Liberty Walk supercars get the Meguiar's UK treatment!

What makes a good supercar? Is it insane levels of horsepower? Exotic styling and handling? Or simply a price tag that puts ’em out the reach of us mere mortals? Truth be told it’s a combination of all those things, but above all else supercars are designed to be driven and enjoyed – not just by their owners, but by petrolheads from around the globe who otherwise only see them on posters and in films.

When you consider this, it’s a damn shame that the majority of supercars these days end up tucked away in garages, never to see the light of day nor turned a wheel in anger. The economy doesn’t help, either. Why have your money in a bank earning minimal interest when you could buy a GT3 RS Porsche, store it away for a few years and make upwards of £50,000 on it?

Thankfully the world has a solution to this – an antichrist if you will. He resides in Japan, goes by the name of Wataru Kato and is the genius behind Liberty Walk – the infamous supercar chopper-uppers who bolt overfenders, air suspension and deep-dish wheels on some of the rarest cars in the world. Purists, now’s your time to look away…

Kato-san started Liberty Walk way back in the 90s, and after growing up immersed in the world of Bosozuko (think Japan’s answer to chavving it up at McDonald’s) it didn’t take long before the itch to chop up and customize cars spread to wider and wilder models.

But here’s the thing, Kato-san’s creations don’t sit in a showroom waiting to be snapped up by some Dubai investor: they get driven, they get raced, they even get drifted! And despite residing in Japan, Kato-san’s passion has taken him worldwide, spreading across America and Asia, and now making its way to Europe courtesy of The Performance Company aka Liberty Walk EU.

Destined for the Autosport International show this weekend, Kato-san shipped both a Lamborghini Aventador and Ferrari 458 to the UK ready to spread the word on overfenders and loud exhausts. There is one downside to the (admirable) attitude towards using these cars properly at any given opportunity… they get pretty dirty!

Funnily enough, it didn’t take much persuasion for Meguiar’s UK to lend a helping hand, so earlier in the week we headed to Liberty Walk Europe’s HQ with a truck full of cleaning gear to ensure each car was looking its best ahead of the 4-day slog @ Autosport. Half a million quid’s worth of supercars to work on? No pressure.

It’s worth noting that all the products used by Meguiar’s were specifically designed for general maintenance – no trickery or professional-only here, just consumer cleaners anyone can freely buy & use!

First off, all the cars were washed down using our Heavy Duty Detailer – otherwise known (and available) as Wash & Wax Anywhere. This product is safe to use not only on the wrapped bodywork of the Lamborghini and Mini, but also the matte paint finish of the Ferrari. The majority of dirt accumulated appeared to be dust, carbon and other light contaminants so a pressure wash wasn’t necessary.

Onto the engine bays, and both the Ferrari & Lamborghini were treated to Meguiar’s APC (All Purpose Cleaner) on the surface – capable of removing even stubborn, etched-in bird poo – before applying Ultimate Black to enhance the finish and provide protection.

For any particular particularly stubborn grease, Meguiar’s recommends leaving the APC solution on for longer before removing with a clean microfibre.

Top Tip: The small amount of black gloss on the Lamborghini and Mini were revived and refined using our Ultimate Compound which removed the swirls with ease! Check out the following video link: https://www.instagram.com/p/BPCzJbBFCBj/?taken-by=meguiarsuk

The titanium exhausts were looking a tad dull after a fair amount of flames & revving, but no amount of baked-on carbon is a match for Meguiar’s APC (for breaking up and removing the main bulk of dirt) followed by NXT Metal Polysh to revive the surface and provide additional protection.

Onto the interior, and once again Meguiar’s APC proved to be the shining star (the clue’s in the name after all) which quickly and effortlessly cleaned the door rubbers and muddied carpets.

All Purpose Cleaner really is for all purposes… we even found APC a suitable way of cleaning the white etched letters on the Lamborghini’s massive tyres!

For plastic surfaces, we switched over to Quik Interior Detailer which is also safe to use on metals and switches, leaving a matte finish as opposed to a slippery, glossy finish.

The final addition to the interior was our new leather balm. This cocoa butter product conditions and protects in one easy step, bringing life back into all leathers quickly and efficiently.

With the three cars all but finished, the final step was a quick mist of Meguiar’s Pure Clarity Glass Cleaner – an essential under the bright lights of Autosport International where greasy fingerprints and dirt are somewhat magnified.

A massive thanks goes out to James and all the team at Liberty Walk EU for giving Meguiar’s the chance to be involved with such an eclectic mix of supercars. Make sure you check ’em out at Autosport International this weekend – they really do need to be seen to be believed!