Simon Chen on Shanghai meet-ups and shooting supercars

Simon Chen grew up in Shanghai racing through Gran Turismo circuits and memorizing Top Gear episodes before he ever touched a camera. Now a decade into car photography, Chen (@scvission) features in our Car Content Creator Index 2026. He has built a following of more than 23,000 on Instagram, shooting everything from rare air-cooled Porsches on the streets of Tokyo to curated garages in Hangzhou. His work hinges on atmosphere and storytelling: the right light, the right location, the point where a car stops being an object and starts being a feeling. Some of his most resonant images have come not from hypercars at sanctioned events but from quiet mornings in the mountains, or a perfectly matched pair of vintage European cars parked outside a café. Back in Shanghai now and working as a product manager at Geely Auto Group, Chen occupies an unusual vantage point: he has watched the car scenes of two major Asian cities evolve, with an insider’s eye for both. We caught up with him as part of our content creator interview series in the Cars & Culture newsletter, in collaboration with Cart Dept. Jing Daily: How would you describe car culture in Shanghai? Simon Chen: Scattered: People tend to hang out in smaller groups casually spread around the city, rather than gathering in concentrated spots like Daikoku PA in Tokyo or organized meets in Socal. Large-scale car events only happen occasionally throughout the year. Growing: We’re witnessing noticeable growth in the local car community, both in diversity and size. More shops are opening, more enthusiasts are finding their voice, and there’s increasing exposure through social media. Brands like Porsche and Subaru are also making stronger efforts to connect with their enthusiast communities. JD: What’s your favorite shoot you’ve worked on over the past year? SC: I’ve had a lot of memorable shoots over the past year, but one that really stands out was a trip to Hakone with my friend Steve in his exposed-carbon Gunther Werks Speedster. We left before sunrise and made it to the mountains just as the morning light hit Mount Fuji. Seeing that car against the backdrop of Fuji almost didn’t feel real. What made the experience special wasn’t just the photos, though — it was the drive itself. We spent the entire day carving through the mountain roads before heading back into downtown Tokyo. The car had no roof or windows, so I was freezing in the mountains, but somehow that made the whole experience even more memorable. JD: Were cars a big part of your life growing up? SC: I’d say yes, cars were a big part of my life growing up in Shanghai. Before elementary school, one of my earliest memories with video games was playing Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed. Then, from second to seventh grade, Gran Turismo 4 was my favorite game, and I spent a lot of time trying to unlock all the hidden prize cars. In middle school, I learned English by watching every episode of Top Gear that I could find; I’d go on Speedhunters to read about crazy builds and download wallpapers for my phone and computer. In high school, I had my first internship at Pagani China for six months, and around the same time I was also working as a car photographer for Ramp.Space magazine in China. I continued doing that until I finished my bachelor’s degree at Michigan State University. So yes, I’d definitely say cars have been a big part of my life. JD: What are the key differences between car culture in Tokyo and Shanghai? What do you love most about the two cities? SC: I think the biggest difference between car culture in Tokyo and Shanghai is accumulation over time. Japan has had a strong domestic car industry and enthusiast culture since the 1960s. From the 1980s to the 1990s — what many people consider the golden era of enthusiast cars — Japan also happened to be at its financial peak. That combination created an incredibly deep and mature car culture. Even today, after years of collectible cars being exported out of Japan, you can still occasionally find unbelievably special cars tucked away in collections or at small specialty dealers. Back then, Japan was one of the key markets keeping brands like Lamborghini and Porsche alive during difficult periods. Japan also became one of the biggest markets for brands like Lotus Cars, RUF Automobile, and Alpina, which says a lot about the depth of enthusiast culture there. What I love most about Tokyo is what I’d call the “interesting car density.” On a sunny weekend, you genuinely can’t walk a few blocks downtown without seeing something interesting — whether it’s a perfectly preserved kei car, a rare air-cooled Porsche, or a wild tuned car leaving a parking garage. Cars are just deeply integrated into daily life and the city’s identity. China, on the other hand, came into car culture much later. Cars didn’t really become a mainstream thing until the 2000s — before that, most people were still riding bicycles. China also didn’t have a truly competitive domestic car industry until the late 2010s. In many ways, the market developed incredibly fast, but the enthusiast culture didn’t have the same decades of gradual evolution and accumulation that Japan had. JD: What’s your favorite car to shoot? SC: I love shooting exotic or beautiful cars, but for me it’s never just about the car itself. It could be something incredibly rare like an Alfa Giulietta Sprint Speciale, a BMW Z8, a Pagani Zonda, or a raw American car like a Dodge Viper — I appreciate cars with strong character and presence. But the location matters just as much as the car. I’m much more inspired by atmosphere, context, and storytelling than simply photographing an expensive object. A great location can completely transform the feeling of a shoot. Sometimes an ordinary car in the right environment creates a stronger image than a hypercar parked under showroom lights. For example, you could hand me a McLaren F1, but if it’s sitting indoors at an event venue or a showroom, I honestly struggle to even pull my camera out. JD: Most memorable event of the past year? SC: One of the most memorable events for me this past year was the Luftgekühlt Tokyo meet held around the KK Line area in Ginza. By that point I had already moved back to Shanghai from Tokyo, so going back and reconnecting with old friends while also meeting new people made the whole experience feel really special. The car lineup was unbelievable — everywhere you looked there was something special. But honestly, what made the event unforgettable for me was the setting itself. For anyone who loves photographing cars and the Tokyo skyline, it almost felt surreal. The combination of the elevated roads, neon lights, the city atmosphere, and the density of interesting cars created a scene that felt straight out of a dream. It was one of those moments where the cars, the people, and the location all came together perfectly. The whole atmosphere just felt sensational. JD: What changes to car culture in China have you observed over recent years? SC: It’s a difficult question for me to answer fully because I spent 2016-2021 in Michigan and then 2023-2025 between Kyoto and Tokyo, so I wasn’t continuously in China during some of the most important years of growth. That said, the car scene in China is definitely growing. There are more enthusiasts now, more niche shops opening up, more people attending meets, track days, road trips, and camping events centered around cars. Social media has also helped connect enthusiasts in a way that didn’t really exist before. But at the same time, compared to the size of the population, it’s still a relatively small community. And unfortunately, I think both the general public and the government are still fairly conservative when it comes to enthusiast car culture. To many non-car enthusiasts, if you own something that isn’t Chinese-made and still burns fuel, people often see you as either outdated or someone trying too hard to stand out or show off. From a policy standpoint, it sometimes feels like the direction is simply to encourage people to keep moving on to newer cars every few years, rather than preserving older enthusiast cars or supporting modification culture. So, while the scene itself has grown on the surface, I don’t think the deeper foundation of enthusiast culture has changed dramatically yet. JD: What’s a car or moment you shot that really blew up online, and why do you think it connected? SC: One of the moments that really blew up online was an Instagram reel I shot at a café and art space in Hangzhou. The space itself had a very curated mix of old cars and interior design. On display were things like a SWB G-Class, a G-Series 911, old rugs, and vintage furniture, all arranged in a very intentional and cinematic way. Outside, I parked my Cayman R next to a slightly matching green Mercedes-Benz W123 280CE. I think it resonated because people are drawn to that combination of old cars and carefully designed spaces. It’s not just about the cars themselves — it’s the imagination behind it. The idea that “this could be my garage or house one day,” or this lifestyle could actually exist in a personal, tangible way. And I also think for viewers outside of China, it was surprising to see that there’s still a community of people who genuinely care about and enjoy older cars in that kind of aesthetic, expressive way. JD: If someone’s visiting Shanghai and wants to tap into the car scene, where should they go first? SC: On a sunny weekend, areas like Wuyuan Road or the Xintiandi district are actually pretty good for casual car spotting and getting a feel for the city’s automotive presence. But honestly, if you really want to tap into the actual car scene in Shanghai, it’s not something you can fully experience just by going to locations. You’ll usually need to know someone who can bring you into the right meets, drives, and private gatherings. A lot of the real scene happens through word of mouth and personal circles, so once you’re connected, it opens up very quickly. That’s probably the most “Shanghai” part of it — it’s less about fixed locations, and more about being in the right network of people. JD: What’s your plan for the rest of 2026? SC: I’m currently working at Geely Auto Group as a product manager. A big focus for us is building out a more international footprint; so hopefully through that I’ll get the chance to travel more, see different markets, and understand car scenes in different countries through work. The first stop might be Canada, but nothing is set in stone yet, so we’ll see how it goes. Recently, work has definitely been getting busier, and at the same time it’s becoming more challenging to keep producing content at the same pace as before. But I’m still trying to find a balance and continue sharing as much as I can, even if the rhythm changes a bit. To receive more content like this directly to your inbox, subscribe to Jing Daily’s bi-weekly Cars & Culture newsletter in collaboration with Cart Dept here.

Simon Chen on Shanghai meet-ups and shooting supercars

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Simon Chen on Shanghai meet-ups and shooting supercars

How Bottega Veneta weaved China’s forever it bag