Cars and Coffee 2015: The JDM Legends and the People Behind Them

It was 2015, and the world of JDM cars was still thriving. The buzz of turbocharged engines, the hiss of blow-off valves, and the unmistakable smell of high-octane fuel filled the air at an early Sunday meet-up. Melbourne’s automotive culture was at its peak, and the monthly Cars and Coffee event was the heart of it all. A place where JDM enthusiasts and their rides came to shine.

For me, a die-hard lover of all things JDM, this was sacred ground. I’d arrived in my mildly tuned S14, parking it between an RX-7 and a classic AE86. As I sipped my latte from a local coffee truck, I realised the real charm of the meet wasn’t just the cars, it was the people.

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The Skyline Dreamer

The first car to catch my eye was a gunmetal grey Nissan GT-R R32. Its RB26 purred like a lion just waking up. Standing proudly next to it was Jason, a guy in his late 20s wearing a shirt that read “Godzilla is Real.”

“I imported her straight from Japan last year,” he said, running a hand lovingly along the GT-R’s rear quarter panel. Jason had been working as a picker in a warehouse while saving every cent for his dream car. “I was 12 when I first saw an R32 on Gran Turismo,” he laughed. “It’s been an obsession ever since.”

The car wasn’t just for show, Jason had built it for track days. He’d spent weekends tweaking the ECU, upgrading the suspension, and squeezing every bit of performance out of the iconic twin-turbo inline-six. “She’s quick,” he said with a grin, “but she’s got soul. That’s what these cars are all about.”

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The Rotary Whisperer

A little further down, I spotted something rare even by JDM standards—a Mazda RX-7 Spirit R. Its sleek lines were impossible to ignore. The owner was fielding questions from a small group of curious enthusiasts.

“I rebuilt the engine myself,” he said, surprising everyone. He explained how he’d overcome the notoriously finicky nature of rotary engines by meticulously tuning the fuel map and upgrading the apex seals. “Rotaries aren’t unreliable,” she said firmly. “They just need love.”

I met up with the owner a few years later and was asked to photograph it. I couldn't say no, could you?

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The AE86 Purist

In a sea of modded cars, one stood out for its simplicity: a panda-coloured Toyota AE86 Trueno, complete with the “Fujiwara Tofu Shop” decal. It belonged to Liam, a soft-spoken guy who looked barely old enough to drive.

Liam had spent every spare moment restoring it. “I didn’t go crazy with mods,” he explained. “The 4A-GE engine is stock, and I’ve kept the suspension close to factory spec. I wanted to honour what it was.”

Liam’s Trueno wasn’t the fastest or flashiest car at the meet, but it had something no amount of horsepower could buy: authenticity. It was a rolling homage to the golden age of JDM and I'm about 30 seconds away from buying this model kit.

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A Shared Passion

By mid-morning, the car park was packed with every JDM icon you could imagine, Evos, WRXs, Supras, and even a rare NSX, half of which have been repaired after being on the WOVR.. So do a VIN Number Check QLD kids. But the real highlight of the day wasn’t any single car. It was the conversations, the camaraderie, and the shared love for these machines.

I met a group of university students crowded around a Nissan 180SX, brainstorming their next mods. There was an older guy, easily in his 60s, proudly showing off his pristine Datsun 240Z. And then there was Sam, a mechanic who’d brought his Frankenstein of a car—a Nissan 350Z with a swapped RB25 engine. “Why?” I asked. His answer? “Why not?”

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The Magic of 2015

Looking back, 2015 feels like a golden era for Melbourne’s JDM community. Cars and Coffee wasn’t just about showing off; it was about learning, sharing, and connecting. It didn’t matter if your car was a bone-stock Honda Civic or a fire-breathing Supra. What mattered was the passion behind it—the hours spent wrenching in a cold garage, the thrill of finding that perfect part on a forum, the joy of cruising with the windows down and the boost gauge climbing.

As I fired up my Silvia to head home that day, I felt a deep sense of gratitude. Gratitude for the cars, sure, but more for the people who make this culture so vibrant. Because at the end of the day, a car is just a car. It’s the stories behind them—the late nights, the long roads, the friendships—that truly make them special.