By Jared Krueger, DODOlogic Contributor
It’s 2016. Automotive events are around, and they’re alright. Trek three hours to hit up a big event in another city, or bring your own car for free to the local season opener/closer car meet, and you’ll usually think, “Ah yeah, this is sweet.” But, have you ever entered a show and thought “Whoa…” and had to take a second to figure out where to start? That’s what it’s like to attend Driven.
Imagine the elevator scene from Tokyo Drift. The shock of those doors opening to an entirely different racing scene is exacly how it felt to enter the parkade for Driven Edmonton. Exactly. Maybe it’s my youth, or because I haven’t traveled beyond Canada’s southern border for a show, but I’ve never been so stoked on an event before. The organizers absolutely nailed it. From the venue to the entertainment to the caliber of cars present, the quality of Driven was absolutely on point.
Driven has been hosting large-scale car shows for the last handful of years, and I’ve been able to experience the Calgary show myself. Held in a large, well-lit area, it’s about what you’d expect from a professional, high-quality host. Don’t get me wrong – the wide range of modified cars and the happy, sunny vibe was awesome (and definitely an event worth going to) – but Driven Edmonton was a completely different beast, with an absolutely killer vibe.
In the grand scheme of things, I’m still an infant to the car scene. I’m not old enough to have watched styles change over the years, but I’ve come to know that the scene here is relatively mediocre. Once you’re around for a bit, you learn there’s not a whole lot of local excitement besides the 780tuners season opener/closer meets and weekly coffee meets. Big popular shows happen in either Calgary or Vancouver, or too far east to even think about, or even south of the border in the U.S. of A.
When it was first announced that Driven would be having a third event, word spread pretty quick. But when it was announced that it would be held underground, in Edmonton – for the first time – the hype of hosting a real event spread even more quickly. While there were the “regular” locals that basically everyone expected to be in the show…
…there were also plenty of other cars from our southern neighbours…
…and cars that felt like they came from that era of Blockbuster-rented Need for Speed games and Fast & Furious movies.
The entertainment was also quite fitting, with break-dancing competitions going on at a reasonable volume, but still attracting a large crowd.
I’ve never been a fan of exotics and still have a hard time getting excited over a stock Lamborghini or Ferrari, but it’s when the owners decide they’re not happy with stock that it feels fair to “accept” them into this style of show, as car people. With companies realizing the potential for exotic car modifications, it’s becoming more common, apparently enough so for locals to give it a shot…
…and become what so many of us dreamt of doing as kids *if* we were to own a luxury sports car with a badge worth more than our current daily drivers.
From clean, modestly modified cars to full-built race cars, there was something for everyone. Driven hand-picked an incredibly diverse range of vehicles to display; from Mazdas to Datsuns and all the way up to the newest wide-body GT86 and Evos, it was hard not to find something to admire. There was even a very well built GC8 Impreza, Alberta’s most popular (and overlooked) import.
Besides the quiet volume of the awards ceremony and the poorly designated ticket/check-in booths, it’s very hard for me to criticize the event in any way. I think I speak for the majority of Edmontonians – and Canadians – when I say: “We want more Driven.”
Until next year, enjoy.
Additional photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHskGxksUn