This article is part of our World Time Attack Challenge 2022 series.
World Time Attack Challenge is all about the best of the best. The most intensely modified production cars, battling against each other and the clock. The best smoke machines in Australia going door-to-door in tandem drift battles. And some heroes of motorsport’s past ripping it up once again on track.
On the Sydney Motorsport Park skidpan, the Downshift team brought together some of the cleanest and coolest cars for the third time, bringing the Australian street scene to this fast paced and track focused festival.
With the roots of Time Attack stemming from 1980’s car culture in Japan, so too does the influences found in the modifications on the street cars of Stylized 2022.
And just like the cars on track at WTAC, these petrol powered art pieces are examples of Australians taking on Japanese influences to our own unique level, and having them represented on the world stage.
The stance orientated car scene, and its approach to modifying automobiles isn’t for everyone, but you’d be hard pressed to find a reason to not be able to appreciate the time and effort spent in making these cars look as clean and as low as they are.
Regardless of opinion however, the skid pan at WTAC had the perfect vibe to allow spectators to wind down, relax and catch up at what is an event constantly assaulting your senses, yet still being a very visually exciting part of the show.
No two cars are the same: each owner has approached stance, style and performance with a unique and different concept and manner.
You get pleasantly distracted by the different pieces of metal and become immersed in their details and thus pleased and inspired by other’s approaches to modification and style choice.
Many old-school car shows feature historic and classic cars, but stance culture allows modern cars to become stars without the need to be nostalgic. It’s not to the exclusion of older cars however – new tuning philosophy can give those cars of the past a fresh modern look, bringing them into the current age.
To cap off the day, awards were handed out to the coolest of the cars on display.
This heavily modified and slammed Toyota Hilux, complete with suicide doors and a clean engine bay would win Best of the Best from the Stylized show.
Peter Landen’s kyusha style Nissan ‘Hakosuka’ Skyline took home two awards, the Sponsors Choice thanks to Shannons and the JDM Hero award.
Mr. World Time Attack himself, Ian Baker, would hand pick his favourite from the show, this super crisp Rocket Bunny S14.
Kyle Mulrine would reveal his extra wide MX5, and would win him the award for the Wildest Modification.
Max Edwards would also reveal his creation at Stylized. His Toyota Crown winning the award for Exceptional Bodywork with those super smooth fender flares.
Australia’s first LTO (Live To Offend) BMW E30 would also show itself to the crowds of WTAC, and was declared the best executed European car by the judges.
My personal favourite – this Mazda 121 – would be declared the King of Camber for this year’s Stylized show.
A fresh and clean paint job is an important part of a stance build, and Shinade Morris nailed it with her Audi TT, winning the Outsanding Colour award.
The best presented car club award would go to the House of Stance, full of quality builds and fresh aesthetic.
The cleanest and best executed engine bay would go to Aaron Hughes 2JZ swapped KE26 Corolla Wagon. So clean you could eat off it!
From function to now form, Aliza Haber has nailed the stance on his R34 Skyline, naming him the Fitment Master of Stylized 2022.
Cars like these aren’t necessarily known for a comfortable ride, but I’m sure Martyn Diodge would beg to differ, his BMW E21 winning the award for Sharpest Interior.
The final awards of the show were awarded to Dion Lungarth and his ’88 Honda Civic, which won the Best Japanese award, and Bayley Stemp would win the Best Domestic award for his green and mean Torana SLR5000.
And just as the time attack cars on track will show the latest engineering evolutions as they break track records, the cars on display at the static show every year at WTAC will show the best and latest styles and trends in the world of stance.
Words and Images: Noah Thorley
Additional Images: James Urwin