The first Cars & Coffee event I attended was in Irvine, California, considered to be the birthplace (or at least near to) of the concept. That was in the late 2000s, and the whole idea was for cars and their owners to gather informally to share about a common passion over coffee. It’s open for all, unlike many exclusive car club meets that were only open to members. It really is that simple.

In Singapore, the concept has been localised as Cars & Kopi, organised by Garage36. I find C&C to be a great taster of local car culture and so I made it a point to attend the iteration in Perth, Classic Cars & Coffee, on new year’s eve of 2023. It is said to be the largest one of the year before the locals go on their summer break in January.

Western Australia (WA) is unique in being isolated from the rest of the world - even Australia. It almost takes as long to fly from Perth to Sydney as it does from Perth to Singapore. So generally cars are costlier here due to the transportation and logistics costs involved. WA also has a rather small population for its land mass - less than half of Singapore’s! With this in mind, I wasn’t sure what to expect of the event.

Well, it didn’t disappoint. I was really overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the event - in Singapore, we are content with filling up the main car park at Dempsey Hill. Here in Perth, the event stretched across at least four huge car parks in the University of Western Australia. I think there were at least 300-400 cars in attendance.

It started bright and early too. I thought I would be the first one to arrive at around 7am, but the main car park was already full by then and queues were forming on the adjacent road. You can imagine the crowds as time wore on. Of course, it’s far wiser to arrive early because the punishing Australian sun makes sure that one will not want to stay around until noon. Believe me, we think it’s hot in Singapore, but it’s a whole other level of heat here with very strong UV exposure!

The thing I observed quickly is the abundance of big displacement cars here. Unlike Singapore which imposes a punitive tax on displacement, in Australia road tax (called ‘rego’) is calculated based on a car’s weight. So although cars with big engines are heavier, they aren’t by much and it’s big SUVs and trucks that get taxed the most. I think that’s rather smart, as weight is a huge bearing on fuel consumption.

Local Aussie muscle is of course a mainstay and you can tell that the V8 engine is the most well-loved configuration here by far. The rare limited edition Aussie muscle cars are also asking for top dollar these days.

Like in Singapore, there is also a large JDM following in Perth and just like back home they are incredibly overpriced here. Thankfully though, modification laws are lenient in comparison with Singapore with no annual inspections required, so as long as you don’t cause a nuisance a modified car isn’t really a huge problem.

It is the European cars that come next. The Porsche Club seems to be an anchor of the event, with a constant stream of 911s rolling in to park at the main car park. There are also BMW Ms and AMGs, but here in Australia there is a small but cult-like following of hot hatches like Renaultsports too.

I’m happy to see that ICE cars continue to thrive in Australia and in particular big displacements that are increasingly penalised elsewhere in the world.

In no particular order, here are some of the highlight cars of the event:

Alpina B12 (E38)

Everyone’s favourite luxury saloon of the 90s seems to be the E38, so imagine it in B12 spec. This 5.7-litre V12 masterpiece is a beauty inside and out.

Land Rover Defender

While the Outback isn’t too far, the Defender does well to remind us that it can cross it.

Alfa Romeo 156 Sportwagon

Although not equipped with the Busso V6, the 156 Sportwagon is still such a good looker. One of the sharpest looking wagons ever made?

Lamborghini Murcielago LP640

It’s been a while since I’ve been a Murcielago in person. I was shocked to realise how modern and current it looks. Hasn’t aged one bit at all. Stunning, proper Lamborghini to scare grown ups.

Alpine A110 (vintage)

It’s my first time seeing one of these in person, and they’re absolutely stunning. I adore the new A110, and seeing this made me appreciate them even more. The lineage in design is clear to see.

Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG (R230)

A legendary engine with a timeless, sought after SL nameplate. Can’t ask for more.

Lexus LS400

Still reminds you how good it was for its time, and how good it is now.

Nissan Z

We haven’t seen one of these back home, so it was really special. What do those plates imply?!

Jaguar E-Type

Always a feast for the eyes.

Scale model truck

This thing went around the event carrying a speaker blasting out tunes with good vibes. Cool.

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