BigVIPness

I had an interesting conversation with a friend of mine today and thru the conversation with her a thought about modding kept snowballing until it turned into my explanation of Form vs. Function that I'd like to share. I was thinking about the 3 main types of modding. The Ricers, the Blingers, and VIP/Vip Style.

Ricers; what used to apply only to civics has ballooned to encompass any lower end car from any manufacture weither its the USA, Japan, Germany, or Korea. Hell if they sold a chinese car here you'd seem them too. Typically a 4 cylinder FWD sport compact with minimal amenities and power. We've all see them, large gaudy body kits adding weight and wind resistance, spoilers that provide unnecessary down force and weight, ugly poorly done paint jobs (yellow with purple pearl! Are you serious??), and a cheaply done suspension (if not just cut springs). The modifications are counterproductive to the performance of the car, the form is hideous and the function is inhibited by the modifications.

Bling-Bling! You hear that? it's the sound of 2003! Chrome chrome chrooooooome! Different from ricers the "Blingers" tend to be larger RWD american cars often times with big block V8's. Crazy candy paint jobs often times with multiple clashing colors. Heavy 22-28 Inch wheels (need I even say Spinners?) that destroy braking distance and gas mileage. Big systems (Four 15's, Nine 12's) adding hundreds of pounds. Again, counterproductive to the performance of the car, the form is tasteless and the function is limited to: making noise and shining.

VIP/Vip Style This is Club Lexus, I don't need to explain to anyone what taste and class looks like. VIP being more of the newer luxury cars with suspension and wheels; VIP Style being either actual "by the books" JDM VIP (Wild or EXE) or a VIP car with heavy VIP influence. Mods usually include suspension, wheels and a body kit. Now some would argue "Wheels and kit?! those are performance mods! YOU are the ricer!" But hold on, lets take a look at the car. With RWD, leather, heated seats, classy chrome trim, navigation, advanced engine (usually V8), luxurious beautiful lines with finely crafted interiors come standard . VIP doesn't need engine mods cause 14 second quarter times comes with the car! The luxury car is the pinnacle of function it provides the owner with the perfect platform that's allows you to complete the car with the wheels, drop, and kit that you want. The performance is improved with exhaust and suspension. Form is perfected, function comes standard.

So does this mean the third is clearly superior because the other 2 are pointless and stupid skoff-skoff-skoff? No. You have to look closer to see the hidden function.

Why put crappy chrome wheels on your car? Why put LED's on your window washer? 1 Word: Girls. If girls didn't care what car you had, we'd all drive a prius. Crazy paint jobs and shiny chrome grab peoples attention. The guy with the candy caddy on 22's won't go to sleep with full ***** if he doesn't want to. The amalgamation of sheety mods creates a tool that's function is to get them laid.

So what does this mean? Should we trade in our deep dish 19's for 22's with spinners, throw on some under body neon and a huge wing? Hell no! Because taste and class are the ultimate mods. They speak louder then any sub and the people who you want to hear it will. So keep on modding CL! Form is perfected, function comes standard.

Edit: Again this is just my thoughts and observations, take it with a grain of salt, I don't mean to start problems or suggest that one is better then the other or anything like that. Rock on CL!!!

AJ

Great wrtie-up

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

I hate ricers (sorry if I offended anyone).

I do like being part of the VIP Class with Bling, Bling Privilages...

Faraaz23

Is having 22's and an expensive paint job on your car really gonna be a deal breaker for a girl if she's deciding to hook up with a guy or not??? Are there really that many girls out there shallow enough to be turned on by shiny objects??

The way I always looked at it, if people mod their cars so others will notice, its normally (without maybe even knowing it) attention and praise from other guys they're gonna catch, not girls. I've only met a small handful of girls who're gonna really notice the difference between an IS300 having 18" or 19" Volks over the 17" stockers... or a subtle lip body kit. On the other hand, its more often-than-not guys who'r gonna notice that the car looks like its dropped 1.5" and has a set of $3000 performance wheels and a lip kit.

Och

iTrader: (3)

Hahahaha, oh my god you had me laughing my *** off there buddy.

"Function is limited to: making noise and shining" - this is classic, I gotta remember this!!! Makes me glad I got rid of the chrome uglies that came with my gs430 and put on some nice satin finish OEM wheels.

Leets

... but what about us Executive Class members?

I feel so left out.

GStateOM

I think all forms of those types of cars can be classy. Not all will, but you will find some that are classy.

No one is better than the other. We all live different lifestyles and it would be pointless to argue which is better than which. If you go to Hondaboy.com, they will probably make an argument that riced out cars (classy or gaudy) are the best. Go to CaddyEscalade.com, they'll make a case that their style is better. So clublexus would be a little tiny bit biased too

I never get the definition of ricer. Now, the typical ricer who has a Civic with a cheap unpainted ugly bodykit, I would bet, idolizes cars like the Supra and Skyline, and yet, you rarely hear these cars being called "rice". To think of it, that Civic guy is just trying to look more like that Supra guy and yet, that Civic guy is called a ricer and that Supra guy has a "great" car. I've seen guys with 325i's making fun of "rice" Civics when both have the exact same rims and spoilers. In the end, the average Joe wouldn't be able to point the differences in their cars. Since I'm not really into tuners, I wouldn't be able to tell a lot of them either. It makes no sense for someone who drives a Supra with a kit and rims to make fun of a Civic with exaust, similar looking rims and a kit. It's like a guy in a Escalade with huge sound system on 26's making fun of the guy in a hyundai Sonata on 20's thumping out music from his ride as well. Or a guy in a VIP'd S 65 AMG making fun of a guy in a VIP'd Q45 saying that they are not worthy of being in each other's leagues.

And I've seen Lexus's too that have a kit and those same rims that that "rice" kitted up Civic is wearing, only in 20's as opposed to 17. But the Civic is called a "rice" and the Lexus is "nice".

tofu_house

iTrader: (2)

yes.

shoehead

IMO u can make an extra category or two in their for the people
with nice performance modded cars, u know(i dont feel like explaining)
who dont "use" their automobile, but for show .
then the hardcore tuner who utilizes the functionality of their automobile.

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

How about people who mod their cars with thousands of dollars, and still need food stamps, can't buy their children books, and never donate a dollar to their local church or soup kitchen? You gotta love those idiots!!!

CK6Speed

iTrader: (1)

Ad two more categories. The guys who follow like sheep and mod their cars just like everyone else even if they use quality parts. And the guys that are creative, original, and set the trends so all those with the money can just fork out the cash and copy the trends.

RA40

iTrader: (6)

All different styles considering the typical demographics of car modders. I came up in the crowd that it was a complete package, looks and performance. Then it branched into that "look" of performance which I think became associated as "rice" and the variants for the Euro cars. It just became extreme and people bought into it. Now it is auto fashion and almost anything goes depending on the owner and their $$$.

G Star

iTrader: (2)

I know you mean well with this thread but I don't agree that VIP can compete with bling bling and ricers. VIP-style is not mainstream yet (at least not in the U.S.) Once it is though, we can then compare/contrast them like this. I bet the girl you talked to didn't even know what VIP meant (besides Very Important Person).

BigVIPness

I think that though JDM is not mainstream yet the other kind of "VIP" -like nice Asanti wheels on a A8L, or a tastefully modded M3- is quite popular. And she in fact does know what JDM VIP does (anyone who hangs out with me does by now ) but thats a whole other style.

+1

As for everyones suggestions I think they are great! I should make a funny short film or something about it, I love that kind of stuff

I've been on quite a few boards and the only one I feel at home at is here. While everyone seems to sink lower and lower CL keeps on soaring! (and soarering )

Milla...

I assume this is what your into or have. Hmmmm how can I tell