"...He’s got an R32—just, you know, not THE R32."

LOS ANGELES—At a recent R32 meet in California, car enthusiast and self-proclaimed “JDM lover,” Mark Stevens, showed up expecting to bond over his car choice—only to realize he had brought the wrong one. The event, dedicated to the legendary Nissan R32 GT-R, drew hundreds of admirers of the classic Japanese icon. Unfortunately, Stevens arrived in his Volkswagen Golf R32, the European with the same name but a very different lineage.

“I thought I was going to fit right in,” Stevens admitted, looking over at his Golf parked next to a row of Skyline GT-Rs. “But as soon as I pulled in, I could see the stares. It was like I’d brought a pillow to a gunfight.”

Stevens, a Volkswagen fan who had recently started learning about the JDM scene, said he got “a little too excited” when he saw an R32 meet posted online. He neglected to double-check the details, assuming his Golf R32 would be welcomed. Attendees found his arrival an unexpected twist.

“Honestly, I didn’t know whether to laugh or feel bad for the guy,” said Javier Ortiz, one of the GT-R owners. “He seemed genuinely crushed when we told him it was a Nissan meet. He’s got an R32—just, you know, not THE R32.”

Despite the crushing embarrassment, Stevens found the group surprisingly welcoming. “I learned a lot from these guys,” he reflected. “It wasn’t the right car for the event, but at least I got to meet some awesome people. Next time, I’ll make sure to bring the right one—the Nissan R32 GT-R.