Cars & Coffee Snub: Brand-New Civic Type R Not Welcome at Car Meet
A Civic Type R is not the most valuable car in the world, but turning it and its famous passenger away is not a good look for this event.
An article about a Honda may not seem like it belongs on Rennlist. But this really goes beyond just the new Civic Type R and speaks to the car enthusiast culture as a whole. If you are reading this, you are very likely a Porsche fan like me. You are also likely to be a general car enthusiast that appreciates all interesting cars, trucks and SUVs regardless of make. Furthermore, you likely also attended a number of Cars and Coffee type events in your day. So, I think we are coming from the same general place when it comes to our passion. I think many of you will agree with my stance here, but I am interested in hearing your opinion. A brand new FL5 Honda Civic Type R recently rolled into a car meet and was told it could not enter. I don’t think that is right.
The situation was captured in a video posted on the KanaRacing YouTube channel. It was filmed recently at a Cars and Coffee event held at Finish Line Auto Club in California. It was not a themed event. Meaning it was not limited to just German cars or just cars built prior to 1973 or anything like that. That being said, there were many extremely high-end cars in attendance. From just a dollar value perspective the Civic Type R could not measure up to most of the other metal. But the Honda is a very hot car right now. Many people have never seen one in person yet.
Famous Passenger
On top of it being a cool car, the passenger was actor R.J. de Vera. De Vera is a huge figure in car culture. His bio includes playing Danny Yamato in the original Fast and Furious movie. The Honda S2000 from the first two films of that franchise was owned by de Vera. He was previously the editor at Street Magazine and is currently the Vice President, Marketing for SEMA. Not the type of person you want to turn away at Cars and Coffee.
A Case for the Organizer
Let me be clear about one thing. This is a private event, and the organizer can let in whoever they please. It really is as simple as that. This establishment clearly caters to the higher-end car market and wealthy enthusiasts. And there is nothing wrong with that. I have been to plenty events myself where my Cayman or 40th Anniversary 911 and I were directed to the overflow lot. But my 911 Turbo S is almost always permitted in the main display area. I know how that works. The organizers want the biggest “wow” cars in the main display. They use their discretion, and they get the final say. If I hosted my own event, then I would get to say who parks where. That is how it goes.
A Case for the Civic Type R
Yes, the organizer can let in whatever they want, but this is supposed to be a gathering of car enthusiasts, right? Not just a gathering of rich people. Enthusiasts want to see the new Type R. They may also love to have a chat with de Vera. That is what car culture is all about. Brining people together by a common love of cars.
Not keeping them apart because the car in question does not have a fancy badge or a value of six or seven figures. I went to a high-end exotic car meet back in October filled with expensive cars. But the star of the show was a Plymouth Reliant ‘K-car’ with 14,000 original miles. It took home the people’s choice award that day. Value does not equal cool factor.
Another Thing
Around the two-minute mark of the video you see a Chevy Volt parked at the show. No offense to Volt owners, but that is not exactly an enthusiast car. How does that make the cut ahead of a Civic Type R? And the Honda showed up towards the end of the show when many cars already left.
So, there was plenty of room to let the Honda park among the other cars on display. Yes, the organizer can choose to keep any car they want out of their show. But I can’t for the life of me figure out why they would not welcome the Type R with de Vera inside.
Your Thoughts
What do you think of what happened at this event? Obviously, this is not a life-or-death situation, and we have much bigger issues in the world. But it is still a shame to see a really cool car like this with a passenger who is a first-rate car guy get turned away. I understand the organizer can do what they want. I get the concept of some shows limiting the cars to specific makes or models. But I think if you open your doors to all enthusiasts cars, then all should be welcomed. It makes for a more interesting and diverse show. Was this event by invite only and this driver was not on the list? Not sure, but given all the circumstances, it still should have been allowed. Head over to the Rennlist forums and share your thoughts on the subject.
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