STIG

hahahahha LAMO
but i want one of those mitshubishi EVO

RA40

iTrader: (6)

I was in Solvang this past weekend; this times with the Datsun 510 and roadster meet along with a variety of other car groups in the area holding drives and gatherings. Tuning and the fads within the car culture; wings, wheels, paint schemes, carbon fiber...these will continue through a cycle to be replaced by newer items as technology advances. IMO

Milla...

I suppose as long as they sell Imports modding them will never stop or end since stock their quite boring. Only thing that will change as said by the above poster is the items/products produced through new technology. That said I have to say no, import tuning as a whole is not fad only the current products on them. It may die down but not die.

ST430

Yes figuratively and probably literaly "smoking"....

This "Toyota" (well technically it's a Yammy, but they're owned by Toyco now), though can outrun it AND anything in the DC stable price / performance wise!

http://www.sportrider.com/features/146_0406_r1_dyno/

YZF-R1 ('04)
998cc inline 4
6-speed sequential
430lbs

0-60mph in 3.1 seconds
1/4mi in 10.10 @ 141.75

All for ~$10k

mmarshall

Well, maybe, maybe not. Its power to weight ratio is about the same as a GS430 or SC430....and the upcoming turbo Scion tC coupe.

And quality?....the 300C is a nice car, ( I've test-driven it, and I did a thread on it ) but it suffers from the same flimsy body quality and hardware that so many other Chrysler products do. The doors, even on this big car, feel and shut like tin.

rbini100

i agree with milla...there are a lot of enthuisasts out there as there also was in the muscle car days. Muscle car hot rodding is still very much alive....why would it be any different for the new generation?

LexusLuver

I wouldnt say that, diesels are currently just as fuel efficient. Both systems are heavy, while the hybrids are much cleaner. Personally I cant wait to see what mpg the next Tundra's V8 hybrid delivers.

Dragsters also rely on FI, and are built for the 1/4 mi. Much of which depends on off the line performance, a smaller turbocharged motor cant deliver the same sort low end power. The comparision itself is unfair, there are too many other variables to consider, like dragsters burn nitromethane.

Last I heard street Supras are schooling Vipers and C5 Vettes in the 1/4mi. Not to mention the 8sec Vettes arent running the small-block gen-III LS6, but much larger heavier force fed V8's. The fastest street Viper's motor is what 8.5LTT?

On the race circuits a smaller overhead cam motor is clearly superior in all aspects. The lighter weight, and compactness allow for a lower center of gravity. 4/5 valves per cylinder offer better airflow, and pushrods valves cannot be angled as overhead cam valves lending to a more efficient combustion chamber.

Ice350

iTrader: (1)

I think tuning is all about creativity, innovation and individuality. It's also about having fun with cars. I think tuning may change with technology but there's room for everything. Hot rodding, racing, showcars, tuning...there's room for all because we have a love affair with the automobile. It's hard to explain without sounding perverted. I try not to idolize material objects but cars...it's so hard. I guess because the more you put into it, the more it takes. It gives back...yes, because it gets you there but it still takes more than it gives. It can't clean itself. It can't repair itself. It can't survive without your TLC. There will always be us guys/gals who want to go beyond just simple transportation. Tuning is one of those expressions of individuality resulting from a two way affair. Tuning will be around. It may just change methods. Instead of NOS they may use a bigger hydrogen cell...who knows.

LexFather

America has a love for the automobile. The Automobile=freedom to us. I am glad for the tuner fad, b/c we would not have all the shows, meets, mods, etc available to us if it never came.

It will not die out. It might have started with the rich but clearly, it's the middle-class keeping it alive. WIth the human spirit, if we run out of gas, we will mod and tuner our electric cars.

People want cars. People want to be different. Tuner is here to stay.

ebruce2

iTrader: (1)

I remember reading somewhere that rally cars are the next predicted fad, so who knows??? My understanding is that rally is pretty huge in Europe and not so much in the US. If you thought big wings were pretty bad at this point, just wait!!

CleanSC

Rally is so0o like totally out of styLe.

It came and it has calmed down with a small fan base of the true hardcore racers remaining (as happens with anything).

The next bandwagon is drift. Now every S13/14 and AE86 is being snatched up so they can be the next drift champion.

No offense again to the true hardcore fans that always loved it, and always will no matter how much the general public has interest in it. But with everything, there comes a wave of mainstream attention and the poseurs appear with D1 stickers and GT wings on their FWD Civics and claim it's "drift" spec.

SoCalSC4

Back to Tuner style- Back in the 80s, guys were doing dual-bladed windshield wipers, pintriped taillights, ANSA tips, etc.... the trends have changed, but the basic premise is the same- big wheels, body kits, and lowered suspensions.

When I got my license (1986) my first car was a '78 Fiat 131 Brava, which was an 1800cc twin cam carbureted sedan with a 5-speed and rear-wheel drive. The girls thoght it was a BMW. I had a lot of fun with this car, and I did some pretty creative things with it. I was the first person at school with 15" wheels- guys were doing 14" KMC wheels on mini-trucks, and I just had to have 15" wheels.

The Fiats have an unusual 4x98mm bolt pattern, so I had a set of new "Ultra" mesh 15x6 wheels custom drilled for the car (my humble beginnings as a wheel maker, I guess), and I used the Fulda 195/50-15 tires on it. This was unheard of at the time. I lowered the car (with some creative spring manipulation - coil spring clamps), re-bushed the sway bar, and made my own side skirts and air dam. I even installed Hella fog lights (which were all the rage at the time) and used an unused factory switch on the dash to activate the fog relay.

The audio was next- a Technics full-logic cassette player went in the dash (no two-shaft radio for me!), Infiniti Kappa speakers in the doors, and I built a box in the trunk which housed two 10" Becker subwoofers and a Precision Power amplifier. I tinted the windows myself, and had a custom exhaust made with - you guessed it- an Ansa tip.

To top it off, I had a local shop custom paint the car a custom teal metallic color in the traditional "AMG" style of painting the bumpers and windshield wipers and wiper arms. At the time, the car was cutting edge, and got tons of attention.

Basically, the styles change a bit, but car people are car people. The younger guys will continue to fix-up Civics and similar cars because they can afford them (I worked 30 hours a week in high school to pay for my car hobby). As we get older, our incomes rise, and we get nicer cars- but we still want to personalize them. After all, your vehicle can say a lot about who you are.

The fuel may change, the laws may change, but we will continue to customize and personalize.
The aftermarket industry is growing annually, and I think (and hope) it will continue to do so.

Ice350

iTrader: (1)

Just like some fads this thread won't die out easlily. I had to reply after reading this post. Reminded me of my youth when I tinkered with cars. My second car in the 70's was a metallic money green Monte Carlo. My friends called it the Green Machine. It was the ultimate hangout car. I installed my own stereo's. It was bad...did some creative bridging and mixing...heard sounds usually produced by high end home units. Did something else too. Took a small TV and cut the cord off. Took a portable vacuum that ran off the
in-dash cigarette lighter and cut the plug off. Attached the plug to the TV and was the first person in the world to have mobile TV (as far as we knew). That was 1977. My friends thought I had the coolest car ever.

LexFather

America=freedom=the automobile...it will never die...

verylost

As long as there are men on earth and the japanese keep making cars, import tuning will exist.

For some reason, it's our natural tendency to want to make things louder, bigger, brighter, and better.

If all of us had common sense, we wouldn't be modding heavy sedans and coupes for racing or whatever. We would have bought porsches or something else that came fast out of the box.

Why do we do it? Because we can