There are some events that we find ourselves fortunate to experience. Despite being a simple spectator, it has a profound effect, a life-altering moment that irreversibly sets on a new path.
History is filled with such moments: the fall of the Berlin Wall, Woodstock 1969, the Live Aid concert, and more. In these instances, we were not just spectators, but witnesses – seeing moments that changed us and altered the course of history.
Luft Tokyo was one such event, held on a decommissioned section of the KK Line Expressway that passes through Ginza in central Tokyo. Around 200 air-cooled Porsches, owned by enthusiasts across Japan, were gathered, many of them significant to the country’s automotive history.
Organizers say this was a one-time event that will likely never be repeated, especially as the KK Line Expressway is set to be demolished to make way for a major park redevelopment.
Our trip was never planned by the team, but as they say, it’s the unplanned adventures that become reality.
So what exactly is Luftgekühlt?
Luftgekühlt, or Luft in short, is air-cooled in German. It’s a reference to early Porsches that relied solely on air-cooled engines. This series of Porsche events is the brainchild of Patrick Long and co-conspirator Jeff Zwart. Patrick is a two-time Le Mans class winner while Jeff Zwart is also an avid racer but is more famously known as a commercial film director and photographer.
Together, they have created the most successful one-make curated car show of air-cooled Porsches that have played an important role shaping the brand’s history.
The duo, along with their team, select cars with a strong human element: long-term owners who regularly drive their cars on road and track; Porsches that have lovingly undergone a painstaking restoration process with the owners doing a huge part of the work. Or cars that redefined the possibilities of what a Porsche can be and do. Million-dollar garage queens are frowned upon, missing the whole point of Porsche car culture.
Of course, Luft Tokyo would not have been possible without a capable local partner. Enter Ko-Hey Takada, the man behind Motorhead Magazine, Japan’s and arguably the world’s best custom car culture magazine. Takada is a respected figure in the Japanese car scene. He and his expansive network did much of the heavy-lifting to make Luft Tokyo a reality even before the Luft Team arrived in Japan.
The Drive List’s co-founder, illustrator and designer Jaykee aligns closely with Luft’s brand values and has worked with the team on previous projects. Jaykee was honored to be asked to design the official artwork for Luft Tokyo, the first of its kind in Asia, outside the Western Hemisphere.
Months prior, Jaykee had shown me a pic of it proudly. He mentioned wanting to finally meet collaborators he had worked with for years but had never met in person. An idea lit up and I suggested why don’t we all go and see this event ourselves? From then on I was constantly bugging Jaykee to go because he sparked the flame for this adventure.
Luft Tokyo held special meaning for all of us. Jaykee and I had always loved Japan and Porsches so a combination of both was tantamount to Heaven.
Aldous was a later convert but has arguably spent even more time in Japan than Jaykee and I in recent years.
We invited Luca along so we could have another experienced photographer who speaks Nihongo. He is an alumnus of the prestigious Waseda University and worked as a Tokyo salaryman before moving back to Manila during the pandemic.
Our Japanese contributor, Kenji, who is of Filipino descent, is based in Japan. He finally got to meet the rest of the Drive List team face to face. Kenji also absolutely loves Porsches. He previously shot our feature of driving to Ashinoko. Kenji is also a Waseda alumnus so he and Luca got along instantly. Ironically, they were at Waseda at the same time but never met.
The cars at the event were truly legendary. From the Taki Racing Porsche 910 which placed second at the 1968 Japanese Grand Prix driven by Tetsu Ikuzawa that beat out many more powerful rivals,
to the orange 930 Turbo which was supposedly the very first 911 Turbo officially sold in Japan,
to Kazuki Ozashi of Madlane fame’s re-imagined Porsche 935ML,
to the quintet of Group C Porsche 956/962 race cars, two wearing the iconic black and red Advan colors, one a 1982-1984 Le Mans replica wearing the Rothmans colors, another one in plain white and the last one in blue and white Trust / Iseki livery driven by Vern Schuppan which raced at the All Japan Sports Prototype Champsionship. Epic stuff.
Of course, there were multitudes of 911’s from the original,
to the iconic 911 Carrera RSR’s whether authentic or inspired,
to the more recent 964 generation Neunelfs,
and finally, the last of the air-cooled 911’s, the 993.
There were of course various 356’s
and 356 Speedsters,
and lesser known air-cooled models like the 914.
Second-stage manufacturers and customizers like Ruf represented with a CTR2,
Guntherwerks brought their own interpretations of air-cooled perfection.
There was even an ultra-rare Porsche-powered Volkswagen T3 B32 van or more commonly known as a Volkswagen Bus. Only seven were ever built by Porsche as support vehicles for the Paris-Dakar rally to give aid to the 959.
This is Japan, so there had to be at least ONE RWB Porsche.
Of course, a unicorn was present in the Porsche 959
Aside from the cars, it was the iconic skyline that made Luft Tokyo unforgettable and unique. Luftgekühlt has always strived to hold its events at very unique locations and the backdrop of Tokyo’s modern skylines framing the various air-cooled gems was truly breathtaking, capturing the very essence of Japan’s ability to seamlessly meld traditional with cutting-edge.
Ultimately though, it is the people that make any Luft event special. People from all over the world, all ages and all walks of life came to respectfully admire the curated collection, meet online friends, strike up conversations with fellow attendees, creating memories that will last a lifetime.
On my end, I reconnected with my good friend Yoji Kiuchi of Porsche Japan. We’ve known each other for a long time but would only meet at drives and events abroad. We haven’t seen each other since 2019 so it was great seeing him again.
I also snagged a photo with global automotive phenom and content creator Larry Chen,
and spoke with a wide variety of fellow Porsche fanatics from all across the globe.
I’m a long-time Max Orido fan and he displayed his tangerine orange 911E at the show in absolutely pristine condition.
Max is famously associated with the JZA80 Toyota Supra which he raced for many years in JGTC and Super GT. Orido also owns a tuned Porsche 991 Turbo S he uses more often.
Inevitably, we all asked each other for our favorites in this truly impressive line-up of 200 or so cars covering a stretch of roughly a kilometer. Honorable mention for me goes to this Mary Stuart themed build with its massive ducktail spoiler that spans the full width of the car.
But my absolute favorites would have to be the pair of Advan-liveried Group C Porsches. These are my favorite types of race cars, and the ones that really left a lasting impression on me back in the late ’80s and early ’90s. The shape and color exemplify speed, danger, excitement and a sense of Japanese exoticism.
Jaykee’s fave? None other than this Porsche 912 Kanagawa Police Car, this one donated by Mizwa Motors to the Japanese Police Force. It was deployed between 1968 to 1974 and was the fastest police car in its time.
Aldous’ favorite? Another Group C classic, this time the Trust-Iseki liveried blue and white race car, another example of German and Japanese collaboration!
Luca had two picks: a rubystone Carrera RS as it featured in the 2000’s manga Kanjo no Carrera
And Team Ikuzawa’s 993 RSR built in collaboration with Madlane.
Kenji’s choice? This black 930 Speedster that I completely missed, but striking nonetheless.
Luft Tokyo is definitely one of those moments.
