English version BBS JAPAN Forged for extreme function beauty. FORGED WHEEL CATALOG 2019 The wheels themselves demanded it. https://bbs-japan.co.jp/en/ Customer Service: 525, Fukuta-Rokke, Takaoka City, Toyama, 933-0313, Japan Tel: +81-766-31-8091 Fax: +81-766-31-8092 (product and delivery inquiries) Takaoka Office (Factory): 525, Fukuta-Rokke, Takaoka City, Toyama, 933-0313, Japan Tel: +81-766-31-8091 Fax: +81-766-31-8092 Tokyo Office (Sales): 12F Shiba Park Building A, 2-4-1 Shibakoen, Minato-ku, Tel: +81-3-6402-4090 Fax: +81-3-6402-4410 Tokyo, 105-0011, Japan The information in this document is current as of January 2019. Certain images are intended only as illustrations. “Formula One” and “F1” are trademarks of Formula One Licensing BV, a Formula One Group company. Specifications and prices are subject to change without notice. In the real lives the true The vagaries of fashion. Correct-seeming opinions. We go well beyond all that. After all, when it comes to new styles and ideas, one is free to create one’s own. Those that move people have the power to cross the boundaries of era and generation. Of this, BBS is confident. And of this: The true is found only in the real. When it comes to wheels, selecting BBS takes you straight there. What do in the auto industry professionals The Voice of currently want from BBS? What would they like to see the company do in the future? Automotive BBS Technology journalist and researcher Shinya Yamamoto interviews Makoto Shibuya of Subaru Tecnica International Inc. about superior Subura Vol. 1. handling, building the Complete Car, and his Quality & Performance team’s approach to motor sports. Automotive journalist and researcher Subaru Tecnica International (STI) Shinya Yamamoto & Makoto Shibuya Yamamoto Using BBS wheels changes the way an automo- level the driving performance characteristics we pursue, such bile drives. What first showed me this was a Subaru vehicle. as smooth movement the instant the driver changes the steer- Journalists had the opportunity to test-drive the 3rd-genera- ing angle, continuous and natural steering feel, excellent grip tion WRX STI GRB with both regular wheels and BBS wheels during cornering, and a linear road feel. Since transferring to STI, and compare. The BBS wheels clearly provided a better driv- my thinking has remained the same. For our STI Complete Car ing experience. When I shared this impression with a Subaru Series S, we have striven to deliver performance and elegance engineer, I was surprised to learn that, apart from the wheels, that works anywhere, from city streets to the Nürburgring itself. the cars had the exact same specification. Subaru was one of In order to do so, BBS wheels have been an indispensible item. the first Japanese automakers to use BBS wheels as standard Yamamoto As soon as you get behind the wheel you sense equipment. I understand that you tried a wide variety of wheels that the Complete Car S Series offers more than just absolute and that BBS was the standout. performance. It also has a very sensual quality that the num- To maximize driving Shibuya Wheels are critical to safety, and they need to be bers can’t express. It feels like a sports car and a premium vehicle in one. You don’t have to be running full-throttle on the strong enough not to deform excessively or leak air. If they fulfill Pressing the billet into 1/4 its original height After forming, heat treatment brings out the circuit to experience this, either. Simply make a turn at an ordi- produces an extremely fine metallic structure. toughness of the metal. without compromise this fundamental requirement, then light- performance, BBS was the nary intersection, and it’s clear. Even a single turn reveals some- ness is next as an extremely important performance character- thing cool. What differences have you observed between BBS istic. Many factors contribute to steering stability and ride feel, essential choice wheels and other brands? such as the tires, wheels, suspension, body, and aerodynam- ics. But my personal perspective is that it’s crucial to consider Shibuya BBS delivers the right balance between rigidity and first the parts closest to the road surface and work upward from lightness, as well as a strong grip on the road. All wheels de- form to some extent during driving, but there’s a big difference there. Tires have evolved greatly over the past 10 to 20 years, between sudden and smooth deformation, and this greatly af- but the wheels support the tires, and we need to look at them fects driving feel. Further, not all forged wheels are the same. very carefully to maximize driving performance. There are differences in the aluminum used and manufacturing Yamamoto What impression did you get from your testing of methods such as heat treatment and the way force is applied BBS wheels? and temperature is managed. BBS has important proprietary Shibuya My impression is that BBS wheels bring out superior know-how. Even with the same machines and the same mate- Lightness, rigidity, and toughness in ideal balance contribute to both steering stability and ride comfort. performance from the tires. They help us achieve at a very high rials as BBS, no one could obtain the same performance levels. 4 5 Shinya Yamamoto Born in Shizuoka Prefecture in 1975, Yamamoto worked in product planning at an automaker and in development at a tuning manufacturer before becoming a journalist at an automotive magazine. Since becoming an independent automotive researcher in 2013, he has made it his mission to convey the perspectives of both automobile makers and owners in a clear, easy-to-understand way. His areas of expertise are numerous. To report on the state of global automobiles, he has traveled extensively around the world. Leveraging his experience as an engineer, he is a skilled presenter of advanced technology, while his tenure as an editor equips to him communicate effectively about the driving mechanism. Known for his wide and deep coverage of the automotive world, he also reports on motorsports and classic automobiles, as well as a range of obscure and interesting topics. He is also renowned for his ability to understand how automotive engineers feel and encourage them to reveal their true opinions. Makoto Shibuya Joining Subaru in 1974, Shibuya worked in the development of production automobiles like the WRX STI and BRZ with a specialization in steering stability and ride comfort. In 2011, he moved to STI Product Development as General Manager of the Experimental Division. There he led the development of Complete Cars S207 and BRZ tS, as well as various components. Since 2017, he has been the Project General Manager of STI’s SUPER GT initiative and is overseeing the project in 2018. He enjoys rally, dirt trials, and other motorsports, and is himself a championship-winning driver in the All-Japan Dirt Trial Championship. Yamamoto At BBS, the same artisans use the same technolo- models had extremely fine spokes, and they were quite a pain gy in the same factory to develop and produce wheels for both to get clean when washing the car [laughs]. race cars and production vehicles. I’ve really been impressed Yamamoto Currently, STI is participating in SUPER GT and by the level of vision at BBS and the outstanding skill of the the 24 Hours Nürburgring with a works team, and you’re using company’s artisans. BBS wheels exclusively. What would you say is the difference in Shibuya One basic test we have of steering stability is the ba- performance required of wheels for race cars and for produc- sic suspension characteristics test. We fix the car in place, put tion vehicles? force on the tire tread, and measure rigidity. In the case of BBS Shibuya Actually, there’s no difference. It’s all a matter of max- wheels, we’ve found that rigidity varies not much at all whether imizing performance for both kinds of vehicle. We work with the spokes are pointing directly downward or not. I think this BBS to develop our racing wheels. We’ve improved our times Race cars and production quality contributes to smooth, responsive, and linear motion. on the track, of course, but I’m also hearing from drivers that Yamamoto Perhaps that’s the secret to the exceptional bal- wheel enhancements are helping them more easily ride up on vehicles demand the same level ance of BBS wheels, which makes them so perfectly merge the curb during cornering. Wheels have also become more with the car as a whole. When BBS wheels are put on a vehicle, gentle, thanks to the toughness that the forging process im- of functionality they instantly give the impression of being standard equipment. parts. Further, in both, we’ve had no trouble from the wheels And in terms of design, even as the times change, they retain whatsoever. This level of trust is a big deal to us. their timeless beauty. The unique shape of the spokes is more Yamamoto BBS engineers tell me that STI has very clear and than a good look. They are born of the science of mechanics, detailed requirements when it comes to wheels. the enhancement of rigidity balance and ensuring that there Shibuya That’s because we’ve realized that wheels change are no weak points or overly strong points. I think you could the way a car drives [laughs]. To bring out the best performance call it functional beauty in pursuit of top performance. Do BBS from the driver, what should we do about the car? What should wheels have any demerits? we do about the wheels? I’m constantly asking myself these Shibuya In my experience, in terms of functionality, they do questions.