There’s a lot of crazy stuff going on in this world. You can sometimes feel as though everything is a complete disaster where nothing is fair and you’re constantly disappointed. However, there are some things that can make you forget about the terrible course humanity seems to be taking right now. It could be watching a movie. It could be cooking. It could be playing a sport or going to the gym. For me, it’s car culture. As a long-time fanatic of all things automotive, I try to seek out the very best machines and the Black Label Invitational has them. This event mostly consists of Japanese and German cars with EXTREMELY tasteful mods that are just what the doctor ordered. I’ve been to the previous 3 events and they’ve been an absolute hoot each time. After this 4th edition, it’s clear that Black Label never disappoints. Let’s get into it.
I did a complete feature on this car in November 2023, so being able to see it again for the first time in almost 18 months was great. It looks a whole lot better underneath the lights. The car, bearing the name Fukuen (don’t know what it means) is one of the most extraordinary RWBs anywhere in the world with the stunning Midnight Purple III paint. Capturing it a second time with a lot less people hanging around gave me the chance to find some new angles and create a new set of photos. Is the body kit the most outrageous you’ve ever seen? No, but it’s well put together and accentuates the very best features of the 997 generation Porsche 911. Particularly the rear end. It’s the RWB way and I love it.
Here is Blake T Jones’ famous Honda NSX. I’ve been following this build for a number of years and the current iteration shown here is wonderful. I still remember when the wheels were different and the race-inspired rear wing wasn’t on the car yet. Before I started DevMacCars, I posted a set of images from my first Highball Cars And Coffee in July 2021 and this car was featured in it. Blake thanked me for the photo and ever since then, I’ve tried to get a hold of him. Almost 4 years later, I finally get a chance to talk to him about the NSX and Melbourne’s incredible car culture. In it’s current guise, the car has 5 spoke OZ wheels, a race style rear wing, a complete suite of electronics from Bosch, Brembo brakes, individual throttle bodies and a bespoke exhaust which looks mad. Blake, if you are reading this, it was an honour to meet you after years of blood, sweat and tears. Alongside my dad, Jeremy Clarkson and Gran Turismo, you inspired me to create this blog and capture the machines that give me soo much joy.
I’m sure most of us are familiar with the SLS and AMG GT, but one car you don’t see very often is this: the SLR McLaren. Unlike the SLS and GT, the SLR McLaren had a limited production run because it was a bespoke project commissioned by Mercedes. At this time, McLaren were pretty much the de-facto works Mercedes F1 team before they re-entered the sport several years later (the story of which is fascinating to say the least). For this project, Mercedes designed the car and built the engine, whilst McLaren assembled them in their Woking factory right next door to the F1 cars. They were also responsible for the chassis and suspension componentry, giving this car the handling manners demanded by Mercedes. As for the design, it still looks like a concept car with the massive gills and sidepipes behind the front wheels, the long bonnet and the smooth rear end with a diffuser. A modern classic indeed.
Here are Burak’s Beemers: an E30 M3 in red and a 325i Cabriolet in white. These two fantastic machines are slightly modified with period correct wheels and a perfect stance that accentuates the famous lines of this almost 40 year old design. Burak clearly understood the assignment when putting these cars together, as every detail has been cleaned up both inside and out. A lot of old Beemers have lived very hard lives but any remnants of such thing is nowhere to be seen on these cars. I wouldn’t change a thing on either of them because this how you’re supposed to treat these ultimate driving machines.
I don’t even know where to start with this one. The Veilside body kit for the FD Mazda RX-7 is totally wild and completely changes the look of the car. Before the days of Liberty Walk, this was the body kit you had to have if you wanted to create a stir. Even so, it still stands out today. What’s more is that the engine has been polished to display the mechanical components in immaculate style. The light purple underglow is straight of Need For Speed Underground, however the Work wheels are not because they aren’t the sort of things you want to break during some late night shenanigans. It’s the type of car that you’d see at the Tokyo Auto Salon.
One modern car that I’m obsessed with right now is the BMW M4. Despite the initial controversy at the beginning, it’s become one of my favourite cars on sale today. The car has grown a bit compared to the outgoing model but the performance is seriously impressive. I drove it in Forza Horizon 5 recently and it was brilliant, with amazing balance and incredible feedback through the front tyres. Want another reason why the G80 chassis is soo good? It has an M3 Touring variant, which is what I’m featuring here – the first M3 wagon BMW has ever put into production. People all over have been applauding this machine for it’s combination of performance, speed and practicality. The S58 engine with it’s forged crank is capable of handling some crazy numbers from factory, giving tuners a chance to upgrade their car without breaking the bank… or the crank case. This is proof that BMW can still engineer a stunning performance car.
Everyone loves a white Chaser right? This particular example, owned by Andrew, has all the street cred you could ever wish for from a boosted barge. He hasn’t touched the engine, but he really doesn’t have to because performance isn’t the name of the game. Although, having said that, the Chaser is a sportier model compared to the Mark II and Crown Majesta. Semantics aside, when someone says “Chaser”, this is the sort of car that immediately springs to mind. If I wrote a car dictionary, a picture of this car would show up next to my spiel about how it became the sedan of choice for drifters in Japan.
MK4 R32 Golfs are rare at the best of times – let alone modified ones. I should’ve taken more pictures of this car but I think I got distracted by something else, so it’s just these 3. The thing that intrigues me the most is the engine: a narrow angle V6 that VW called the VR6. It was a unique way of cramming a 6 cylinder engine into the front of a small hatchback that’s normally used to a 4 cylinder. What’s more is that this particular car has been modified with a turbo – hence why you see some gold foil insulation in the back of the engine bay. Not many people have the audacity to tune up this car, so it’s definitely worthy of it’s place at Black Label.
Now for the more famous R32: the Skyline GT-R from 1989. I’ve shown this specific car owned by Ryan before but it wasn’t quite as clean on that occasion. Naturally, he rectified this and even got some new lights to modernise it a little bit. I like the rear lights a lot because they don’t have the old-fashioned halogen bulbs or lenses anymore, so the iconic layout can be appreciated in a whole new way. The genuine NISMO wheels look as good as new for that proper ’90s style which still captivates people. In fact, NISMO can completely rebuild a used R32 for the ungodly sum of $675,000 if you’re soo inclined. Just goes to show that legends never die.
The “Bugeye” Subaru Impreza doesn’t always get the love it deserves due to the goofy styling, but I like the goofiness because it gives the car character. Look at the Renault Twingo. Anyway this Bugeye has had it’s headlights replaced with a more aggressive setup that’s more arachnid than insect. I get the feeling that the paint was a factory option for this car and the original Forester, but I can’t say for sure. The body kit that’s been put on combines substance and style as it doesn’t go too overboard like some of those from the early ’00s. Overall, this Impreza wagon really stood out to me but because it’s an interesting take on a modified Subaru.
Before I conclude this piece, I want to showcase a few more special cars.
I could’ve taken more photos if my camera battery didn’t die, so I must buy another one to ensure that I can capture as much as possible. I need to make the most of these opportunities and the keep the engine running when things get a bit stale. However, I can’t complain because I was able to capture the cars I wanted for my Instagram page. The Black Label Invitational has become one of the most important events on the calendar and it’s something I look forward to each year. It’s just a fantastic place to talk about cars and chill out. I felt like a pig in shit – happy and blissfully unaware of all the bad stuff in the world.
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