Last time I was in the USA, something crazy and totally unplanned happened, I got to attend a Daily Driven Exotics (DDE) car meet at their headquarters in Compton, California. As someone who flew in all the way from the Philippines, you’d think I had this on my itinerary. But honestly? I didn’t.
It All Started at Universal Studios…
I was spending the day at Universal Studios with my family, full on tourist mode, when I randomly saw a post pop up on social media about a DDE meet happening that day at their HQ in Compton.
My heart legit skipped a beat. Without thinking twice, I asked my family if we could wrap up early, and they were cool enough to say yes (shoutout to the fam for understanding the mission).
Next thing I knew, I was in my rental car, driving an hour straight to Compton with pure excitement and adrenaline. I didn’t care if I got there late, I just had to make it.
Arriving at the Playground
As soon as I pulled up to the DDE HQ, it felt like I was stepping straight into one of their YouTube episodes. The place was buzzing, supercars everywhere, the smell of burnt rubber in the air, and camera phones capturing every rev and flame.
These weren’t just high-end exotics sitting pretty. These were daily driven, loud, widebodied, twin-turbo’d monsters that actually got used.
From the twin-turbo Huracan, to the Aventador build, and the legendary McLaren Senna, they were all there. Unreal. Just like DDE has always preached: “Exotics should be driven, not hidden.”
Meeting the Legends
The cherry on top? I actually got to meet Damon Fryer, David Coulter, and Alex Gintani. Damon was super chill and took time to talk to fans (even with the crowd around him).
Dave was just as funny and down-to-earth as he is on camera, and Alex, man, that guy lives and breathes performance tuning. If you know anything about Gintani, you know he’s a legend when it comes to building brutal exhaust systems and tuning high-horsepower beasts.
As a long-time fan, seeing them up close after bingeing their videos from across the globe was absolutely surreal.
Worth Every Kilometer
To think this all happened by chance makes it even more special. I wasn’t even planning to go. But sometimes, those last-minute decisions lead to the best memories.
So yeah, I came from the Philippines, randomly found myself at a DDE car meet, and left with the kind of joy only real car lovers can understand. If you ever get a chance to catch a DDE event, even if it means ditching a theme park, DO IT. You’ll thank yourself later.
1000/10 would do it again – datcarguy