The day everyone anxiously waits for every year has come and gone again for the 8th year in a row. It goes without saying that the show continues to trump its previous one every year and I find that almost near impossible to do each time I write this. The show has grown to such large proportions that it almost makes me wonder how the illmotion team pulls it off. Of course – it obviously has a  lot to do with all the friends and family that come to help out on the day because it involves a lot of little behind the scenes work that most people don’t know about and we don’t expect you to know either. Planning for a show like this takes months and when a day like yesterday goes off the way it did, the guys should feel nothing but proud of their efforts as usual.

I don’t have the exact number but the entries this year was hovering between 500 and 600 this year which is INSANE if you think about it. There are cars from all over Alberta – including a few from BC and surrounding provinces – and to fit them all here in this lot is crazy. Over the last 8 years, the show has nearly doubled it’s entries and it just keeps getting bigger. For the last 7 years, the Max Bell arena has been the home turf for the illmotion show but in the last several years, it was getting uncomfortably tight. This year, the guys found a lot downtown that stretched along the inner workings of Calgary right beside an old CP rail track that adds a bit of character. In my opinion, this venue is far superior than Max Bell and has much more potential of being the show we all dream of. It might even get to the point where entries become selective due to how fast this show grows. Who knows, maybe that’s another 2? 5? years down the line?

Either way, the team pulled it together once again and I’m just glad to be a part of it. Shows like this around here are hard to come by and each year the guys take what they’ve learned from the previous year and apply it to the next. That’s why the show just keeps getting better – and the key word here is organization. I just want to be clear for those of you new here… This show isn’t a money grab and it isn’t a way to get internet fame or points – it’s here for you guys. From the very beginning, the show was created because there was no other show that could give us what we wanted. In many ways, we wanted shows that felt like the ones we see coming from our neighbours to the south of us. Shows like Wekfest and Eibach… They’re on a much different level than us and we were seriously lacking in that department. In the last 8 years, we’re just beginning to  graze the level of consistency and quality that they had a decade ago, it seems. Yesterday felt like one big step closer to that.

Don’t get me wrong – I or illmotion (speaking on their behalf) are not wanting to go and copy them. The end game for these shows is to put something together where true quality cars recognize a true quality show. That combination – I hope – makes people want to build better cars to show better quality and it’s a vicious (good) and continuous circle. You’ll see cars here that you don’t see anywhere else and that speaks volumes to what this show has achieved. I think that’s enough said for how far this has come.

The first part of the post as always is just the early morning parts that most people don’t see. While you’re up cleaning your car and prepping, the team is on location setting up and preparing for the big day. Yesterday was a super chilly morning… Diana and I woke up, checked the forecast and the current temp was +2C but feels like 0C. WTF. Of course, we grossly underestimated it and went unprepared – as most of the guys did as well – some were in shorts, we were in thin jackets… We should’ve been in parkas…

Rich setting up the DJ booth getting ready to provide sick beatz throughout the day…

The line up of a few of us that got there early. Diana and I only got there a 830 – meanwhile some were here by 645.

Shot from the DJ booth where there was no wind hurting my face…

As we go through part 1 of the photos – as well as the others throughout the day – you’ll notice there’s a yellow/orange tint to my pictures. Most of you already know but it’s because of the BC fires happening right now – we’re getting a brunt of the smoke so it gives us this eerie doomsday/apocalypse haze that kinda looks cool for the pictures. So no, I will not adjust my white balance!!

Diana/Jen/Barb getting the tent set up for the day.

A few early risers rolling in early…

Trung in his Voltex S2000 getting parked…

Brandon rolling in to help with set up as well…

Eric and his S15 also lined up.

A few more early risers rolling in.

Brandon wiping down his car. He kept telling me he tried his best to clean his wheels but he couldn’t because they’re ‘stained’. Ladies, this guy is single, he squats, he deadlifts so if that’s your thing – get at him @btl.88. But he can’t clean dishes apparently.

Nismo Juke coming in

VIP BMW 7-series. So good… I wonder why this wasn’t done sooner?!

As I was saying earlier – these guys and many others were grossly unprepared for the cold that morning…

Incoming trio

Yellow Altezza on Work XD9’s.

Gabriel’s Integra looking clean as ever

Rear quarter shot of his Integra… Side note – I friggin love the atmosphere the haze created for us yesterday. It was like we were downtown Hong Kong or something with some of the high rise buildings in the back.

JC at the front checking people in.

An FD2 with aggressive Mugen aero, a front splitter and Voltex wing out back.

I remember way back when I had my Civic, I wanted to trade it in for a CSX and do a conversion so bad…

Another oneeee

Super clean RS7.

Josh and his Type R on some fresh bronze TE37’s. looks great in person.

Imagine the look on my face when I saw Josh’s dad rolling up in his EG. LOL that’s some gangster shit.

Evo X on Varrstoens

I have no idea what this is but it’s cool as fuck.

This guy came through scraping every thing, every single inch of the way. Everything was just so clean on this – I’ll have more pics of it later but the difference in style that I’m used to is so intriguing. We lower our shit as much as we can and try not to scrape, and it seems like these guys lower their shit as much as they can and love the scrape.

Crazy paint job too…

The 4 rolling in together. So good.

Jimmy and his wagon on TE37’s

Brad rolled in with his dumped beetle.

Mario and his Fiesta ST and his new front fender flares. They look real good – added a nice touch to it and flows well with the body lines.

Another one that caught my eye was this S4 pulling his bike in – matching colour themes on both of them.

Isaac rolling in with Nick’s 4Runner on TE37’s. Ladies, I think he’s single too… Check that face.

Arnold and his CTR also on Bronze TE37’s.

Another shot…

Jack and his LS powered Silvia on Nismo LMGT4’s. Clean as usual and still one of my favourite S-chassis builds to date.

Levi and his 4Runner on TE37’s…

As I walked by this group of 4Runners, I suddenly felt the urge to also buy a 4Runner and get TE37’s… God damn this is just awesome. I think this group (if I’m looking right) was Jackie and his 4Runner, Nick’s gf Kimberley in the GX470, Jackson and his Tacoma, Alfie and his 4Runner, Nick’s 4Runner, and Levi’s 4Runner.

2JZ RB Silvia and Jason’s Aimgain widebody FRS

One of my favourite shots from roll in…

Giueseppe and his S15 rolling in. He’s got some big changes coming for this thing… Keep an eye out for that.

Some roll in of Legit Society from Edmonton. Evo X on Meisters

Kriss Martin’s Evo X on bronze TE37’s

Carlo’s Varis VA widebody on his WRX fitted with TE37’s and  Voltex wing. This is the one kit that does this platform some justice. Well done!

Kai’s 86 on ZE40’s

Another WRX on white TE37’s. The Legit Society group loves their WRX/STI’s and Evo’s hahaha

Like I said above… An Evo IX with a full Voltex kit

Running on Brozne ZE40’s

And a wingless Evo X on TE37’s

Bugeye hatch on red TE37’s

Landon’s RB 240SX

Devin’s widened GC8 on RPF1’s

Adrian’s super clean CE28’s with red… wait what? This guy didn’t clean his brakes before a car show. What a guy. It’s like he uses his car or something.

Ryan Dandurand and his Ferrari F355 on Meisters. One that I don’t see too often, but it’s quite the looker.

wrapped G-wagon in a metallic red.

Neon green Supra with Ridox aero, I believe. I can’t help but think of F&F when I see this. Looks good though.

Rob Hartson’s slammed and static STI hatch

Simon Chan and his Derpy FRS – one who makes his way here from BC all the time. This thing has almost 150,000KM on it and it still looks great. Simon drifts this thing, tracks it, daily drives it… Kudos and thanks for coming down!

Randy AKA itsbirdy and his Aimgain/Rallybacker FRS

Gerick’s RB RC350

Liberty Walk G37

Steven’s Varis Widebody STI now wrapped in full black.

Zane’s Varis Kamikaze GTR – you may recall from Driven this year.

Romel’s Celica – always a must-see at any car show. The Japanese classics are always a site to see.

The last few photos I got during roll in was this EG hatch. It was a “newcomer” if you will, as I’ve never seen it before or maybe they decided to debut it during the show. There’s something totally different about this that gives it an appeal that I couldn’t help but stop and stare for a bit…

The car was basically a mixed bag of everything all built into one small pink package. On the side, a play on Liberty Walk’s phrase was changed to “Imagine all the people drinking chai” which I thought was very clever…

The rears were super cambered out, there was a GT wing out back, and it had widened fender flares on all four corners. When I say it was a mixed bag of things – I mean that it was an amalgamation of all the latest trends – wrap, tilty wheels, a decal of some witty/clever saying, GT wing, fender flares – this had it all – and while many others also have all the above, there was something else about it… I haven’t quite put my finger on it, but I’ll have more pics of it later…

That’s it for part 1! I’ll try to get part 2 up tonight or tomorrow morning.