Almost street racing you will hear about in the US is Fast and furious diversity — groups of people interested in cars, put together friendly challenges or wager with dollars to see whose car is fastest. However, Hong Kong brings something else to the world of street racing: Political motives.
In case you lost it:
Deputy journalist Mehi Melwani investigated the world of Hong Kong street racingwhere a group of young people are passionate use their disregard for traffic laws as a form of action against the police. Their high-speed runs through the passes aren’t just for speed thrills or a few dollars’ worth of prizes. — they are the obvious middle finger to the authorities.
The cars in Vice’s story are an eclectic bunch, one that would probably match most of the unofficial cars encountered here in the United States. An 800 hp GT-R here, an Audi TT there; tuning Volkswagens and Hondas aplenty. These are all the cars you’ll see racing here, for pleasure or glory, but in Hong Kong, they become a statement.
All works from Vice worth a read, chronicling the life of an unnamed fintech heir whose obsession with street racing, drugs, and a mix of the two ultimately cost him his life living. Through his story we get a glimpse into the lives of other racers, the community that always seems to form around cars anywhere in the world. — especially when those enthusiasts are connected by other, more real interests. When you are faced with a tyrannical police force who always want to arrest you and your friends, is there any race that is just a race?
