BMW followers in Japan are famously devoted. The sporty M fashions are sometimes fine-tuned, and there’s no extra famend vacation spot than Studie AG in Yokohama. Proprietor Bob Suzuki is a legend throughout Asia, and never just for tuning BMWs.
There’s not a lot appeal to the unassuming industrial park in Yokohama, and the junctions round Kishinechō are jammed from morning to nighttime. For BMW fanatics, although, Studie AG is automotive Mecca. Right here within the coronary heart of town, Bob Suzuki has run a powerhouse tuning enterprise since 1995. Even the title on the façade, “Studie AG”, styled like an official BMW seller, feels distinctly German in Japan. Step by the double doorways and also you discover a workshop you’d count on on the Nürburgring or, at a stretch, within the north of Munich. All over the place you look are logos from German tuning and accent manufacturers. A Nürburgring map spans the ceiling, whereas an illuminated map of higher Munich lights the wall. Welcome to Studie AG: a Bavarian oasis within the Tokyo–Yokohama metropolis. German registration plates, acquainted stickers, that imposing ’Ring map and racing memorabilia flip the store right into a one-off shrine. There’s even a gaming rig with racing seats and workstations with free Wi-Fi. The doorway signal reads: “Autobahn”.
Japan’s thirst for efficiency advantages BMW, and particularly Bob Suzuki’s firm. “At Studie AG we imagine the client expertise goes far past becoming components,” says the ever-smiling Bob. “It’s about making a deep connection between our prospects and their vehicles.” Thirty years in the past, the Japanese petrolhead opened his oddly named store. The everyday buyer age is 30 to 40. “After I first opened, there was nothing like this in Japan,” Bob recollects. “Our first vehicles had been E36s.” Suspension, dampers, wheels and exhausts quickly weren’t sufficient. Clients needed extra bespoke work and travelled additional to get it. Early on, components and contacts got here solely from Germany. For the reason that mid-Nineties, the crew proprietor has visited frequently, stopping by BMW in Munich earlier than detouring to his second ardour: the Eifel area and its winding Nürburgring.
Haruto has simply parked his white Z4 Coupé exterior. “I come right here usually for components or work on my vehicles,” he says, posing by the large rear silencer on his tuned Z4. “I’ve six vehicles, together with a number of Z4s. I like them and drive usually.” He whips out his cellphone and scrolls by images from latest outings with different M house owners.
“For BMW components, it’s Studie AG or nothing,” he provides, hurrying to the counter the place Eibach, Bilstein and KW promote their sports activities suspension kits. Beside them hangs a certificates confirming Studie AG as an official AC Schnitzer accomplice. A number of steps away, a model-making nook with a silver Z3 and a wall of instruments appears like a mini temple to the marque.
Japanese motorways hardly ever see greater than 120 km/h, but tuning has cult standing right here. It’s not solely BMW: native heroes Toyota, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Mazda loom giant, whereas Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Porsche take pleasure in sturdy reputations. At weekends, fanatics collect at freeway interchanges to share their customised vehicles. Model envy? Not right here. At Studie AG, nevertheless, it’s BMW-only. Vacationers and Germans working in Japan usually drop by as properly. Bob’s fame isn’t simply social-media gloss: his personal Studie AG racing crew has boosted the legend. “BMW’s passionate following in Japan comes from the alignment of brand name values with the Japanese temperament,” he says. When he’s not on a world-class circuit or within the store, he heads to the twisties an hour and a half south. “Considered one of my absolute favorite routes is the Hakone Turnpike,” he grins. “13 kilometres of superb sweepers and 981 metres of elevation change. Excellent for my vehicles.”
