Larry Chen may very well be the world’s most famous motorsport photographer: Formula Drift, Nascar, RTR, Hoonigan, and even Pikes Peak. He’s instantly recognizable from his trademark hat and long sleeves that protect him from the sun, while his passion and dedication have inspired millions of people around the world. But I bet you’ve never considered him as a car collector, even though he’s got some of the most desirable JDM imports in his workshop.
Chen’s journey began some 19 years ago. He absolutely hated studying and pursued his love of cars and photography right out of high school. But it was quite the grind until 2012 when the official photographer for Formula Drift was retiring and Chen took his place. Nowadays, every automotive event wishes to have his coverage, so you can bet he’s making bank.
And that bank is going towards a cool collection, mainly made up of Japanese sports cars. We’ll start this off with something brand new, a Toyota GR86, built for autocross, and things like that. It’s a brand-new car that’s received extensive modifications, including a carbon fiber aero kit, a supercharger that boosts the 2.4-liter to 300 hp, custom coilover suspension, and a bespoke set of wheels.
Chen says the GR86 is an absolute blast to drive. While a stock model is $30,000, we believe this is closer to $50,000 because of the mods. But there are much more valuable cars in the collection, like the 1990 Nissan Skyline GT-R, which is our second favorite car that he owns.
Growing up, the R32 was his dream car and he managed to track down this immaculate, example. The RB engine has recently been modified but in a tasteful OEM+ way. Hagerty recently valued it at $85,000, partly because it’s such a famous example that Hot Wheels even made a toy version of Chen’s car.
Next up we have a car that’s in Larry’s workshop but isn’t his, a 1999 Subaru that’s been swapped to the more powerful motor of a 2005 STI. The photographer does, however, own the Toyota FJ Cruiser that we’re showing you.
The FJ Cruiser is a popular collectible 4×4, the first such car that Larry ever bought. And it’s 100% necessary to have in the collection because it’s used to shoot off-road races. The stock 239 horsepower 4.0-liter V6 needed a little help, so a Magnuson supercharger kit has been strapped on. It’s riding on custom King Shocks and 33-inch wheels. Value? Probably at last $35,000.
Another SUV serves as Larry’s daily driver and, surprise surprise, it’s Japanese again. The Lexus LX 570 on ALPHAequipt wheels. Nothing special, but still worth a good $35,000. There’s also a 2018 Toyota Tundra in the collection that’s been converted to look and work like an F-150 Raptor. So it’s got a 550 horsepower supercharged V8, modified suspension, and a body kit on it. Honestly, we can’t put a price on this because it’s so unique, but it’s at least $40,000.
The Toyota Supra is another “worth truck” that Larry recently put to good use filming amazing Formula Drift videos. You need the power of a custom GR Supra to keep up with some of the best drivers and coolest sideways machines on the planet. It’s probably gone over $100,000 because of the mods. The orange Datsun 240Z was probably Larry’s most famous car. He’s owned it for a really long time, and there’s a clear emotional attachment.
It’s recently undergone a full restoration but is nowhere near stock. Ole Orange Bang” is a 1970 Datsun 240Z that recently got upgraded to an SR20DET from a Formula Drift car. Because of the mods and its celebrity ownership, it could be worth $90,000.
In 2014, Larry also bought something German, the 996 generation of the Porsche 911 Turbo. Doug DeMuro just said the 996 is criminally underrated, so the photographer has always had a great eye for cars. Stock, it’s worth about $75,000 right now, but the 996 is so easy to work on that Larry has installed a bunch of mods, like GT3 seats, GT3 shifter, steering wheel, and polished HRE wheels.
The Turbo is his choice for canyon driving, and for drifting, he chose to modify a Nissan 350Z. However, everything we mentioned pales into insignificance compared to his latest purchase, a Bayside Blue R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R, once driven by Paul Walker in FF4. R34s are insanely expensive, and because it’s owned by Larry Chen, this one can be worth a cool $500k.