Car Shows in 2026: Toronto, Tokyo and Shenzhen Through a JDM Enthusiast's Eyes
Custom LC @ Motorama Toronto 2026
If you've read my previous posts, you already know my love for JDM cars goes back a long way — to my brother, my friends, and a time before the internet existed to connect any of us.
Back then, finding JDM in the wild meant going to the right neighbourhoods. Richmond Hill and Markham in the Greater Toronto Area were the spots. Your tuner shop was another — Car Wings Auto used to have two genuinely stunning Preludes sitting outside that I still think about. And then there were the car shows. Import Fest has been around since those days and is still going strong. Community-run shows like Dark Knights were the underground version — smaller, rawer, and somehow more exciting for it.
I recently went to Motorama with my brother — a tuner-focused show, different from the yearly Toronto International Auto Show — and it brought back everything. My brother has gone even deeper into the car world since then, attending shows around the globe. Going with him meant experiencing Toronto and the world at the same time. Pretty cool.
Motorama 2026 — Toronto
Motorama isn't a strictly JDM show — it casts a wider net — but that turned out to be one of its strengths.
The main hall featured the cars up for awards, and what struck me most was how willing the owners were to talk. Some of the best car show moments aren't about the cars themselves — they're the conversations.
One that stood out was an old school Mustang that immediately reminded me of what Keanu Reeves drove in John Wick 2. I walked over to chat with the owner, and he pointed out that his car was actually almost the same as the iconic Mustang from Gone in 60 Seconds — the Nicolas Cage and Angelina Jolie one. From there he walked us through every detail of the build, including a genuinely clever car show trick I'd never seen before: mirrors placed underneath the car so visitors can appreciate how clean the undercarriage is. That's the kind of detail that separates a serious build from a showpiece.
Another car that stopped us cold was an Infiniti G35 that had been completely transformed using Lexus LC parts. When my brother and I first saw it, we both said some version of "that LC is incredible" — then realized it was an Infiniti underneath the whole time. The owner walked us through how she sourced every piece to pull off the transformation. It was a genuinely impressive build and an even better story.
And then there was the JDM crew called "Lick Your Lips" — a tight group running mainly K-swapped Civics, each one backed by turbo forced induction. Turned out they live not far from me. I told them I'd keep that in mind the next time I see them from behind the wheel of my 370Z 😂
Tokyo Auto Salon 2026
My brother made the trip to Japan and shot POV footage of the whole show — uncut and unfiltered.
The difference between Tokyo Auto Salon and the Toronto International Auto Show is immediately obvious. The tuner presence in Tokyo is on a completely different level — not just in scale but in depth. This isn't a show where tuner culture is a side attraction. It's the main event.
Brands like Liberty Walk, Top Secret, GReddy, and others filled entire sections of the floor with builds that ranged from tastefully modified to completely unhinged — in the best possible way.
The standout build for me was from Result Japan — a body kit for the current GR86 featuring flip-up headlights and period-correct paintwork designed to evoke the iconic AE86 from Initial D. I've seen a lot of tribute builds over the years, and most of them feel like imitation. This one felt like transformation. The car still reads as modern — the proportions are right, the execution is clean — but that retro aesthetic hits with a nostalgia that goes beyond just Initial D fandom. Honestly, it hit hard enough that I found myself checking AutoTrader for used GR86 prices and seriously reconsidering my 370Z. That's how good the build is.
The other standout was the Gold GT-R lineup from Top Secret. Top Secret's signature gold finish is well known in the JDM world, but seeing it in person across multiple cars — with carbon fibre diffusers and meticulous detailing throughout — is a different experience entirely. You can't take your eyes off them.
Cool Car Show Shenzhen 2026
My brother also attended this relatively new show in Shenzhen. He went partly hoping to catch Sung Kang and Daniel Wu — the duo behind Student Driver — since Sung Kang was there promoting The Drifter. Unfortunately they were only present on Day 1 and my brother arrived on Day 2. Timing is everything 😭
What caught my eye from his footage wasn't actually the cars — though they were genuinely impressive. It was the Tein booth.
Tein is one of the most respected suspension brands in the tuner world, and their demo at Shenzhen was one of the smartest pieces of brand marketing I've seen at any car show. They placed a glass of liquid — oil, presumably — on top of a weight that dropped directly onto one of their dampers. The liquid barely moved.
Most tuner booths show you the product or show you the finished car. Tein showed you the technology. They made you understand why their suspension is what it is. In a sea of beautiful cars competing for attention, that kind of clear, confident demonstration stands out completely.
Final Thoughts
Import Fest is coming up in July here in Toronto and I'm already looking forward to it. I still remember the old days of standing next to a fully built FD RX-7, talking to the owner, getting to sit in the driver's seat and allowing myself to dream for a few minutes. That's what car shows do that nothing else can.
And honestly — maybe it's time to get back to basics. Car meets. Tuner shops. The kind of community that existed before everything went digital. Car Wings Auto, if you're somehow still out there, you were ahead of your time.
The modding itch for my 370Z is real. And it's getting harder to ignore.
Which car shows are worth going to? Drop your recommendations below — I want to know what I'm missing.
