Car Modifying is Here to Stay

Car customising and modifying has been around since the car was first invented, but really took off with the introduction of the original Mini.

This was a car people really took to their heart, seeing a raft of extras and aftermarket parts springing up on the market to suit every style of customization.

From rally style lights to full wide arch body kits, even the Cooper family who prepared engines for F1 saw the potential of this little car, rebuilding it and giving rise to the Mini Copper, a car that is still an icon to this day.

Car modifying and customizing has came a long way since then, from uprated suspension, engine parts, body kits and light sets for almost any car you could imagine, giving birth to a trade worth billions in the UK alone.

You would be mistaken to think this was a young mans game, all car enthusiast have taken to car modifying with equal vigour.

Classic cars have just as many modified parts available to them as the little Vauxhall Corsa or the old Citroen Saxo's we are so used to seeing being driving by the teenagers today, covered in aftermarket parts, sporting in car entertainment systems that quite often cost more than the car they are installed in.

This in its self has created a car culture of its own, the cruise scene. People from all walks of life turn up in car parks all across the country to show off their modified pride and joy.

Mazda RX-7, Preludes, Skylines that have had ten thousand pounds worth of extras, from full body kits, uprated suspension, bugger turbos, uprated engine internals, full interior re-trims, some of the latest technology crammed in them, sat nav, ear splitting sound systems, games consoles, in fact more things that you would ever expect to see in a car.

There are the modifiers that only go for pure speed, who would rather strip bare the interior of their car to save weight rather than fill it with all sorts of ICE.

Cars like the little Honda Civic and Nissan Pulsar that modifiers have managed to squeeze over 300 brake horse power from the engine, putting quite alot of super cars to shame, and costing a fraction of the cost.

Even manufacturers have gotten in on the act, Volkswagen showing the world their modified Golf, with a mid mounted W12 650 brake horse power engine wedged in where the back seats should be, borrowed from a Bentley.

Renault with the equally insane V6 Clio, this too doing away with the rear seats in favour of a V6 power plant, giving this little car power that would only be seen in the likes of a Porsche 911.

Car modifying and customisation has created a class of its own, giving rise to a whole host of magazines like Max Power, Redline, Banzai, Fast Ford to name a few, as well as films such as Fast and Furious.

Race tracks have also seen the rise of this car culture and have opened their doors to allow car enthusiasts to test their machines on a wide open racetrack, giving them the freedom to test the cars and their own reactions, in the safe setting of a real race track.