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The Kamikaze Collection

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 17:51:19 GMT

Kamikaze Collection is a revolutionary range of high-end boutique car care products designed and manufactured in Japan, home of ceramic coatings. Combining state-of-the-art technology with traditional know-how, Kamikaze Collection prides itself on delivering truly innovative and unique products without the typically associated hype. Employing the ‘kaizen’ approach, Kamikaze Collection focuses on continuous improvement to ensure their customers benefit from products that really do add value.

4-5 Year Durability

Zipang Coat – An evolution in Kamikaze Collection

Zipang Coat represents an evolution in Kamikaze Collection’s world-renowned coating lineup.

Translated from the Japanese, the word ‘zipang’ means golden and the choice of name refers to Marco Polo’s original description of Japan as ‘The Land of Gold’. Vehicles coated with Zipang Coat will enjoy a gold-class level of gloss surpassed only by Kamikaze Collection’s flagship product, ENREI Coat. Zipang Coat combines high quality, ingredients with Kamikaze Collection’s ultra-low molecular weight hydrocarbons to produce a coating with extreme water repelling properties.

However, extensive research and development has enriched these ingredients to increase their performance and enhance their reflective potential. Furthermore, Zipang Coat has a self-levelling function activated by heat that helps keep paintwork swirl-free for longer.

5 Year Durability

MIYABI COAT GRAPHENE PRO – Cutting-edge sealant technology

Myiabi Coat Graphene Pro was co-developed and manufactured with major consumer electronics retailer Panasonic in Japan, resulting in a high-tech formula that will offer lasting durability of up to 5 years when properly maintained, repelling dirt and all looking incredibly glossy at the same time.

Miyabi Coat Graphene Pro is the very latest in cutting-edge sealant technology, delivering some of the most impressive protection and gloss levels ever seen.

5 Year Durability

ENREI COAT – dual layer protection system

The name ‘ENREI’ is derived from a combination of two Japanese words, EN (gloss) and Rei (glamorous beauty) and is a unique dual layer protection system which when combined form the ultimate in protection of your vehicle’s paintwork.

ENREI provides superior resistance to UV rays, swirls, chemicals, repels water and therefore waterborne contamination, oils and grime. Treated surfaces remain cleaner for longer and contamination will not bond as readily. ENREI provides the highest level of protection and longevity along with an outstanding wet look jaw-dropping shine.

Layer 1 – Base Primer Coat

Base Primer Coat is organic polysiloxane-based. It acts as a primer, exploiting the molecular matrix of the clear coat, penetrating it to form strong chemical bonds. In addition to ensuring the surface is completely uniform, Base Primer Coat increases the bonding potential for the second layer.

Layer 2 – Top Coat

Top Coat is inorganic siloxane-based, containing smaller molecules with a high affinity for the molecules in the base layer. This ensures a stronger and highly condensed bond compared with many other nano coatings. This prevents the water spotting issue commonly associated with nano sealants.

2-3 Year Durability

Film Surface Coat

Kamikaze Film Surface Coat is a coating designed specifically to protect vinyl wraps and paint protection films (PPF), actually helping to repair minor defects in the surface.

Nano-sealants have been available for a long time but many contain solvents which can react with vinyl wraps, causing the adhesive to dissolve and the film to peel. Film Surface Coat’s safe solvents avoid this issue and ensure no discolouration during application on coloured, matte or clear films. Specifically designed to bond to soft and porous film surfaces without interfering with the film’s self-healing capabilities.

The very latest Graphene version provides significantly increased gloss & slickness levels, super hydrophobic performance, as well as helping to heal minor surface defects & extending the life of PPF & vinyl wraps.

Taming A Stallion - The Ferrari 812 GTS

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 17:48:36 GMT

the return of the V12 Spider!

It’s quite hard to put into words just how significantly the Ferrari 812 GTS captures your attention and draws you into its beauty. The first time I was privileged to view this car, was actually back in early May where It was requested on behalf of the client to perform an inspection and report of the vehicle at Ferrari Brisbane before it underwent its preparation for delivery, to say I was in awe of its presence would be an absolute understatement!

There were many days and weeks following on from the initial viewing of this extraordinary car and the 7 day booking itself. I can whole heartedly say absence makes the heart grow fonder!

The period in-between allowed me to be truly present in the moment and ultimately envision how the 7 days in the company of the 812 GTS would look.

In the distance I could hear the symphony of the 6.5-litre, 789bhp V12 echoing through the streets, the nearer it got the more exhilarating it became and before I knew it the keys were in my hands and the journey had begun!

The initial inspection of the car revealed that it was in fact quite clean and considering it had only been collected from Ferrari that morning and then delivered shortly after, I wasn’t expecting it to be dirty by any means, but a detail of this magnitude always starts with a clean slate.

I began with an initial pre-rinse of the vehicle to remove what I refer to as scratch material ( i.e. any dirt, dust, grit and debris) before addressing specific areas like the wheels, engine bay, vents, grills and door shuts. I continued by applying a thick layer of snow foam over the entire car and allowed it to sit on the surface for a number of minutes to effectively loosen and emulsify as much dirt as possible before we began our safe wash methods and chemical decontaminatio

With the car now psychically clean it was driven inside, microfibre towel dried and air dried using our vehicle drying which utilises forced air to remove any trapped water from behind badges, head and taillight surrounds, mirror housings and other hard to reach areas.

Before we can begin our paint correction process, there is one very crucial step that needs to be performed and that exfoliating the paint with a clay bar (also known as mechanical paint decontamination) to cleanse it of any embedded contamination. I know you may be thinking why?Iits a brand new car with only 110 kilometres on the odometer that’s quite literally only been collected from the dealer a number of hours ago, but hear me out! The car has traveled on a ship from Italy and spent a number of weeks sitting around in preparation for delivery with little if any protection on the paint to act as a barrier. The proof really is in the pudding, take a look at the below image which highlights just how much contamination was removed from only the bonnet.

It was also at this time that it became apparent the entire car was blanketed in a layer of clear coat overspray, the biggest tell tail sign was the sound and feel of the paint when you ran the back of your hand over it. Overspray has a very distinctive sound and feel, its what I can only describe as the grittiness of sandpaper and to be fair I did expect to find traces of overspray with this particular Ferrari, due to the fact it had been hand painted. It by no means is the end of the world, it just requires a different approach to safely and effectively remove this type of contamination, as it is both visually and psychically unappealing.

Take a look at the below image where it showcases the distinct haze in front of the light source, it substantially highlights the layer of overspray that was sitting on the surface and just how much clarity is lost in the paint because of it.

Now that the car is clean and the paint has been exfoliated, the next step is to wipe down all of the painted surfaces with isopropyl alcohol to strip any remaining residue or wax that may be on the surface, this ensures that when we machine polish the paint we are polishing the paint in its purest form.

Finally the paint correction process can begin, the overall goal is to remove the maximum amount of imperfections possible whilst monitoring the thickness of the clear coat, this allows us to safely remove the imperfections but ensuring that a substantial amount of clear coat is left in tact, if that in the future the paint needs to be machine polished again. As we set up our paint correction lighting, the imperfections begin to illuminate and I’m able to gauge just how much work I have ahead of me and what is going to be the best way to tackle the swirl marks, sanding clusters and random deep abrasions that were present.

Let’s take a look at some of the imperfections that were revealed.

Slide carousel below to see more images

As you can see the imperfections really are quite unsightly and detracts from the overall presentation of the car dramatically. There really was a large range of imperfections present on many of the different body materials, all of which need to be addressed individually, not one process works the same. For this reason alone we have an array of different tools that allow us to efficiently and safely remove these imperfections.

Because this particular Ferrari had been hand painted, I honestly was expecting to see a large amount of sanding marks and particularly more so because I requested that Ferrari Brisbane do nothing more than clean the car ready for delivery. The car was delivered in the condition that it left the factory in Italy and ultimately meant that I was able to mitigate the amount of clear coat being removed when machine polishing the paint to remove the imperfections.

In some cases I did have to resort to wet sanding of my own. In this example there was a quite a sharp piece of debris sitting in the clear coat of the paint with quite a large peak. In this case I knocked down the peak until it was flat with the rest of the clear coat with sand paper and polished the surface to remove the scratches inflicted from this proces

Unfortunately however if there was one imperfection I was not expecting to find, it was a form of quite a large dent. Thankfully after quick call to Richard at exadent precision dent remova l he was able massage the dent out and before I knew it, it was gone before my eyes.

The body styling of the car truly was stunning and I could spend hours just looking and admiring the craftsmanship that goes into producing a car of this level! But this also meant that I had to be very selective at times with which machine polisher I was using and what would allow me the best access to polish tight the edges.

When I set out about designing the bespoke package that I refer to as the Concourse Detail, The central focus of the package works off of one simple philosophy and that is to leave no stone unturned. This is the exact reason that the Ferrari was scheduled for 7 days, it allows adequate time to focus on areas that would otherwise be over looked on a shorter time scale. As a direct result of the lager time scale, I’m given sufficient time to ensure all of the door jams are polished, the inside the engine bay is perfect and in this case even the carbon fibre components in the interior are addressed!

As you can see it’s an incredibly valuable investment to spend the extra attention focusing on enhancing these specific areas. Detailing truly is an art.

Im always amazed at the improvements that can be made to the presentation of car through the process of paint correction.

With the final few imperfections removed, it was time for the Ferrari to receive its second and final wash after undergoing the first stage of the paint correction, which is commonly referred to as compounding or cutting. It is where an abrasive polish and the adequate cutting or polishing pad are used in conjunction too effectively and safely remove imperfections within the paints surface. The downside of this process is that it creates a large amount of dust that blankets the car, therefore requiring the car to be washed again to ensure that the dust is flushed away.

I personally also like to do this as your not only removing any polishing oils or residue that may have been left on the surface even after wiping the car with an isopropyl alcohol solution, but also starting with a clean canvas so to speak when performing the final stage of paint correction (which creates very minimal dust and can be easily managed).

With the car now clean and once again blown dry and wiped down with isopropyl alcohol, the final stage of the paint correction was completed and the paint now was ready to have the protection applied. Before that however I focused on the interior and cleansing all of the surfaces in readiness for their specific protection. I must say the interior was truly spectacular and having the ability to open the top made it ever so delightful to detail!

With the interior now protected including all of the carbon fibre components, it was time to address the wheels and brake callipers. The wheels were removed from the car and thoroughly decontaminated before receiving multiple layers of the specific wheel and calliper coating. We certainly didn’t stop there, with particular focus spent on removing the black marks on a number of the callipers. A light machine polish was in order to remove these imperfections before applying the protection, torquing the wheels down and infrared curing the wheels and callipers to promote the best possible durability.

With the Interior and wheels now protected, It was time for what I’d be waiting all week to do! Apply my absolute favourite ceramic coating in the form of Kamikaze Collection’s flagship ceramic coating, Enrei Coat.

The better part of a day was spent applying the two layers of Kamikaze Enrei Coat to the entire exterior painted surfaces and of course not forgetting the engine bay and door jams we had machine polished early in the week.

Its absolute delight to apply this coating with only a handful of cars receiving its application each year, it quite simply is the finest hand poured Japanese ceramic coating that money can buy!

With the glass receiving its final few layers of protection, the detail was seemingly coming to an end. Which left us with only the final bit of toothpickery and scrutineering of the car before undergoing 4 hours of infrared curing of the ceramic coatings!

For the first time in 7 days, I could take a step back and truly appreciate the Ferrari 812 GTS for everything that it is! All its intricacies, its aero dynamically shaped body and ultimately its striking appearance!

The Ferrari was ready to be delivered back into the hands of its owner and its true beauty was showcased by Retouched Visions in an afternoon of photography that will be remembered for many years into the future.

Its hard to explain just how privileged I am to be trusted with cars of this calibre, its not something I take lightly but something I cherish dearly! My philosophy has always been detail a vehicle like its your last!

The 812 GTS is a car that I will look back fondly on for many years and my time spent it its company, for now I look forward to the delivery of an extraordinarily special supercar that will be making its way onto your screens in the very near future!

Enjoy the images of the Grigio GTS 812 Ferrari in the hands of Retouched Visions.

– Cody.

Perfecting A 2021 Ferrari F8 Tributo

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 17:21:56 GMT

The Ferrari F8 Tributo – the epitome of poise, performance and design excellence.

We were kindly invited to Ferrari Brisbane’s workshop as per our customers request, where we were to spend two days preparing the vehicle for its application of partial paint protection film coverage.

There it was, in the flesh as striking as ever and quite frankly had me lost for words! This was the first time I had seen the car and boy was I excited to admire such craftsmanship! After picking my jaw up from the ground, we pulled the car into Ferrari’s paint correction bay and began the initial assessment of the vehicle to determine, just how much work I had cut out for me and what would be the best angle to approach it from.

But before I could properly examine the condition of the vehicle and the paint work in particular, I first had to remove the thick layer of dust that had accumulated on the Ferrari throughout its journey from the factory in Italy. In this particular instance I used a waterless wash method to safely remove the dust from only the panels that were undergoing a paint correction at this point in time. My thought process behind this from my based off of my previous experiences with supercars, were I was required to perform extensive and aggressive paint correction methods to remove sanding marks and deep abrasions. However the byproduct of this particular method creates a substantial amount of dust and mess which results in the vehicle requiring a very thorough safe wash after receiving a paint correction, this was going to be no different.

It became apparent quickly that there was a layer of overspray (from what I can only assume was obtained at the factory) covering the paint on the car, it wasn’t heavy by any means but it certainly was substantial enough to be felt by rubbing the back of your hand over the surface (overspray has a very distinct feel). I then focused my attention on decontaminating the surface to prepare it for the paint correction process that would follow. To decontaminate the surface I used a mechanical decontamination method in the form of an AM Details Clay Bar to lift what overspray and little contamination there was before scrutinising the paint and paying particular attention to any dust nibs that may be present in the clear coat itself. Because the vehicle was receiving an installation of partial paint protection film (essentially a clear wrap that is designed to protect your vehicles paint work from stone chips and abrasions) any sharp or high points in the clear coat would significantly stand out and would result in a sharp high point in the film. Thankfully there wasn’t much dust present, but the few that nibs that stood out were sanded flat and we began our paint correction process.

As we began the initial stage of the paint correction, it became quite obvious that there wasn’t a great deal of swirl marks present in the paint, but as with most supercars from my previous experiences, they do generally have a considerable amount of sanding clusters. There were sanding clusters throughout the panels and oddly some sharp abrasions on panel edges, along with a few isolated blemishes in the clear coat the required rectification. We performed a Major paint correction to level out these imperfections, meaning we machine polished the surface multiple times and quite frankly as many times as necessary to remove the imperfections and refined each panel as we went.

What causes these sanding clusters and why are they present if the car is brand new? This is where either the factory or dealership wet sands isolated or localised areas to remove dust or debris from the clear coat that are unsightly at the best of times. A more advanced method for when you are striving to achieve a particular finish is known as texture removal (texture is commonly referred to as orange peel effect in a vehicles paint work). Texture removal is wet sanding entire body panels to removal the texture in them and leaves you with a sharp flat finish free of any texture. Essentially the flatter the surface the better the light refracts off of the surface, which results in a much sharper and reflective finish. You’ll often find sanding clusters or remnants of them on new cars or cars that have had paint repairs because quite honestly many people don’t have the right equipment, products and knowledge to safely and effectively remove them (it can be a very time consuming task).

The first 10 hours on the Ferrari were spent machine polishing the paint to remove the imperfections from the clear coat of the body panels, that would be protected in paint protection film. We then drove the F8 to Ferrari’s wash bay where it had its first meticulous safe wash, with particular focus spent on the removal of any polishing dust or polish residue from the paint correction process. We then dried the car and blew out any trapped water before apply a pre-wax cleanser to the paint. The pre-wax cleanser essentially strips the paint of any residue that may be on the surface and leaves it naked and primed to accept protection whatever the form may be

When having paint protection film or vinyl wrap installed on your vehicle it’s crucial to the long term performance of the film that the paint is naked and free any waxes, sealants or protection as they will interfere with the adhesion of the film (waxes, sealants and coatings are designed to keep the surface they are protecting super slick and repel dirt and contamination).

Lastly we went around the panel edges and gaps with a toothpick wrapped in a microfibre and cotton ear buds to clean out any left over polish residue or dirt that may have been trapped. The Ferrari F8 Tributo was now correctly prepared and ready to accept the paint protection film application, which Ferrari Brisbane had installed.

Fast forward two weeks, the Ferrari F8 Tributo had received its installation of paint protection film and Ferrari Brisbane had the vehicle delivered the car to us on a tow truck, to complete our services and apply our top tier ceramic coatings to every surface as requested by the customer. We began where we left off and gave the F8 Tributo its second safe wash to prepare it for its second round of paint correction to the body panels that did not receive paint protection film.

Much like when we first worked on the car there was no shortage of sanding clusters, however this time round there was a significant increase in the amount of sanding required on our behalf, with a number of runs located in the clear coat and further dust nibs in the paint to be taken care of. We did also find some more deeper abrasions throughout the panel edges again and some rotary buffer trails from incorrect polishing methods with a machine polisher.

A major paint correction was performed once again to remove these imperfections over the next two days, once the initial heaving cutting stages of the paint correction had been completed we washed the car for the third and final time to remove any polishing dust, or residue left behind. We then lightly machined polished the paint one final time to clear up any haze from our initial paint correction process to ensure that the paint was displaying the best possible clarity levels and was ready to accept our ceramic coatings.

We then moved onto the engine bay, which was absolutely full of carbon fibre and really did look the part! However there were significant sanding clusters and more buffer trials riddled throughout all of clear coat on the carbon fibre. In this instance we removed what carbon fibre panels we could from the engine bay to machine polish and remove the imperfections from them. We also protected all of the components that were hidden underneath the carbon fibre panels before reinstalling the pieces. Once reinstalled we ceramic coated all of the engine bay carbon fibre with Kamikaze Zipang Coat to compliment what was already a stunning place to admire.

From there we moved onto the interior where almost an entire day was spent machine polishing every piece of carbon fibre we physically get too and finger polishing what we couldn’t reach with our polishers. We then cleaned the interior and applied protection to each individual surface with all of the leather and arm bolsters receiving an additional layer as they are the most prone to wear being a high traffic area. Finally the interior carbon fibre was treated to a glaze to ultimately add protection but also further enhance the appearance of the distinct Ferrari carbon weave.

The plastic trims surrounding the windshield and inside the bonnet were cleaned to remove left over polish from the factory and we applied out trim coating to not only enrich the plastic trim but also preserve the finish. We then moved onto protecting the glass and applied three layers of our window coating to increase the long term performance of increased vision in wet weather all whilst providing a significant barrier to water spotting.

Finally it was time to apply the holy grail of ceramic coatings in the form of Kamikaze Collection Enrei Coat (undoubtedly my favourite looking ceramic coating)! A truly spectacular looking ceramic coating and the only true fit for such an extraordinary Italian styled car! We applied the base layer and allowed the chemical reaction to take place before removing the residue, some hours later it was time for the final top coat of Kamikaze Collection Enrei Coat which we applied to the entire vehicle including the door jams and inside the bonnet, everywhere except for the paint protection film as it requires its own unique ceramic coating.

In regards to protecting paint protecting film, you have to be very selective in the ceramic coating you are applying as many ceramic coatings contains solvents which can react with paint protection film & vinyl wrap, causing the adhesive to dissolve and the film to peel. For this reason we used a specific paint protection film ceramic coating in the form of Kamikaze Collection Film Surface Coat where we applied two layers to further enhance the gloss of the film, but primarily to add protection. We see it all too often where people have paint protection film applied to protect their paint, but don’t have anything protecting the film itself. Look at it this way, the film is exposed to the same elements as your paint would be and its essential for the long term performance of the film that it’s protected from the elements, ask yourself this, the paint protection film is protecting your paint but what protecting your paint protection film?

We then moved onto what we consider the most crucial part of any detail, the final finishing touches where we scrutinised the entire vehicle and rectify anything that stands out, at the same time we applied of a wheel specific wax to the wheels. With new wheels on the way there really wasn’t any point in ceramic coating these at this point in time, as they would be stored away and see very minimal if any driving use. However the new wheels will be treated to our protection services upon their arrival.

I’d like to take the time to thank Tim deeply from RetouchedVisions where he spent the final day with us a photographing and filming the process of applying the ceramic coatings and as we put the finishing touches on the car. His work truly is exceptional

It wasn’t actually until I pulled the car outside and watched Tim photograph the car for hours, that I learned just how truly special this stallion was to admire! I reflected on the past 8 days I spent with this car, how far it had come and just how stunning it truly was to behold!

We pulled the car back inside where it spent the next 4 hours being infrared cured to ensure the ceramic coatings cured evenly across the body panels and had the best possible bond to each surface. It sat over the weekend in the garage and during this time I may have sat in awe on more than one occasion.

Before I knew it, it was time for the Ferrari to be loaded up and headed back to Ferrari Brisbane to be delivered to my customer, where it would be looking it’s absolute best and delivered the way a car of this calibre should be, sitting amongst some of the finest Italian supercars in the world!

It was a true honour and privilege to be given such an opportunity, it’s not something I take lightly but something I cherish very much and there’s no denying I’m itching at the bit to get my hands on another supercar, but the big question is what will it be….