AutoCon celebrated its seventh anniversary this year and we have to applaud everything the organization has accomplished thus far. From starting out as a parking lot meet, to expanding into a full-blown show series, the contribution AutoCon has brought to the community has made it one of the best things to happen in Southern California. AutoCon isn't all about mega car shows either, having successfully put on charity toy drives year after year, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars. But we're here to talk about their main event, AutoCon LA 2016, which simply killed it!
The biggest news in '16 was AutoCon's relocation from Pomona Fairplex to the Los Angeles Convention Center, right in the heart of downtown. An enthusiast-driven car show hasn't been fortunate enough to host an event there since the early days of Hot Import Nights; however, AutoCon did not disappoint, and came out strong with nearly 400 of the scene's hottest rides. One of the things we admire most about each AutoCon show is the stage setup, which allows select car owners to educate spectators about their build as well as answer questions - something we haven't seen any other major tuner show in North America do.
With a great track record, strong reputation in the community, and their dedication to stepping up their events every year, it's no mystery why we consider AutoCon one of the top shows in California. Remember to check out our other AutoCon articles:
Euros and Exotics of AutoCon LA 2016
1972 Toyota Sprinter Trueno Spotlight, AutoCon LA 2016
Throwback Mazda RX-7 at AutoCon LA 2016
Nissan of AutoCon LA 2016
Honda of AutoCon LA 2016
To give you a taste of what you missed, here are the top 20 things we saw:
Stunning supercharged S2000 built by our friends at Evasive Motorsports
Justin Pagtalunan's Rocket Bunny tC is one of the sickest we've seen!
Former cover girl Tianna Gregory stopped by and electrified the model lounge
DTM Autobody brings us back to our roots with this three-rotor, Veilside RX-7, similar to the one featured in Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift.
One of the first modified 10th-gen Civic Turbo sedans we've seen. This one from Meguiar's featured SSR wheels, GReddy bolt-ons and a carbon hood. Still needs some work, but Meguiar's tells us it's far from done.
Open to debate - the Phaze2 guys are really going to start some controversy with these Spoon-themed Porsches.
Something you don't see everyday is an aggressive Nissan Maxima like this one.
Tina Nguyen's GT-R is nicknamed #barbiezilla, and you'll thank us later for following her on Instagram @azeeenbarbie69.
Nelson Ugarte's 300ZX was one of our favorite rides from last year. He's returned in '16 with a fresh look!
There was some nice diversity at AutoCon, which included this pretty 'lil Mk1 VW Rabbit on BBS RS wheels.
BMW M3 built by Rolloface is absolutely breathtaking in person, featuring the company's GT-3 widebody kit, custom carbon dash from Gruppe M Japan and much more.
Miss Super Street Janey B on the main stage with the Six Sigma Autodesign's supercharged Rocket Bunny NSX (featured in Volume 20, Issue 1)
'73 Mercedes 280C with a 2JZ-GTE swap and Lexus IS interior. This car, built by Ranz Motorsport, is still as flawless today as it was when we featured it in '13
Who says you can't modify a Tesla Model S? Unplugged Performance is your answer!
Staff editor Jofel's favorite car of the show was Joel Tan's '72 Sprinter Trueno.
Please welcome up and coming model Zara Park. Heyo!
Congratulations Kelvin Hsiu, aka Baldy, for taking home the Super Street Award at AutoCon for his amazing EVO 9.
Making the trek down from San Francisco, Richard McMickens' supercharged 370Z was on point.
Jon Sibal's Porsche 964 is still one of our favorite RWB builds to date.
K20-powered '67 Mini Morris truck. Frickin' cool!