closeups etc...
A couple of short video clips. First one is the Singer DLS clearing its throat, the second an example of how hard it was to shoot anything without people walking in front of you (and this was already much quieter in the day).
So what did I think? We came away genuinely wondering if we'd ever see anything like this ever again. You felt like you were part of something going down in history, so much so, I ordered the rather expensive commemorative book. In that regard, it was by far the best car event I've ever been to, and it's quite possible I won't ever top it. Even the weather, which the day before was overcast and grey, giving incredibly muted images, came good. We had warm spring sunshine, clear skies and not a drop of rain or snow.
There was a small smattering of the tragics there, dressed head to toe in Gulf or Martini clothing. There were the braying Americans acting like everyone owed them something, and there were influencers there who had no idea what they were looking at. I overheard one guy, equipped with his Sony VHS-C camcorder and fisheye lens on the phone saying "they said to get tech and lifestyle content, so here I am!" On the whole though, they were in the minority, and by far outweighed by impeccably dressed locals and genuine hardcore car nerds.
For me wearing a photographer's hat, it was a victim of its own success. There were, by far, too many people to make decent imagery, which is in itself, the heart and premise of the event. Even those with press access were sharing the space with all the owners and VIPs, 300 'Early bird' ticket holders and the other 115 press pass holders. I would have paid five times the ticket price to have access on a day when just photographers were allowed, I could see hundreds of images which would be gallery worthy waiting to be taken if I had a tripod, tilt shift lens and some space. The amount of effort the shots above where there are few if any people around took to create was silly. I chatted briefly with Jeff Zwart and he intimated that the width of the road hindered staging, with so many cars, there was no option but to line them up like any other car show and as a consequence the number of genuinely staged photographic options was limited. Frankly what Jeff did in that space, whatever he charges, it's worth it.
And so to perhaps the main point, that it was (at least) a two tier event. If you're part of the 'in' group, your access to the event is different to everyone else's. Larry Chen and a select few others had access I'd kill for in the days before, and I understand why they would do that. What I find interesting about that is I don't see any of the images I would have taken appearing anywhere - and to me that means either my taste is way off base and not even slightly of currency, or there's missed opportunity. I could have worked in that space with 200 others and produced stuff I would have been really proud of. And of course, in the Porsche community, the movers and the shakers were a different kind of royalty. The trip crystalised something for me in regards to this - I follow Type 7 and all of the other community adjacent channels. I entirely buy into that lifestyle, the morning coffee runs in the 911, the architecture, the better designed version of whatever you're looking at - I'm a design snob. What I was getting to grips with before the trip was that I don't want to look like that person because I need to portray a caricature of myself to project style, it's just stuff I really like and I'm interested in. To a tee, the Japanese contingent at the event had that nailed - they simply didn't care if you knew who they were or why they were a big deal, they just existed, and just so happened to also be art and design nerds with it.
It left me realising, yet again, Japan does almost everything better than anywhere else, in a classier way than anywhere else.
Would I do it again? 12,000% yes. Would I have a word with the organisers about how to get art rather than social media content that's blown into the weeds in a week, also very much yes.
Did I belong? Probably not, but not sure I care. I'll still own one at some point.
///////
If there's any interest I can do another about the rest of the four day trip.
Last edited by KiwiDave on Thu Mar 19, 2026 11:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Luft Tokyo
Jaw dropping, amazing photos of amazing cars.
Rest of trip report when you've time please!
Rest of trip report when you've time please!
Re: Luft Tokyo
Awesome Dave, great photos and a staggering array of machinery. Thanks for writing it up.
Would also love to hear about the rest of your trip, Japan is top of my list of places I'd love to visit (if it was up to me).
Thanks for writing it up. Would also love to hear about the rest of your trip, Japan is top of my list of places I'd love to visit (if it was up to me).
Re: Luft Tokyo
Really well done write-up, enjoyed the whole thing 
It goes without saying that the photography was pretty special too!
Need to decide wha my favourite car was, this could take some time!
Dave!
It goes without saying that the photography was pretty special too!
Need to decide wha my favourite car was, this could take some time!
Dave!
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DeskJockey
- Posts: 6158
- Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2018 8:58 am
Re: Luft Tokyo
What the others said!
Can you condense it down to a 30 second influencer reel for the socials?
Can you condense it down to a 30 second influencer reel for the socials?
---
Driving a Galaxy far far away
Driving a Galaxy far far away
Re: Luft Tokyo
Awesome write-up, pics and event.KiwiDave wrote: Thu Mar 19, 2026 3:02 am
There were, by far, too many people to make decent imagery, which is in itself, the heart and premise of the event....The amount of effort the shots above where there are few if any people around took to create was silly.
I guess pics like this required you to get set and then just patiently wait until there were not people in the frame ???
I once took a great pic of my other half standing at the mouth of a cave (from inside) with an empty beach behind her. Only the beach wasn't empty. there were hundreds of people there. I have to wait patiently for the moments when there was no-one behind her to get the right shot. Add to that, this was the film days and even with bracketing, I had to take 6 or 8 shots with different exposure settings to make sure I got it right. She had to stand there like a lemon for about 20 mins.
this was very early in our relationship so she was prepared to be patient. She wouldn't do it now...
Last edited by dinny_g on Thu Mar 19, 2026 8:48 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Luft Tokyo
Quite a write-up Dave. 
Some lovely images there sir 
I'm going to have to go back and read it all again later.
I knew nothing about this event until now.....
Some lovely images there sir I'm going to have to go back and read it all again later.
I knew nothing about this event until now.....
Re: Luft Tokyo
Nice one, some lovely cars there and the background is great too
How about not having a sig at all?
Re: Luft Tokyo
What an incredible set of pictures - so so jealous. Japan and aircooled Porsches what a combo.
Re: Luft Tokyo
Just lovely Dave
The Evo forum really is a shadow of its former self. I remember when the internet was for the elite and now they seem to let any spastic on
IaFG Down Under Division
IaFG Down Under Division
Re: Luft Tokyo
Enjoyed reading that Dave, great pics too!
The Orange Safari 911 and the 906 on the fancy wooden platform for me please.
Regarding it being a two tier event, I know what you mean. That year when I was jammy enough to win VIP tickets at Goodwood, got a passenger ride with Dickie Attwood and went into check-in as a passenger the drivers building. Queuing behind Bruno Senna and watching Derek Bell greet Attwood like an old friend and several interactions with people well known in car and racing circles I'd never otherwise meet...It was a nice insight into a world I don't belong...much like you, I doubt any car shows I go to in the future will top that one!
The Orange Safari 911 and the 906 on the fancy wooden platform for me please.
Regarding it being a two tier event, I know what you mean. That year when I was jammy enough to win VIP tickets at Goodwood, got a passenger ride with Dickie Attwood and went into check-in as a passenger the drivers building. Queuing behind Bruno Senna and watching Derek Bell greet Attwood like an old friend and several interactions with people well known in car and racing circles I'd never otherwise meet...It was a nice insight into a world I don't belong...much like you, I doubt any car shows I go to in the future will top that one!
Oui, je suis un motard.
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speedingfine
- Posts: 2666
- Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2018 1:05 pm
Re: Luft Tokyo
Fab photos and report Dave. Can certainly see why it was a must do
Send me links to cars for sale with throttle bodies.
Re: Luft Tokyo
Thanks for the kind words gents. 
I'm gonna put these up in different places too, but the full write up is for you guys here I think. I figure all of us would be interested in such an event, so just some honest thoughts and opinion I guess. I've been mulling over my 'I'd do it this way to make it better' thoughts a bit - truth is to the event creators (Patrick Long, ex works Porsche driver and ambassador, and Jeff Zwart, advertising photographer and filmmaker and campaigning in Porsche at Pikes Peak and others) it was probably a roaring success. Huge numbers, bonkers PR on socials, pretty much all of the Porsche community tuning in, factory blessing and reposting on socials - for an independent event it doesn't get much better. So maybe my thoughts aren't worth shit... Yet I still think the difference between this and other events is the 'stage it like art' angle and in this they semi failed, and/or failed people such as myself who come to it specifically to try and make something really special.
I'm happy with what I shot, but I could see more in there I guess.
From what I've seen, the big distinguishing angle is that I was trying to photograph it largely like an architecture show wherever possible, getting all the angles and verticals square. As you can probably gather, had I had free reign I could have been there for days geeking out on making things absolutely spot on.
I'm gonna put these up in different places too, but the full write up is for you guys here I think. I figure all of us would be interested in such an event, so just some honest thoughts and opinion I guess. I've been mulling over my 'I'd do it this way to make it better' thoughts a bit - truth is to the event creators (Patrick Long, ex works Porsche driver and ambassador, and Jeff Zwart, advertising photographer and filmmaker and campaigning in Porsche at Pikes Peak and others) it was probably a roaring success. Huge numbers, bonkers PR on socials, pretty much all of the Porsche community tuning in, factory blessing and reposting on socials - for an independent event it doesn't get much better. So maybe my thoughts aren't worth shit... Yet I still think the difference between this and other events is the 'stage it like art' angle and in this they semi failed, and/or failed people such as myself who come to it specifically to try and make something really special.
I'm happy with what I shot, but I could see more in there I guess.
Yes basically. That particular shot was about 20mins sat on the floor with ten other photographers over my shoulder all trying to get something similar and waiting too. There were the odd shots where I helped photographers get their image by counting them in as people left the frame... 'wait, two left, NOW! Two second window.' Interestingly enough, I was keeping an eye on a lot of the peeps with cameras - vast majority left the event at some stage. Weren't many of us which did the full eight hours, probably due to there being no food, drink or bathrooms inside the event.dinny_g wrote: Thu Mar 19, 2026 8:43 am I guess pics like this required you to get set and then just patiently wait until there were not people in the frame ???
From what I've seen, the big distinguishing angle is that I was trying to photograph it largely like an architecture show wherever possible, getting all the angles and verticals square. As you can probably gather, had I had free reign I could have been there for days geeking out on making things absolutely spot on.
Re: Luft Tokyo
I think what makes the pictures so amazing - I mean apart from undeniably photography skill - framing, light and what not - is the location. Positioning cars so quintessentially German in a location that is so quintessentially Japanese gives a contrast that elevates the shots to epic levels.
I wonder what a car show of Rice Rockets in Modena would be like - would it have the same effect ?
I wonder what a car show of Rice Rockets in Modena would be like - would it have the same effect ?