Japan Tuner Spotlight: BOND

WSTO visits Bond Shop Japan!

One of our missions during our visit to Japan and the Tokyo Auto Salon was to experience for ourselves the difference between US and Japanese tuning shops, and the car culture in general. Our visits to Dort, Bond Shop, and Studie all reveal just how unique car culture in Japan is.

Seeing Bond Shop’s enormous facility is very humbling, not only because of the sheer size of the place, or the incredibly impressive projects contained within the walls, but also because you soon come to the realization that the already incredible Bond Shop is only a small component of the European car tuning powerhouse called Lager Corporation- a company responsible for importing and distributing key brands for European cars like ART, Tech Art, G Power, ABT, and Arden. The level of organization and financial backing available here is truly rare in the BMW aftermarket, especially in the US, and to me represents a real achievement.

Bond Shop Urawa is split into two buildings. The major houses cars, a bay area and the main show room.  The second building is the Bond performance studio, which is the main facility for sound, interior and electronic work.

The signs on the wall of the main building, list some of Bond’s key partners- Continental Tire, Mansory, ABT, G Power, Tech Art, and ART. Brands which carry a lot of weight in the tuning world and to have all of them under one roof is remarkable.

On the lower level is the bay area where cars can pull in for quick parts installs, service and maintenance.  Right in the front of the bay area was this beast- a G Power supercharged M3 with new Awksher wheels and front lip spoiler.  Sales and Marketing manager Naoki Fukasaki chose this car to drive me to Lager’s distribution warehouse, which was an adventure in itself. The car is absolutely terrifying! Power delivery is instant and brutal. (more detailed coverage on this beast to come soon).

Bond Shop’s show room has an impressive stock of wheels from G Power, Hyper Forged, Neez, and even Alpina, along with cars featuring their various product lines.

The showroom features some of the stellar complete cars sold by this shop.

Here is an all Brabus CLS

This Z4 sells for about $58,000 US dollars and features parts by VRS, Recaro, Advan, Brembo, and many others- a true bargain!

ART tuned Mercedes Benz GL…

The Arden Range Rover…

A Tech Art Porsche is a unique car even when seen on the street, so seeing this one on a showroom floor, “in stock” and ready for purchase was a truly impressive sight!

Alpina 6…

And the list keeps going, on and on.  I felt like a kid in a candy store, surrounded by all the toys that only a dream could provide. It was no dream.

Cars enter the beautiful showroom through these large doors, and are then open to offers from customers.  Here prospective clients can sit down with one of Bond Shop’s technical consultants and design the car of their dreams.  And many clients have done so, here.  Even celebrities and famous sportsmen, like Ishikawa.

Bond is not all about show either.  They participate in many well known racing circuits in Japan and they have the plaques to prove it too!   I also found out that most of the guys that work at Bond are also avid track and weekend racers.  (I felt like a poser…)

Bond Shop is also home to some of Japan’s own great BMW tuning companies, like 3D Design, Rays, Yokohama, Varis, Wald and many more. Here is a complete 3D Design mini, with the full line of parts offered by the extremely high-end parts manufacturer.

The second level contains a massive storage facility for Bond Shop’s major projects- I feel like having your car stored on this upper level is truly an honor as it makes you one of Bond Shop’s key clients.

The Bond Shop’s 2nd floor houses some truly incredible cars, from the Lamborghini Gallardo in the front row to a myriad of Mercedes and BMW cars, and even a Nissan GTR, fully wrapped in WALD components. All of these cars will receive the full Bond treatment with a full line of engine modifications and exterior enhancements to make the car more exciting than its factory specification.

This is the raging bull livery on a full IMSA wide body Gallardo with centerlock wheels.  Right across from it was the Novitec Rosso F430 in WHITE! (not very common).

One of Bond Shop’s primary functions is to build turnkey modified cars in order to resell them in local and overseas markets. The shop’s top floor warehouse holds all of these cars, delivered in a brand new state from the factory, ready to be built into more fearsome machines and sold to their new owners.
Here are few more specimens of the Bond creation.

Brand new C63 with HRE 790R wheels.

The Wald GT-R and the M5 with Neez 7 Model wheels…

With the backing of the Lager Corporation, Bond Shop is able to offer a huge selection of rare, hard to find wheels, body kits and tuning products, including options only available to the Japanese and European market. This connection is extremely exciting for WSTO in particular, as it allows our staff to offer our own clientele even the rarest products.

Leaving Bond Shop, I was treated to a ride to Lager’s enormous parts warehouse in Bond Shop’s own E92 M3 project car. The car’s G Power supercharger kit made for a truly hair-raising experience! A beast that is truly terrifying.

Stay tuned for more from WSTO’s Japan Tuner Spotlight!

VRS Aero for BMW E92 M3

I have been a big fan of VRS aero for a long time. They have been making quality carbon fiber and FRP products for all the highly sought after Japanese machines like the GTR, EVO and STI under the VARIS name.

With focus on lightweight, and stregnth with full functionality, they stir up full down force yielding creations that end up on race cars.

One such creation that we all love here is the StudieGlad R@cing Z4. Varis laid the front hood, rear diffuser and Wing for this Super GT, GT300 Class pure race machine.

 

They have taken this healthy dose of creativity to the new M3.

Front end features the following:

• Front lip 
• Extension Lip
• Cooling vented hood

The rear end is not too shabby either with:

• Rear skirt
• Rear Diffuser
• GT Wing (Euro Edition shown above & Hyper Narrow shown below)

 

 The car looks amazing and ready for anything.

Please contact WSTO for more information on VRS Aero for your car.

T| 312.730.7767

E| info@wheelsto.com

Japan Tuner Spotlight: DORT

WSTO made its journey across the Pacific in mid January to meet with our partners in Japan.  We had the opportunity to share views on modding, products and the philosophy behind tuning with them. What started out as a business trip, quickly became a constant state of awe and disbelief.  Why? It is because I got the chance to see the best of BMW tuning in Japan in real life.  Cars, tuned to the very extent of my imagination or beyond, tuning parts that i hadn't even heard of and most of all to get a glimpse of the thought process and brilliance of some of these tuners was simply overwhelming.

I can't even begin to share all of my experiences but I will do my best to share some of joy that i got through pictures with our fellow enthusiasts, here in the US.  

We will spotlight three shops; Dort, Bond (Larger Corporation) and finally Studie (Tokyo & Yokohama).

This is the first spotlight: Dort

 

Located in the depths of Nagoya, Dort is a tuning shop for BMW and other fine European Marque that boasts 20 years of experience.  Dort is responsible for many creations that grace the covers of many famous Japanese magazines, such as Special Cars and af imp.

The entire shop is wrapped with colors of the German Flag.  A tribute to the origin of fine cars that Dort works on and i am sure a reflection of the character and boldness of the man behind the greatness of Dort, Yoshida-san.  A distinguishing feature of Dort and of Yoshida-san is that he does not just sell products that customers ask for, but believes in the process of sharing his unique philosophy, knowledge and experience in tuning cars with his customers.  He believes that this is the only way that the customers can truly realize the unique car that they are dreaming of.  This is the motto of Dort.

Customers without knowledge of products or about modding, can step in to Dort and work with Yoshida-san, knowing that they are in good hands.

Although, Dort works on all makes and models of the European breed, majority of their customers are BMW owners.  They carry all major performance products, such as BBS, Neez, Gruppe M, 3D Design, Volk, Advan, Arqray, Eisenmann, Akrapovic, Bilstein, Brembo, and many more.

 

Walking into the shop, I came in direct contact with a wall of Neez, volk and Japan only BBS wheels.  I was in awe and could not keep my eyes off of them.   As I turned, I could see a whole room filled with some of the products that we have only heard of in the US (or even that), such as ARC bracing, PIAA Japan LED and HID solutions, 3D Design coilovers (made by Ohlins), Bellof lighting, and many more

Like all respectable shops, they do not carry replicas and will insist, whenever they can on “Japan Only Product”.  In Japan, replicas are frowned upon (deservingly) and if you do carry them, you cannot consider yourself to be amongst the ranks of true tuners. I truly believe that this is the way it should be in the US and any other part of the world for that matter.

By the way, Yoshida-san is friends with the living legend Michael Schumacher himself.  The Race suit was presented to Yoshida-san after a race in person (don’t think it got washed).

 

 Like many shops in japan, Dort is a full tuning shop with the ability to do anything from interior audio to performance, wheels and exterior.

 On the lifts were a Phoenix Yellow E46 M3 and R56 Cooper S when we visited the shop with many other cars in the back lot.

We also got to see their stable of demo cars. First, is the brand new Mercedes Benz W204 C Class with Brabus conversion.

   

Of course one thing that caught my attention is Yoshid san’s E90 M3.  This car was on the cover of the Rays Strahlen TE advertisement, as well as featured in af imp. Currently, on the outside, it wears a 3D Design front lip, 3D rear diffuser, 3D trunk lip spoiler, as well as hood vent accent by AC SChnitzer, CF front grille  and an additional rear wing by Arqray (Might I say… didn’t think that would have turned out as nice as it did…).  Custom pinstriping gives it a signature “Dort” appeal.

 

  

  

 

The car rides on Bilstein coilovers and 19” RE-V with Pirelli P-Zero rubber.  Stopping power is via custom Brembo 6 piston front and 4-piston rears. (Notice the tinted side markers? That is 3M Tint vinyl, which is gaining popularity in Japan. Even on taillights).

On the performance end, Dort has managed to gain a healthy dose of HP with pulleys, GruppeM intake and the Akrapovic Evolution system.

The true pride and joy of Yoshida San is his Mini Cooper S (R53). According to Yoshida-san, the MINI is more fun to drive and from what I hear about the kind of investment that he made on it, it better be.  This is the case where nothing was held back in modifying the car.

 I don’t know where to begin on exterior mods.  Wide fender flares, air inlet scoop with custom paint, taillights and a huge CF wing by Arqray, makes it not only unique but a true show piece.

It may look like a show piece but it sounds and drives like a race car. Engine mods range from Alta intercooler, Gruppe M intake, plasma direct ignition, Plasma ground, boosted supercharger, new engine mounts dampers and much more.  Arqray exhaust with Black out tips add to the overall Red and Black theme.

 

  

 

It was sad to leave Dort and bid farewell to Yoshida-san.  I had a great time at Dort. It was a learning experience on the Japanese culture of tuning and modding cars.  There is definitely more to car modding than just trends and looks here.  The culture is deep with strong foundations based on quality, performance and individuality. 

Hope you all enjoyed the feature and stay tuned for more from WSTO.

For more pictures, please check out our Flickr Set on Dort

For more information, please feel free to contact WSTO.

T | 312.730.7767 

E | info@wheelsto.com