Type S Auto Night Lights 2026 moved to a new address Thursday night. The Long Beach Aquarium Garage at 99 Aquarium Way hosted the spring edition, a shift from the Convention Center structure that held the previous two rounds. New venue, same energy, and a lineup of cars and moments that made the change feel like an upgrade.
Larry Chen hosted again alongside Sung Kang, bringing extra weight to a night that already had plenty going for it. For the first time in Night Lights history, the event included live night drifting. Sung also screened the first seven minutes of his upcoming film Drifter and opened up a Q&A session with the crowd afterward. That combination of live motorsport and a real film premiere moment turned what could have been another well-executed car meet into something genuinely memorable.
Pennzoil Showed Up with the Cars Everyone Wanted to See
Pennzoil’s presence at Night Lights goes way beyond branding. They bring metal. Jonny Grunwald’s TRMNL Racing program brought two standout builds in full Pennzoil livery: a Rocket Bunny FC RX-7 in yellow and a lime green FD RX-7 running the GarageLife Drift program.
Ken Gushi was on hand in person alongside his Formula Drift Toyota GR86 in its white and red CReddo/Motul livery. Ryan Tuerck’s Rain-X/Rockstar GR Corolla in yellow and blue rounded out the Toyota Gazoo Racing display.
Kei Miura of TRA Kyoto, the man behind the Rocket Bunny brand, was also at the event, giving enthusiasts a chance to meet the designer whose body kits were literally parked all around them. The Pennzoil backdrop, branded with Drifter movie ties, gave the whole section a unified, high-production look that set it apart from the rest of the show floor.
The Z Connection That Started the Night Early
The hype leading into 2026 had a distinctly old-school flavor. Larry called up Sung, suggested getting a few Datsun 240Zs together, and the two ran a promo cruise through SoCal before the event. Classic iron, two guys who know how to generate attention, and a stop that allegedly cleared out the entire In-N-Out kitchen. By the time April 9th arrived, the Z contingent was already part of the story before the garage even opened.
The Builds Earned Their Spots
The show car lineup covered serious ground. A pair of A80 Toyota Supras sat hood to hood with turbocharged setups on display, the kind of matched pair that stops foot traffic cold. Nearby, a Club A70 bannered black A70 Supra with red engine bay lighting and a turbo build glowed under the garage lights next to a maroon companion car.
The Integra community showed up in force on the rooftop, four DC2s lined up in a row, silver, dark grey, champagne, and mint green, each one dialed in on wheels and stance.
Inside the lower levels, a clean grey Porsche 914 sat composed not far from a white Toyota Starlet and a blue Datsun 1200 sedan. A blue EG Civic hatchback on Work RS wheels with a carbon hood and yellow tinted headlights looked exactly like something pulled from 2002 and cleaned up for 2026.
Two kei trucks showed up in completely different registers: an orange custom flatbed with cartoonish proportions and an elaborate build, and a Suzuki Carry with Pandem/Rocket Bunny stickers and Shinya livery running TE37-style wheels slammed to the deck.
The rooftop had the range. A black 1957 Chevy Bel Air on modern wheels sat against the Long Beach skyline. A pink BMW E30 on BBS-style mesh. A pink Evo X and an orange Evo VIII stood side by side.
A blue Porsche 993 widebody with an orange interior pulled steady crowds. The S-Klub LA Mercedes 300SL restomod in slate blue opened its gullwing doors and didn’t close them for hours.
Parked in the open air on the top deck was a blue Bugatti EB110, the kind of car that makes people stop mid-conversation and just stare.
The Daily Driven Exotics NSX in Castrol-style green DDE livery with a DTM widebody sat up top near the Garage Speed Japan booth, drawing a consistent crowd that wanted a closer look at the bodywork. A grey C6 Corvette Z06 with a twin-turbo setup spilling out of the hood was photographed rolling in on the street outside, not even inside the show yet and already getting attention.
The Vendor Floor Kept People Moving
The vendor area gave attendees plenty of reasons to stay off the elevators. ST Suspension and Litespeed Racing both had booths on the floor, and Type S Auto and Pennzoil ran giveaways throughout the night. Rockstar Energy was on hand keeping the crowd fueled, and Cooled Collective brought their presence to the mix as well. Garage Speed Japan set up shop on the rooftop near the DDE NSX, drawing a steady stream of enthusiasts browsing their gear. The vendor spread was tight enough to walk in a single pass but packed enough to slow everyone down.
A New Venue with the Same Formula
The Aquarium Garage is a different look than the Arena structure. Multiple levels keep people moving. The open-air top deck gives the rooftop cars a proper backdrop against the Long Beach skyline. Overflow parking at The Pike across the way handled the spectator crowd without creating gridlock.
Type S Auto Night Lights has earned its calendar spot by executing consistently and then finding ways to push further. Night drifting is a meaningful escalation. A Drifter movie preview is the kind of exclusive that reminds people why being there in person still matters. The new venue is a fresh backdrop for a formula that keeps getting sharper.
Adam Hyatt is an internationally published Photographer & award winning Cinematographer based in Los Angeles, CA. He is also the owner of SNAK Media, a small production company that specializes in automotive, fashion, corporate, events, and short film projects.
