from factory, its made to sell to the general mass, especially cars like Toyota. As much as I appreciate the quiet uncharacteristic handling of a stock car, I like my car to handle better, stop better, have lighter wheels, etc.

I don't want my car to look like something out of fast and the furious, but something more subtle, like OEM plus.

 

All of this can apply to the computer you using to read this forum. Some ppl have a teir1 computer HP/Gateway/Emachine and other have home built. I got 11fans/8 lites *build your own*, while my dad has a HP. Same diff.

 

If the world was ruled by cars would they mod the driver to make him stand out? Put pink hair or something.... J/K

 

Because performance enthusiasts desire, just that more performance. Engineers spent years engineering compromises, which is not satisfactory to real performance car enthusiasts. But not everyone gets it.

 

I know there are some here who will disagree with me on this (and I respect that), but I'm with Lex on this one....he is correct. We hear a lot of excuses about factory specs not having enough performance or being "unsatisfactory" to "real car enthusiasts", but the fact is that the engineers that design these cars do it that way for a reason.....and not just to "appeal to the masses" as one posted indicated. Engineers know what cars can safely handle, what will cause problems, and what will not. And, let's not forget that many engineers...the very people who make these designs........ are "enthusiasts" themselves, and end up driving what they design.

Many of the posts and questions for help that we get here on CL are from people who have tried to mod their cars with aftermarket parts and then have engine, steering, tire, wheel, and suspension problems.

 

I partially disagree. If the engineers had their way, cars would be very different than what we have today. It is not just the engineers that have a say in what they can build, but the corporate management that weighs the pros and cons to the bottom dollar. No matter how you look at it, most cars out today are built for the masses. Otherwise there would be no BMW 328 and the engineers would just build the M3. There would be no C350 and only C36AMGs. There would be no IS250/350s and Lexus would have just brought out the ISF. What I'm getting at is there are mass produced cars for the general public, then there are the same factory tweaked cars for the enthusiasts. The general public doesn't want a M/AMG/ISF type car, but rather have the middle ground car.

Take you and I for example. You rather have a softer suspension and don't like low profile tires. I, on the other hand like firmer suspensions and have cars that rode on 30 series low profile tires. Manufacturers today realize there is a large market for buyers that are not quite in the general market grouping, thus they offer sports suspension packages, 18/19" rim package upgrades, larger brakes, and other items to add to the same car built for the general masses. If the engineers didn't think the car could handle these upgrades without majorly sacrificing reliability, they wouldn't offer it.

That said, modifying a car is not just performance upgrades that may or may not harm long term reliability. It is custom paint colors and themes, rim style choices, audio/video, and other general stylistic choices. Many of these modifications can be done without hurting reliability at all and without voiding any warranty.

 

Yes, I know that some disagree with me on this question. I respect that. And it is true that engineers sometimes have to make compromises.....but they do so for a reason. You mentioned low-profile tires, which generally improve handling and steering response at the expense of ride comfort. If engineers start putting ultra-low-profile tires on a car that is going to be driven on rough roads (and, in America, roads are generally rougher than in Europe) the low impact-protection that rubber-band tires give over sharp road irregularities and potholes will cause a lot of damaged tires and wheels.....and today's alloy wheels are not chump change to replace.

Many car owners go ahead, bite the bullet, and put rubber-band tires and aftermarket wheels on themselves (some of which are not compatable with the suspension or chassis)....and then complain when they are damaged over potholes, cannot get aligned or balanced corrctly, or cause the speedometer and odometer to read inaccurately, leading to speeding tickets.

You also mention factory-option sports tire and suspension packages (TRD is a good example) . These have been carefully evaluated and tested by factory engineers for many thousands of miles, meet Federal and company safety standards, and are certified for a factory warranty. That may not be the case with aftermarket stuff.

(You can see now why factory engineers make such good salaries...it takes a lot of knowledge and a lot of work to do their jobs).

 

I'm with Ron, and I'm almost 40.

Like SoCal said, it's about the passion...we all love cars, it's like our hobby (albeit an expensive one). As a hobby, we tweak and adjust so that the car eventually fits our own personal tastes. And like Lexus says, it's "the endless pursuit of perfection". The Lexus engineers are on the same journey we are...we just continue their journey once we obtain their car.

And lord knows, the Lexus engineers do a fine job, but they HAVE to compromise on many things since they are selling to the masses. And we all know they do. If they were selling a Lexus just to me, my car would be dramatically different than if they were selling it to the whole world...this is obvious.

And lastly, for anyone who wonders why we mod our cars, it's the same reason why houses aren't already fully furnished and decorated when you move in...it's because each person or family wants to decorate it to their taste. Just imagine if when you bought a house...your house was EXACTLY the same as the person's house next door (inside and out), but the only difference would be the color. Exact same furnishing, exact same features, exact same TV, exact same stuff.

Oh, what a boring real estate market we'd have.

People "mod" their houses often until the day they move out, especially women. For many women (and men), they are on an "endless pursuit of perfection" in their house.

For many of us, cars are no different...we're on the same mission.

It's all a matter of personal taste.

 

I ask myself the same question, why couldn't I be normal like my brother and just be satisfied with tints lol.........modding is my anit-drug.....it keeps me out of and in trouble at the same time.

 

[QUOTE=KevinGS;2788010Like SoCal said, it's about the passion...we all love cars, it's like our hobby (albeit an expensive one).

For many of us, cars are no different...we're on the same mission.

It's all a matter of personal taste.[/QUOTE]

Fine. I understand your reasons for doing so....and I'm well aware of the car-mod craze in SoCal. The point I was trying to make, though, is that a lot of guys do this and then complain when they have steering, tire, suspension, and warranty problems. problems. For those willing to assume the risks with non-factory gear, then go for it.

 

Agreed, we can't complain when 'mods go wrong'...it's the risk we take.

 

Those are the guys that are new to the game and jump in with two feet without research. Those that have done it for a while already know the pros and cons and have weighed the risk reward benefit already. For example. There are certain trendy mods I personally would never do. That is the VIP ultra stretched tire trend. I was in a VIP car club so I do like and appreciate the style, but I would never put 225/235 tires on a 10" wide rim myself. I'm still a 275/285 rubber on a 10" wide rim guy myself.

 

http://img.yauto.cz/tapety/Toyota_Altezza.jp

In case you don't know what that is it's a IS300

This is my first post and I find it necessary to point out that Lexus which is still the same company as Toyota, races "Lexus's" in JGTC. Say how they spent years to make it right is true. But perfect, far from. OEM are meant to just get the job done. ****, it's not just "stupid ricers" that fix up Lexus's, the company has been doing it for years. Some people just want the best their engine and chassis can offer. IMHO you can enjoy driving your car but you can't be true to the idea of it unless you seek to improve both in car and as driver.

 

because I don't want my IS to look like everyone else's.

 

For me,It's a sickness there is no cure!