HALL OF FAME
Mazda Miata 13B REW - Kamil Kalina
If you think about a car that could win the Car of the Event award, a Mazda Miata probably wouldn't be the first choice. However, in the hands of a professional with a good idea for this platform, the car can outshine many other, theoretically 'better,' cars. And so, in 2014, during the first edition of JAPFEST, an extraordinary Miata was brought by Kamil Kalina. What set this car apart from others? Firstly, it was a freshly assembled and painted car. The paint was a hit at that time and quickly gained popularity. We're talking about Marrakesh Brown, which is more associated with the German tuning scene, making it a very bold move in the world of JDM. However, looks alone aren't enough to win the top award. The extraordinary addition was the very rare engine, especially in our geographic region. The choice fell on the legendary Mazda motor - the 13B turbo. This engine fit perfectly under the hood, looked phenomenal, and delighted us all with its classic rotary 'brap brap brap' sound. As some of you may know, Kamil is not only a tuner and mechanic but also a drifter. Therefore, the car (as it turned out during the festival) was not built only as a show car. For two solid days, Kamil drove this gem hard and mercilessly in drifting, and despite the heat, it stood up to all of Kamil's demands without the slightest hiccup. This confirmed our decision that it was indeed the rightful choice for Car of the Event.
Toyota GT86 by Mario
From the moment Mario's car entered the event, it already stood out above average. Back in 2015, it was the freshest Japanese base to build a JDM project - finding parts and preparing a comprehensive car was something difficult, laborious, and definitely consumed a lot of funds and gray hairs to acquire unique parts. What captivated everyone in Mario's GT86 project was the attention to detail and the use of original parts from Japan or the United States. There were no shortcuts taken. Top-tier wheels, top-tier suspension, body kit elements from top tuners in Japan, an endless list of additions and delicacies from brands like TRD, Alcon, Bride, Volk, Cusco, Greddy, APR, Perrin, or KW. Additionally, numerous unique interior elements added unprecedented quality to the car, which is what should characterize the Car of the Event! On top of all that, the factory boxer engine, tuned and turbocharged, was an uphill battle from the start, as from the first months of the existence of this base (GT86), practically 9 out of 10 projects were immediately built on the 2JZ engine, and tuning the original flat engine was considered senseless. Today, 8 years after winning the Car of the Event at the last Wroclaw Japfest - Mario's Toyota finally received the same 'reactor' as most others and has under the hood, tuned and ready for use literally a few days before the Japfest Tor Poznań - the iconic 2JZ from the Toyota Supra.
Toyota AE 86 - Sylwester
Since the first edition of JAPFEST, we've been waiting for someone to finally bring a Trueno or Levin, but one that's truly exceptional. And it happened. In 2016, for the first edition of Legnica Japfest, Sylwester came all the way from Białystok to show us his unique car - a European version of the AE86 sourced from the Swiss market, which he had been building and restoring himself. The car was flawless in every way, both in terms of bodywork and paint, and it featured many parts acquired by the owner from around the world over the years. In its original red-black paint scheme, on a good Japanese iconic wheel - that was the recipe for success as the top old-school car at our festival - and we really wanted the owner of this Japanese classic to finally receive the top award. The car remains in perfect and unchanged condition to this day, just as you see it here. We recorded an episode about this car on our channel - you can watch it here: Corolla AE86, which won JAPFEST
Honda S2000 - Kamil Bajcar
It was the car that literally stole our hearts from the moment it appeared at the gate. We always do extensive research before the festival, and we know which cars could be in the top ranks. This car before the festival was simply a black, well-maintained S2K. At the gate, it stood in a new, unique Apex Blue Pearl paint, with a widebody aerodynamic kit, featuring the most coveted Voltex wing, APR splitter, carbon hood, on original Rays wheels. We knew it right away - this is the best Honda we've seen at the gates of our festival for the first 4 years of its organization. A multitude of original parts from Japan, including even the smallest details. Kamil is so 'crazy' that he even sourced all the decals for the car for huge sums of money from Japan and never took shortcuts by using counterfeit parts. To this day, Kamil is known in the community for his love of original JDM parts and complete lack of interest in any cars other than Japanese ones. He can be called a true 'JDM orthodox,' but the quality of his cars (and he has built many of them) speaks for itself.
Nissan S14A pro drift car - Maciek Czyszczoń
It was the first pro drift car to appear at our event as 'brand new' - Maciek was basically picking up his car after many months of building it from the tuner - Kamil Kalina of KMS Engine. We had the beautiful opportunity to see the car completely black, without a single wrap, stylistically clean and perfect. Under the hood was a top setup based on the 2JZ engine, Ecumaster electronics, complete custom drift suspension with extended steering, carbon dashboard. Since 2018, the car has successfully competed in top drifting leagues in our country. As a reward for the Car of the Event 2018, Maciek won a full car wrap from Wrapster, which was the general sponsor at the time - and shortly after our festival, the car became yellow - just as you see it today.
Subaru WRX Buegeye - Adam Pachowski
We greatly appreciate projects done differently, creatively, and against the grain. The Subaru Impreza is a car that will always be associated with the iconic Mica Blue paint and rally applications. Adam took a completely different path by painting the car in the record-breakingly trendy Nardo Gray - known primarily from the VAG group's car palette - and preparing a typically street-oriented project. The car was widened with a 'widebody' kit, which gave it an exceptionally aggressive look. What did we appreciate most about this project? Adam's immense creativity and the preparation of an incredibly eye-catching car without using extremely expensive parts from overseas. We have a lot of self-made work here - especially in terms of the entire body kit. The car is 'dressed' in a multitude of elements that Adam and his friends made themselves and that are not available on the secondary market. Self-made work > expensive parts! We recorded an episode about this car on our channel - you can watch it here: SUBARU WRX Widebody Nardo Gray
Lexus IS-F - Bartłomiej Urbek
The car has been with us since the very beginning of the festival and has likely been present at every edition, a regular attendee and a project that has evolved along with the festival. Building an unconventional project based on the IS-F is exceptionally difficult in Poland because it's a very niche car for which there are practically no parts available in Europe other than wheels or exhaust systems. The car received a complete carbon body kit from brands like WALD, Tom’s, or SARD - all of which had to be imported from Japan, of course. Iconic, highly desired wheels on the JDM market like the Volk TE37SL, TEIN coilover suspension, CUSCO suspension components. The entire chassis of the car was disassembled and powder-coated in Tein green and then reassembled with polyurethane bushings. Additionally, a multitude of accessories that affect the performance of the 5-liter V8 engine were added - such as exhaust system, titanium intake, many interior elements, and stylistic components. Moreover, the car's control unit software was upgraded to versions from newer iterations of this model. The car appears simple in its construction, but when we delve into the details, it turns out to be a comprehensive project made without any shortcuts, based on top-notch parts from the Japanese tuning and motorsport market.
Nissan Skyline R32 - Dawid Bochniarz
Dawid purchased a fully stock R32 imported from Japan, equipped with a turbocharged inline-six, widely regarded as the best-sounding 2-liter Japanese engine in history - the RB20DET. What captivated us in this project was the enormous, painstakingly conducted bodywork and paint restoration that Dawid did himself with a friend in the comfort of his own garage. The car was widened with a Pandem widebody kit, fitted with a GT-R front end, and received a unique Honda S2000 Yellow Pearl paint. Mechanically, the setup was assembled with a Borg Warner turbocharger, the engine received aggressive Tomei camshafts, an AEM fuel system, a custom sports exhaust, intake, piping, all of which were accompanied by wiring and tuning done by Powered by MKlasa using Ecumaster components (EMU, ADU, PMU) which Dawid received as a Car of the Event award in 2021, breaking the historical prize bank at all our events! If the body kit and what's under the hood weren't enough, Dawid put his Nissan on iconic 19-inch Work Rezax wheels, 13" wide in the rear and 11.5" wide in the front, ensuring an incredible fitment with the body using an airride suspension kit based on ISC coilovers and AirLift Performance setup. This car is the epitome of project complexity, blending show'n'shine with performance and the uniqueness of JDM tuning style based on today's prevailing trends. We are proud that cars built like Dawid's Skyline represent JAPFEST and what we have built over the past decade!
Nissan Silvia PS13 - Paweł Bednarczyk
Before we talk about the car, we need to talk about the man. Paweł is one of the individuals who have had a significant impact on the development of the Polish JDM and drift scene. Along with his team Projekt86, for over a dozen years, they have been known for their immense love for Japan, the Ebisu circuit, and above all, the iconic AE86, the cars that started drifting in the Japanese mountains. Paweł has been with us from the very beginning, from the first JAPFEST, and over the course of this decade, the cars built by him and his team have stood under our stage at the awards ceremony multiple times, always receiving some of the most important awards. We waited for years for Paweł to build a car that would "sweep" and without a doubt, he succeeded in 2022 when the Projekt86 PRO drift car, built by Paweł and his subcontractors, hit the asphalt of the drifting tracks (or maybe not, because he might be drifting on the track right now!). The car was built over many months of hard work, consuming inhuman amounts of money and the effort of many professionals in our country. What sets it apart in the realm of drift cars we see at competitions is the attention to extraordinary style and the show this car puts on - glittery paint, many embellishments, a modern dashboard from the GT86, or alcantara details that elevate this car to a completely different level. The car boasts around 900 mechanical horsepower and annihilates a pair of new 18-inch semi-slicks in 30 seconds. Without a doubt, it is one of the most beautiful Japanese drift cars built in Europe.
Toyota Supra A80 - Łukasz Miturski
We don't need to tell anyone that the Supra MKIV is an absolute icon among JDM legends. Over the years, various generations of Supras have come to JAPFEST, and finally, we've witnessed the one deserving the title of Car of the Event, on the festival's decade anniversary. The history of this project began in 2016 at JAPFEST in Legnica and had its culmination at Tor Poznań in 2023. It's an incredibly comprehensive project built over the years, evolving alongside JAPFEST. It's impossible to fully describe it, so we encourage you to watch two films about this car - one is our documentary telling the story of Łukasz and his Supra's journey to the most important award at the festival ("Miało nas tu nie być"), and the other is a film from Supra Workshop, where Marcin talks about the technicalities and details related to its construction (Supra MK4 Mitoor - MAMY FINAŁ!).
