Nearly 10,000 people packed into the Castle Combe Racing Circuit for Japanese Fest 2008-one of the U.K.'s leading Japanese-only car shows. They were treated to a record number of car club displays-over 2,200 vehicles-covering just about anything ever made in Japan, and then tuned and modified in the U.K. Although, I failed to spot any modified Evo Xs or the latest Subarus, but it's only a matter of time. Aside from miles of impressive mild-to-wild display cars, the show is also the perfect venue to check out the hottest new styling and tuning products available from the U.K.'s top Japanese specialists-all keen to feed the ever-expanding market.
A very suitable number plate...
A very suitable number plate for this Skyline.
This event isn't just a load of cars parked up. It's action-packed from the moment the gates open, with the chance to drive your car around the challenging 1.85-mile circuit and, as ever, slots for these track days were selling like hot cakes. If you weren't brave enough to risk your own car, you could watch the popular tire-shedding Driftworks demo. Just how much tire smoke can one car produce before the tire's burst? Quite a lot!
A punctured rear tire is an...
A punctured rear tire is an occupational hazard for a drift car.
Castle Combe has a very strict...
Castle Combe has a very strict 100dB noise-level limit for the track.
Nissan's one-off rear-wheel-drive...
Nissan's one-off rear-wheel-drive Micra 350SR is powered by a 3.0L V-6 350Z engine and six-speed gearbox, and it always draws a crowd.
Honda shows off their British...
Honda shows off their British Touring Car Championship-winning car.
It's been several years since...
It's been several years since Mitsubishi ran cars in the WRC, but the memories still linger on.
Nearly 10,000 spectators packed...
Nearly 10,000 spectators packed into the circuit to watch the all-day action on the track, especially the Drifting demos.
This 600bhp Evo III is about...
This 600bhp Evo III is about to start competing in Time Attack.
OK, Subaru might not be doing...
OK, Subaru might not be doing that well in the '08 WRC, but rally replicas are as popular as ever.
It's not just modern cars...
It's not just modern cars at Japanese Fest-this immaculate '71 Datsun 240Z was fitted with a 1JZ-GTE engine conversion.
Hey mate, somebody's grilling...
Hey mate, somebody's grilling burgers in your boot!
Here's an old-school Mitsubishi-long...
Here's an old-school Mitsubishi-long before Evo became a household name.
This is the fastest Lexus...
This is the fastest Lexus IS200 in the U.K. and the first with a 2JZ-GTE conversion (3.0L 24V twin-turbo HKS 2835 GT).
This strange green mid-engine...
This strange green mid-engine kit car-right up the back of an Evo-is powered by a Honda Type R engine and hits 60 mph in less than 4 seconds.