Revolution JDM: an editorial project on the car community
This project is a publication which gives an insight into the car community in New Zealand, specifically around the JDM subculture. With the market for 90s Japanese cars growing exponentially, and the community growing continually larger, it felt timely to create a project that celebrates this scene. The book includes interviews with five individuals — alongside photographs of their vehicles — which outline how they got into the car scene, what fuels their passion, the driving experience, and their thoughts on the car community. The aesthetic is intentionally different from most car magazines, as it places just as much emphasis on the characters in the community as their cars. The outcome is a book that reflects a niche community with a distinctive style.
This project is an insight into individuals in the car community who all share the same passion for 90s JDM cars. To many, cars are modes of travel from point A to point B, simply a way of transport and nothing else. However to a car enthusiast, they are so much more, and a whole subculture is built from a shared passion for a certain style of car. From high powered cars to timeless designs, this project showcases JDM vehicles and their owners. With an abstract approach to an automotive publication, personal accounts from the owners explain their passion for the car scene.
The publication includes popular JDM icons such as the Subaru WRX STI, Toyota Chaser, Mazda Axela, Honda Civic and the Honda S2000. Community and diversity is most apparent in this scene, where people come together from different backgrounds and walks in life to a safe environment and share their love for all things JDM. With such a large and ever-growing car community in Auckland, this project is perfect for unearthing the history and fascination behind one of the most popular sub-faction of automotive car history.
