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It was 9:00pm at the parking structure of a shopping mall in South Jakarta, Indonesia. The mall was set to close in less than an hour, but the parking lot was filling up, modified street cars rolling in en masse.
During my recent visit back to my home country, I made it a point to fill my weekends with all kinds of car events. While major exhibitions like the Indonesia Modification & Lifestyle Expo (IMX) are a great way to see the latest builds, it’s the smaller, more casual meet-ups that capture the true essence of local car culture.
This late-night meet was on my radar long before my trip to Indonesia. A group of local enthusiasts known simply as ‘The Crew’ have been regularly hosting these open gatherings for a while, and when I heard there was one happening on my final weekend in Jakarta, I was more than ready to check it out.
Upon arrival, I was met with a long line of vehicles waiting to get in – a great sign. All I could think about was getting out of the car and start snapping shots. After a brief wait, I found a parking spot and wasted no time getting busy with my camera.
It didn’t take long, though, for me to realize that a tight parking garage filled with idling cars – many of them older models without catalytic converters – was going to produce a lot of exhaust fumes. The sounds of revving engines echoed through the building, amplified by the concrete walls. Still, the atmosphere was electric, with people excited to see everything from humble Toyota Kijangs to the occasional Lamborghini Aventador rolling in.
Honda Civics are a staple at any car meet, but I was surprised by the variety of generations that showed up. There was almost every iteration of the Civic that night, except for the very first and the newest 11th-gen model.
It was cool to see so many enthusiasts keeping the older models like the second-gen Civic alive. In a country where late-model performance cars are out of reach for many, it’s clear that the love for cars – no matter how ordinary they are – runs deep in Indonesia. You have to respect that.
One car that caught my eye was a bright yellow Daihatsu Terios. At first, it seemed a bit much, but after a few passes in front of my lens, the eccentricity grew on me.
As in Malaysia, the A31 Nissan Cefiro is often seen as an alternative to the Nissan Skyline in Indonesia. Unlike the Skyline, the Cefiro was officially sold here and doesn’t carry the same hefty price tag in the used market. This particular Cefiro had been nicely modified with an RB25DET Neo engine from an ER34 Skyline, an Autech body kit, and a BNR32 GT-R Dark Blue Pearl respray. SSR Hasemi wheels completed the car’s clean yet aggressive look.
But the true standout of the night had to be Stancelab’s Nissan 180SX. I saw it at IMX 2024 and wasn’t expecting it to show up here, but the BN Sports-kitted RPS13 is no garage queen. Regularly seen out and about, it’s one of the cleanest, most polished S-chassis cars on the streets of Jakarta.
The meet continued well past midnight, after which many attendees cruised along the metro highway to a spot in North Jakarta.
Nights like these serve as a reminder of the ‘culture’ in car culture. No matter where you are in the world, it’s the people that bring it to life. I’m grateful to have experienced that in Jakarta and to have made new friends during my stay.
Steve Edward
Instagram: stevedwrd
Additional Photography By Amirul Tarsanto
Instagram: amirulwithtustel
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