I wholeheartedly believe that the car scene and industry here in Melbourne is growing back to the vibrant levels of the early 2000s, with many local and international businesses getting involved.
We attended the 2026 Black Label Invitational car show yesterday, but this year only as spectators. It was great to see so many familiar faces, especially from the old forum days in the 2000s. This year also marked the 20th anniversary of Nigel’s project Engineered to Slide, I’m sure you’ve all seen his insane Toyota Hilux build, fabricated entirely by himself, and his Nissan S15 Silvia project now in the works, powered by a Nissan VK45 V8 from a Nissan IndyCar.
Some other standout cars for me were Logan’s Toyota Echo, converted to RWD and powered by a 7AG with ITBs, sitting on CST Demon Camber wheels, and Joel’s R33 GTS-T Skyline, which captured true 2000s style with what’s suspected to be Maziora color-flip paint, Volk GT-S wheels, an RB25 with an HKS T04Z, and parts from Top Secret, Auto Select, and Bee R.
Events like this always remind me how important education is. I look at all these Instagram pages, big or small, and really appreciate them for not gatekeeping, actually educating people about styling and history. That young kid who goes to a car meet might be the one who stays inspired, builds, and passes on knowledge to the next generation. It makes me wonder: are we in a golden era right now?
Garage Sokudo 
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