To be honest, I originally never planned on going to Import Face Off because a) I was still suffering from laziness of starting winter break and b) the $20 entry fee, which considering all the money I already spent previously in the week, was rather significant. But, I am so glad I did.

For example, I got to meet @f7lthy_samurai in person, the owner of a VF Supercharged E93 M3, a Nissan Nismo GT-R (the one posted here before), and the once Alpha 9 GT-R, now a Liberty Walk Alpha 9 GT-R, the first in Arizona. And boy, do I look forward to seeing more of it. The GT-R was always a big car; the large wing and widebody kit just perfectly suit the car, and the Alpha radiator sticking out the front reminds us that this car is equal amounts of go as it is show. It just looks amazing.

But this being Arizona and Import Face Off, one Liberty Walk isn't enough. @haugenracing's Liberty Walk Lamborghini Murcielago was also present for the show, as well as his Rocket Bunny Nissan 350Z (which I did not get any satisfactory shots of due to people/angles/yellow car in blinding sunlight with shadows everywhere), and his drift Genesis. Both of these cars were at SEMA 2015, and they were both spectacular looking. I always like wide body kits on wide cars, and the Murcielago fits this bill perfectly. I especially love the wing on it, too; rather than being massive in all dimensions, its size complements the sleek profile of the car. Both cars are certainly sights to see.

Being such a large show with huge prizes, it was also neat to see so many car clubs in one location. For example, Stoopidlow had a huge turnout, with around a dozen cars or so showing up. I thought I had pictures of every member's car, but I guess in my excitement I overlooked quite a few of their cars. However, I have photographed them before, and these include @tovar's NSX featured in Super Street, @atovar93's S2000 CR, @amrod86's Scion FRS, and @kdot_rx7's RX-7.

I also saw Team SWAT (So What Any Time) bring out a large number of their cars. Because of my family's history with Accords (two 5th gen sedans, a 6th gen V6 coupe, a 7th gen V6 coupe, and an 8th gen V6 sedan, the one that I drive), Accords will always have a special place in my heart. The Toyobaru siblings will also never get old; they look so good in so many ways. And, the Impreza is a classic, you just can't go wrong with one (as long as you don't, say, snow drift it into a pole).

In addition to cars like the Liberty Walks, there were real show stoppers everywhere. Brain McCann brought out his amazing 350Z out, trophies and all, for us to admire, and man, it is a beautifully done Z. In addition, there was an ER34 Nissan Skyline parked nearby, causing many to stop, stare, and wonder how it even got there in the first place (because, you know, 25 year import ban).

Of course, there were so many cars present I couldn't possibly photograph them all and know the owners/teams they're associated with. But man, was there selection. For example, Bourbon Street Wraps brought out their Maserati Gran Turismo S for display, and a group that hangs out at the local Fit Mob meets was also present for the drift events. This amazing Mercedes SL65 AMG, which won the award for best European car, I think, was also present to add variety. @asiantoretto's amazing 240Z was also present, and aptly parked next to the Liberty Walk GT-R.

There were so many prizes, I couldn't keep track of all the winners, otherwise I'd list them here. Furthermore, I didn't even mention the drag racing anywhere above, there was just so much to take in in the few hours I was present. I can't wait for the next Import Face Off, because I'll definitely be there for the whole day for it.

There's been a trend now for the past three months where the day before the show, a huge rainstorm sweeps through the Valley. Naturally, I was worried about the turnout for Cars and Coffee since rain seems to lower turnouts. Luckily, however, I was wrong.

The morning was cloudy and beautiful. With the sun blocked, temperatures remained pleasantly cool, with the humidity also not too high. I've said it many times before in previous blog posts, but cloudy weather is my favorite weather to take photos in. I feel the results paid off immediately when I saw this at the show, a brand new Mercedes AMG GT. Gotta hand it to Scottsdale and Cars and Coffee to have the newest metal available to ogle at. It's odd how I don't like how cars looks nowadays from pictures, but once I see them in person, I love their designs, e.g. Ferrari LaFerrari, Mercedes AMG GT, Ford Mustang.

It's amazing how many photographers Cars and Coffee, as well as other car events from around the Valley, have produced. I met and talked to a few local photographers, @forgedphotography and Mike at @desertstreetscene, behind @projectC7's Corvette. After talking for a bit, we split up, Mike and I still talking and exchanging Instagram info. But, the 911 that rolled in earlier lay ahead: a brand new Porsche 911 GT3RS in Lava Orange. Just look at it. The huge wing, the wide stance, the vents, and the color; it just screams at you, even when standing still. I heard that the owner of the Voodoo Blue Porsche 918 that showed up a few times at Cars and Coffee also owns this car. Scottsdale never ceases to amaze me when it comes to the people in it and the cars these people own.

So, because I love the NSX, I have to give this one its own special gallery. Because look at it. It's beautiful. After 25 years, the design still looks fresh, sleek, and beautiful. Timeless.

Speaking of Old School Cool, parked nearby the GT3RS and the NSX was a Ferrari Testarossa. Because the modern European exotics can't have all the spotlight at a show like this. Don't forget to remember your ancestors.

The diversity of Cars and Coffee showed its true colors, as right by the GT3RS, Testarossa, and NSX was a lowered 350Z, I believe part of a local car club called Stoopid Low. And, amusingly, the police officer that was on duty to ensure the meet didn't get out of hand was talking to the owner of the 350Z about the car and what was done to it. Car people come in all shapes and sizes, never forget that.

And, as far as surprising cars go, one rolled up closeby as well, a BMW M3 (E46) equipped to compete in the NASA GTS class (that's NASA, National Auto Sport Association, not National Aeronautics and Space Administration, although as a fan of racing and space both are awesome). Roll cage, removable steering wheel, headlight delete, etc., it had everything, and it was awesome looking. Too bad I couldn't hear it, though, I wonder if it had that race car snarl, as well.

But the crown jewel of the show lay just a little further in the center of the parking lot. And boy, was I mad that I didn't go to the central area first, before the crowds arrived, because this was waiting for me: A Lamborghini Murcielago with a Liberty Walk body kit. Next to it was a Aventador and Huracan, both wrapped by the local EA Wraps. Let me just say, trying to get these pictures was not easy, given how many people were crowded around these three cars, with good reason. And, given that the clouds were breaking and the sun was now coming out, it was starting to get very miserable. If you didn't have some sweat on your brow, you must have been superhuman.

One detail I loved about the Murcielago that I didn't know all Liberty Walk cars had was the phrase on the side "Imagine all the people living in peace." I've tried researching why this phrase is on every Liberty Walk, but I haven't really found any answers. Either way, it's a nice sentiment to spread around. I'm sure the Liberty Walk kit helps in drawing attention to the phrase. Imagine how nice of a world it would be.

The rest of the LB kit though, is loud, expressive, and awesome. I'm honestly not much of a fan of stanced cars, but this Murcielago looks amazing lowered to impractical levels. The wide fender flares and huge wheels probably have something to do with that.

The Aventador and Huracan are completely different beasts. I'm not sure about any performance mods in either of them, but the wraps done on them are fantastic. The green on the Aventador looks amazing, much better in person (I had a hard time trying to preserve the original shade of green because it was confusing the camera's white balance meter), and trying to get a shot of red and black in direct sunlight was not easy. But, hopefully the skill of the wrappers can be seen in the photographs. Btw, black and red look amazing, I love how the two colors complement each other.

Walking back around after the LB Murcielago left, I spotted a car that I was personally a huge fan of, a Honda S2000CR. If you're not familiar with this car, the CR model was a limited run trim line for the S2000 towards the end of the S2000's production. Only 699 units were produced, which is why I took interest in this one since this was the first CR I've ever seen in real life. And c'mon, you can't blame me, the Apex Blue Pearl just looks stunning on it.

I met the owner of it, too. He is a really cool guy, telling me about the various mods he's done to the car and how he takes it to the track. I'd love to see this car on the track one day, so that I can see it live up to its Club Racer name.

After taking some photos of the CR, I ran into another fellow photographer, @cabanophotography. We talked for a while about the heat, the upcoming Fall semester for school, and cars, while also taking some pics of his friend's cars. After this, I met up with some more friends, but it was full-retreat time for many people, with many of the muscle cars leaving.

Another interesting quirk of this month's Cars and Coffee event were these mini old Formual One style cars brought in by a local company called Knight Agency. I talked to the owner of the company and he is a great guy, very enthusiastic about the business and a Grand Prix event he's holding for these cars in November. He was even letting people drive them around the now-emptying parking lot (Arizona summers are super hot, FYI), but the lot owner asked them to stop for safety reasons. Which was a bummer because I totally wanted to drive one of these things.

Overall, the turnout was amazing. There were so many different cars that showed up, again highlighting the diversity of Cars and Coffee. Again, there were rows of Cobras, rows of Mustangs, rows of Corvettes, and rows of mixed European exotics, in addition to the cars highlighted here. Furthermore, I got to meet and talk to a lot of the photographers that I've networked with on Instagram at this meet. It's great finally seeing the face behind the name and getting to know the person. I find trying to write these blog posts and finding which pictures to give their own galleries more and more difficult because the more I go to Cars and Coffee and the more I talk to new people and learn about their knowledge and history of cars, the wider my eyes open. Both the talking with other photographers and car owners and seeing the cars are equally enjoyable. Cars, people, atmosphere, friendliness, what more can you want? What more can you type?

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