Late final yr, I paid an extended overdue go to to Limitless Works in Yokohama.
I had really contacted the store’s proprietor Kazuhiro Sato – Kaz to his buddies and acquaintances – nearly two years prior, within the hope that he may do some work on my Impreza. However alas, the calendar was absolutely booked with buyer vehicles – largely Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions – with the following out there opening a couple of months forward. So, sadly, I needed to look elsewhere.
Limitless Works is a Japanese tuning store in very excessive demand, and maybe one of many final of its type.
Kaz started tuning Evos within the late Nineteen Nineties. He arrange Limitless Works by himself 17 years in the past, hiring a tight-knit crew of mechanics who’re nonetheless working with him as we speak. Discuss job satisfaction.
It’s no shock actually, as there’s at all times one thing thrilling to work on. Most notably, Limitless Works helped develop one of many world’s most iconic and influential Lancer Evolutions – the two-time World Time Assault Problem-winning and Tsukuba legend, Cyber Evo.
When you chat with Kaz for greater than 54.642 seconds (that’s the Cyber Evo’s quickest Tsukuba lap time), there’s one phrase which is able to pop up greater than as soon as: Ardour.
Whereas tuning Evos to set blisteringly-fast lap occasions is a certain solution to turn out to be well-known, the issues that preserve you in favour with the plenty are drivebility and reliability. The Limitless Works crew satisfaction themselves on constructing quick street vehicles which preserve a sure diploma of civility. Meaning air-conditioning and electrical home windows can all be present in Kaz’s buyer builds. Even among the sub-60 second Tsukuba vehicles that Limitless Works have constructed nonetheless retain their manufacturing facility creature comforts.
These vehicles are constructed for efficiency although, and as you’d count on, some neat aftermarket components are made in home. Limitless Works’ stainless cat-back exhaust programs are fairly in style, and can be found in two specs: preserve it civilised or wake the useless.
Speaking with Kaz about his store and the aftermarket trade generally revealed two factors of concern for the veteran tuner. Firstly, he sees an even bigger divide than there’s ever been between the variety of outlets who convey many years of experience to their prospects and produce work which displays this, and fly-by-night outlets producing sub-par work. His different concern is a common fear for tuning outlets and customers alike – components, or lack thereof. I’m certain lots of you too have been hit with the dreaded ‘this half has been discontinued’ error on the checkout. So how is the trade surviving? Nicely, fortunately many components are nonetheless out there. However typically components like trim, bumpers and different physique panels aren’t. The one choice is to refurbish, recycle, or in some circumstances, recreate them your self.
The recommendation from Limitless Works? Take care of your trip and take preventative measure in opposition to sick destiny. Carry on high of upkeep, drive sensibly – inside cause – and take a look at to not hit something alongside the best way. When you take care of your stuff correctly, then it is going to final a number of automotive lifetimes.
When the Cyber Evo ran its WTAC victory lap in 2011 it was a 10-year-old automotive. It could be a 23-year-old automotive this yr, and I’m certain it will nonetheless run rings round a inventory 991 Porsche 911 GT3. Kaz doesn’t know the place the long-lasting Evo is now, however on the day I visited Limitless Works, there was a buyer Lancer that laps Tsukuba nearly as fast because the Cyber Evo did, in for a routine check-up. I made certain to test it out, so keep tuned for that function very quickly.
Toby Thyer
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