If you’ve been lurking around this website and our social media channels over the past couple of weeks, then you know that Top Gear Philippines recently went to Japan for the 2025 Tokyo Auto Salon weekend.
During said weekend, we also joined a small gathering hosted by none other than our friends from Karrera Cafe and Carbon Detailing Studio. Unfortunately, due to schedule constraints, we were only able to go on the third and final day of the weekend.
To our delight, we were greeted with stories of just how many people turned up during the first two days. In fact, at some point during Day Two, more than a hundred of people—mostly Filipinos who weren’t even based in Japan—were at the Daikanyama Garage. And that’s exactly what amazes me.
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See, it’s not like the venue was big enough to host hundreds of people at a time. Nor was the display a car show of sorts that would draw massive crowds—it was the exact opposite. It wasn’t boring by any means, but it was a laid-back event in a laid-back neighborhood.
For context, the pop-up only had two cars on display: a for-sale classic Datsun Z432—the then-most powerful version of the original Fairlady Z—and the absolutely bonkers Porsche 935ML by Madlane. Neither of these, especially the latter, are cars you’ll see every day, but to have hundreds of people pull up just for these were, well, sugoi. There was also various artwork by Filipinos showcased at the venue, as well as motorsports memorabilia.
I expected a good turnout, but honestly, hearing the stories and seeing the photos surprised me. Some VIPs even came by, including Kazuki himself, the mastermind behind the 935ML. Meanwhile, the Pinoys who swung by simply wanted to see the display up close and get together with like-minded individuals. To go to that extent just to share a space with fellow Pinoy car enthusiasts? That says a lot. Ultimately, they all just wanted to be around cars and talk cars—it was TAS weekend, after all.
Visitors also bought all sorts of merch including clothing and apparel from Buzzhype Motorsport and Neo Classic. By the time we arrived, they’d already moved a good chunk of the merch in stock.
This year’s success has me excited for the future. Especially since the same people who put this event together are already looking forward to next year, which only tells me one thing: There’s more to come. Japan got a taste of Filipino car culture this year, and surely things will be even bigger next year.
See you all again in 2026, then?
More photos from the Karrera x Daikanyama Garage pop-up event:
