Downtown Raleigh Pt. II by Phantom Nation x Lowkeyaf

Impromptu meets always seem to just kind of feel different- almost like there’s some kind of adrenaline rush? After a mix up with dates and locations, I ended up in an empty parking lot in Raleigh, on the wrong weekend for a meet. I hurriedly messaged a friend regarding a downtown meet I had seen on facebook, and made my way over.

In a stark contrast to the Triangle Rad Neon Spring show earlier in the day- two local car groups collaborated to create this meet in the heart of Raleigh. Phantom Nation and Lowkeyaf organized (like permits and everything- legit- kudos for that) a pretty sizeable meet in a commuter lot complete with food trucks and even some vendors.

Diversity was truly off the charts- everything from a WILD widebody NA2 NSX (also seen earlier leaving Neon Spring) to yours truly’s Polo Harlekin, with everything in between. Off the top of my head- McLaren GT, Polo Harlekin, F250 Super Duty, 370z, R33 GTS-T, RS3, M2 – all within a 360-degree view in one spot.

Of course, there’s always some folks who don’t abide by very simple guidelines- but the organizers were on top of it with megaphones and, overall, I would say the event was successful for sure. Had the opportunity to see some folks I usually only see at meets, and an old friend from an incredible group of people that I hadn’t seen since prior to moving back up to CT.

Oh right- the contrast. Whereas Triangle Rad is much more mellow, kind of a walk in the park on a nice day- metaphorically speaking- I’d equate this to a festival. Not the patchouli and body odor kind- but the kind where there’s food, dancing, music, celebration- the energy was pretty electric. Normally with events like this, they do have a tendency to be ruined by the same people who probably don’t return their shopping carts to the corrals without being told to- however- this one really was able to balance a fun atmosphere and keep it welcoming to everyone. At times, it felt like it could be a backdrop for a scene from Tokyo Drift- minus the drifting and hulk themed VW Touran. Kudos to both clubs for throwing this together, I had a blast and definitely will be keeping an eye open for future ones!