At one point or another in life, we all have someone we consider a best friend. Whether it’s someone we grow up with, or it’s someone that we meet along the way, we always find someone that we share a bond with. For our friends here, Kenichirou and Shunsuke, their friendship has spanned the better part of 15-years. From drifting to VIP cars, the two have done it all together, and we’re here to share their pair of stunning LS460s.
Photos & Video By: Chris Anderson exclusively for StanceNation.com
Kenichirou and Shunsuke first met drifting the touges and tracks around Japan, even making it to the D1GP ranks. However, being independent in the fiercely competitive series proved to be difficult as the sponsored drivers and shop-backed teams took over. After exiting the drifting world the two decided to move onto bigger and better things, quite literally! Since the two both drifted S15s back in their D1GP days, it came to no surprise that the two both rock a pair of Lexus’ latest LS460. The latest generation of the popular LS is one of the best yet, mixing a perfect balance of style and elegance with aggressiveness. It doesn’t take much to make a USF40 look good, but these two have done an outstanding job with the platform, hitting every mark of building a proper VIP car.
Big, low, and aggressive are the three main ingredients to create the presence that a VIP car exudes. The new 460s in their own right are very well equipped from the factory and just look the part straight from the show-room floor. Keep in mind that these cars are still relatively new, and the price-tag that comes with the cars isn’t for the faint of heart. Kenichirou and Shunsuke have certainly played their cards right to be in the position to be building cars of this caliber. Gotta work hard to play hard, right?
Shunsuke Oda- Silver LS460
We’ll start with Shunsuke’s silver LS460. It’s no secret that if you want to make an impact when it comes to VIP, building the top-of-the-line model is a way to make a big statement. That’s Shunsuke’s reasoning anyhow. Sporting Lexus’ flagship model, Shunsuke was ready to leave his personal touch on the car. With such an aggressive look from the factory, it doesn’t take much to get a new LS looking proper, but that didn’t stop our man from taking his to whole new level.
The exterior of Shunsuke’s LS460 sports a combination of aero from Answer, Wald, and Aimgain. An Answer front lip, Wald Black Bison side-skirts, and Aimgain VIP GT round out the aero upgrades which keep with the cars sleek and aggressive look. To get the car sitting right, Shunsuke went with an air suspension setup to insure his wheels tuck up nicely into the arches, and have the ability to dial the ride height to his liking at his fingertips. The air suspension was put together by Cockpit910 and tailored to Shunsuke’s liking. With the suspension dialed it, it was time to focus on the wheels. Shunsuke went with a set of Work Gnosis sized up at 21×10.5 all around. Offsets are +15 in the front and +25 in the rear respectively.
The list is short and sweet with Shunsuke’s LS460, but it doesn’t take much to get one of these looking proper. Shunsuke’s LS has that great balance of sporty VIP and traditional VIP. There’s no doubt that this car has presence, despite how simple it is. Shunsuke has plenty more in store for his car as it’s always evolving. We definitely appreciate that, never staying idle with a project.
Kenichirou Kudou- Black LS460
The second part of our dynamic, LS, duo is Kenichirou’s black LS460. With the LS460 still being relatively new, this particular one is one of the most complete there is. What really has me taken with this one is that there is something a little special under the hood. It really put a smile on my face to see Kenichirou also tackle the engine bay to bring it up to par with the rest of the car.
Kenichirou’s LS is a bit more over-the-top compared to Shunsuke’s. Dressed in black, a staple shade of the VIP community, this LS looks absolutely sinister. Kenichirou has had his for 3-years and has really done a number on it to transform it to what you see here. One-off kit, with a one-off suspension, and a one-off bay? You see a pattern here…
Kenichirou’s LS wears custom bumpers and side-skirts from Cockpit910. Like Shunsuke’s silver LS, this car follows a more aggressive, GT-style of VIP. The aero parts on Kenichirou’s LS ooze with aggression, yet when on this platform, have a subtle elegance to them. The front bumper with stacked fog-lights follow the lines of the large grille which tie in well with the vented hood. The fenders and quarters have also been worked over, yet look factory which is always hard to achieve. The rear bumper with custom diffuser round out the car nicely and add a very distinct GT-style flavor to it.
Kenichirou’s LS, like Shunsuke’s, also sits on a Cockpit910 custom air-suspension system. While I’m a strong supporter of static lows, cars like the LS460 just seem fitting on air, though I’m sure it won’t be long till we start seeing cars like these rolling around static. With the suspension and ride-height sorted, Kenichirou’s next task was to find the right set of rollers. Lowenhart is a name that is usually found in European car circles, however their Canvell VFs found their way onto this LS in 21×10.5 sizing all around. You can’t go wrong with a classic, fat-five spoke design with deep, step-lips. The wheels also do a great job of framing the Brembo 8-piston and 6-piston brake setup. Kenichirou certainly isn’t pulling any punches with his LS, and we’re not even to the good part yet.
I told you there was something a little special under the hood, and this is honestly my favorite part of the car. I come from a strong, performance-oriented background, so I love cars that have paid attention to the engine bay. To be honest, I didn’t even know anyone made a supercharger kit for this car, but go figure, tuning powerhouse HKS came up trumps. Based around a Rotrex blower, the centrifugal supercharger kit not only looks the business, but also adds some healthy gains in the go department. The kit looks a little busy under the hood, but Kenichirou has done a good job keeping things shiny and clean.
Kenichirou’s LS is another great example of the UCF40 chassis. Like Shunsuke’s, it has a great balance of traditional VIP touches, and the newer, more modern GT-style VIP tuning that is popular right now in Japan. Where this one earns some extra brownie points though is under the hood. It’s great to see someone improve upon Lexus’ V8 like that. These cars may be big, luxo cruisers, but don’t sleep on the big motors they put in these things!
The real cool part about this feature though, is the two owners. Seriously, these two have been friends for 15-years, starting out drifting the touges together, and now they’re building these unbelievable LS460s together. Cars are definitely a strong bond between people. The countless amount of crews out there are a testament to that. This feature is really cool to share because it’s a bit more than just about the cars, but about two friends who’ve shared a lot together. Could be I’m just reading into things a bit much too, haha. I just find that to be a really cool aspect of this feature (because I don’t have many friends…#foreveralone). Either way, I hope you enjoyed this one as much as I did, and some big props to our man Chris Anderson for capturing some great photos for us. Thanks again!
