Edmonton Journal
Saturday, July 5, 2003
Page: D6
Section: Ed
Byline: Olivia Cheng
Source: Freelance

The inconsistency is hilarious: the producer of Edmonton's super-hot V8less Nights sport-compact car show drives the ultimate Alberta-mobile -- a good ol' F-150 truck.

Mark Seto laughs at the irony -- though he explains his real pride and joy is his Mazda Miata -- and admits he doesn't fit the typical import-buff bill.

The public's image of such buffs is generally this: young guys with shaved heads and long bangs driving tricked-out Japanese rice rockets. Their rides are plastered in gaudy, overly large dragon decals and topped off with spoilers that look as though they've been built out of giant Mechano pieces.

Seto admits "rice boys" and their flashy "all-show-and-no-go" cars are part of Edmonton's import-car scene. He even empathizes with critics who decry "annoying blue lights and loud fart-can exhausts."

But Seto's quick to argue that Edmonton's sport-compact community has grown beyond the "hooligans and street racers" stereotype. Seto himself is a young professional. When he's not organizing car shows, the 28-year-old is a full-time project manager for Telus.

The car connoisseur claims that in a city known for trucks and Dodge Caravans, the import scene is making huge inroads.

Proof of that will be showcased at today's V8less Nights event at the Northlands Sportex. Seto says the event will host as many as 250 stylishly modified Japanese, European and domestic cars from across Western Canada and the northern United States.

V8less crowds are usually 80 per cent Asian, a phenomenon Seto gamely tries to explain.

"We find the import scene is Internet savvy -- and maybe this is just a culture thing -- but Asians tend to hang out on the Internet a lot. They tend to buy imports a lot because, well: 'I want to buy an Asian car because I'm Asian.' "

Still, Seto hopes to attract a demo beyond the usual compact-car enthusiasts. To that end, V8less organizers have added hip-hop, punk, and other lifestyle components to draw a bigger, more diverse audience.

For example, Edmonton rap groups Darkson Tribe and Politic Live will rock the V8less mic. Breakdancers, freestyle MCs and DJs will battle for bragging rights.

Punks can check skateboard demos and the event's skate park. Other entertainment includes fashion shows, videogame contests and horsepower dyno competitions. Oil-rig workers with farmer tans can gravitate toward the beer gardens and arm-wrestling matches.

"You may not go to see just cars, but you might go to see other components. When we wrap them up together, we cover a wide range of interests and now we can attract people other than Asians," says Seto.

Seto says V8less is also trying to set a good example for impressionable youth. To battle the problem of illegal street racing, producers invited the Edmonton Police Service's Street Legal Team to take part.

Of course, with flashy cars come beautiful girls. V8less boasts a team of 10 spokesmodels, including 18-year-old Analie Bonda.

The Filipina beauty doesn't fit the image of a car model. She's silicone free and articulate. But Bonda, who was 2003 Miss Teen Canada, concedes she and her crew won't shy away from the eye candy.

"You're going to see attractive girls. You're going to see a little bit of skin. You're going to see great bodies."

Bonda insists V8less models won't simply stand around today giggling and smiling vacantly. They'll organize prize giveaways, sign calendars for charity, and, of course, greet fans. "Our models are approachable. You can come up and talk to us, we're more than happy to take a picture with you and your car."

For Seto, turning his passion for cars into a side career has been a long, winding road.

He and some friends started the www.v8less.com Web site two years ago to connect with fellow car lovers. Although their online community took off, they never dreamed they'd one day graduate to holding huge car shows and racing events.

Seto predicts the compact-car movement will continue to grow exponentially. He says souped-up cars are increasingly recognized as a popular, affordable outlet for youth expression.

"You can always take your mom's Honda Civic, save up three months of waiting tables and put a fancy body kit on it," he says.

As long as they realize that spending three-months' pay on Type-R badges, lighted windshield-washer nozzles, glow-in-the-dark pedal covers and a big-ass spoiler makes their car neither fast nor furious, that's cool with us.

olivia.cheng@globaltv.ca
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