Today I was fortunate enough to be able to spend some time learning what makes Zen Garage tick. If you haven’t heard of Zen Garage check out their website and Facebook because they are awesome! Not just for the amazing cars but also because they cater to such a wide audience while sparking interest in other topics as well, which is impressive.
I arrived a little earlier than I was supposed to and peeked my head through the door, first thing I spotted was the GT-R. I’ve seen photos of this car but I can now say that nothing compares to seeing it in person. The R32 is my favourite car of all time so it was really hard for me not to fan-boy all over the place, which I’m pretty sure I did anyway…(whoops).
After I picked my jaw up off the floor I went and grabbed about 3 green teas from this awesome cafe right next door (I was really early ha ha!). Just as I had finished downing my tea I heard the faint hum of what sounded like a very grumbly airplane engine. I looked up to see Justin pulling into the driveway in his Supercharged Golf MKV R32. I had barely slept the night before because of how much I was looking forward to coming in, so I leaped up and raced down the driveway.
I got a chance to talk to Justin, Rob and Sergio who work there (it was nice not talking to my mum, girlfriend or dog for a change) about all their amazing cars and projects and it became clear to me very quickly why Zen Garage is so popular. It’s simply because their business is their passion and vice-versa. After only a few short minutes of conversation, I could tell that these guys love cars just as much as I do, they pour so much effort into making their cars into truly unique machines that naturally their work place has become something really special and unique in itself.
Eventually I managed to stop being a fanboy all over the place and Rob explained to me what I needed to do (he was also super patient with me as well cause I suck!) and then got stuck straight into handling customer orders. I really enjoyed handling the orders because it gave me a chance to get a good look at all the products they have in stock which was also surprising because of the sheer amount of people I see wearing their clothes. From stickers to key chains, Domos to T-shirts I have seen their products all over Australia and now every time I see someone wearing their gear I’ll know exactly where it came from. Who knows, your shirts may have even been packed by me! (look for the crappy handwriting on the parcel ha ha!).
I was also fortunate enough to be invited to the advanced cinema screening of the 2014 Motive DVD GT-R Challenge and Drag Battle at Fox Studios, so after things wrapped up we headed on over. I was following Justin through the tunnel while he was driving his Golf and holy crap that thing sounds like nothing I’ve ever heard before! It’s like this tight mechanical whirring but it’s just so full of power – there I am sticking my head out the window just to listen, like a dog sticking it’s tongue in the wind, must have looked really cool ha ha!
Justin was kind enough to treat me to a delicious schnitzel burger from the Bavarian Bier Cafe which was actually the best burger I have had in a long while and highly recommend trying one for yourself!
An hour and a half of watching these 1000+ horsepower monsters fly down a runway passed very quickly and I found the film to be quite enjoyable, check out the Motive website to see what I’m talking about. I look forward to the 2015 event! (may even try get up there to do a feature article…).
All in all it was a fantastic day and I am really grateful to the whole team for letting me hover around and learn about their business from the inside. It’s stuff like this that means the most to me and I am really excited to do it all again tomorrow!
If you’re around, come say hey and check out the shop!