180sx - At The Lake
Sometimes you just need to take a step back and enjoy a car for what it is — not for how clean it is, or how it looks in a lineup, but just as a machine you love to drive. That’s what this shoot was all about.
It was the week before Dubshed, so the pressure was starting to build — that mental checklist of what needs doing before show day. Not to mention I was still trying to NCT the car the night before leaving for the show. At a test centre that was 90 mibutes away!
Clean the wheels. Sort the interior. Paint correction. All of it. But instead of diving straight into the usual prep routine, I decided to take the 180SX out for a drive. Not for anything. Just for the sake of it.
I ended up heading towards my local lake. No real plan. The sun was out, barely a cloud in the sky, and there was this perfect, mild breeze in the air — the kind that makes the world feel alive but calm at the same time. The roads were quiet. No traffic, no noise, just the sound of the SR humming along and tyres rolling over the tarmac. I didn’t realise how much I needed that drive until I was there.
When I got to the lake, I parked up on a little gravel patch just off the shoreline. The water was almost completely still, with just the lightest ripples catching the sun like glass. It felt like the whole place was on pause. No one else around — just me, the car, and the sound of the breeze moving through the trees.
I always carry my camera on me these days, so I figured why not capture the moment? Nothing staged, no fake energy. Just the 180 in its element. I launched the drone as well and got some proper cinematic shots — wide, sweeping passes over the lake with the car just sitting there like it belonged. From above, the car looked small, almost like a scale model, perfectly placed between nature and machine. I tried to shoot it how it felt — peaceful but proud.
It made me think about how easy it is to get caught up in the polish of it all — the shows, the builds, the “what’s next” of car culture. And don’t get me wrong, I love that part too. But there’s another side to all of this, one that’s easy to forget: just being with the car. No rush. No audience. Just taking in the shape, the sound, the presence. That’s why we do it in the first place…I think?
The 180’s not perfect. The paint has its marks, the wheels have seen a few too many kerbs, and there’s always a new rattle waiting to be found. But on that day, it was everything I wanted it to be. Raw, honest, and beautiful in its own way.
This video is more stripped back than my usual stuff. No hectic cuts or pumping music. Just real light, calm pacing, and the 180 looking exactly how it should. If you're into the slower, moodier vibe — or if you just need a reminder of what it's all about — give it a watch. It’s a proper deep breath before the chaos of Dubshed kicked in.
