I don't know if this is even on topic... but lets put some imagination here...

Say "IF" I start putting on a CF hood, CF Trunk, CF mirrors, Brabus Blackout Headlights, Euro tailights, and Eyelid to a Silver BRABUS Smart (451) running 175/50R16 Front and 225/35R17 Rear with spacers ... would that be considered rice?

I think it looks awesome, but then would others think I am a ricer, simply because I am putting Racing Inspired Cosmetic Enhansement (I learn that today~!!) things on a already lightweight car?

The car is super lightweight, virtually NO aerodynamic, and only yields 70hp. On top of that, the 16/17 rims is not going to make the smart any lighter or faster.

What do you guys think?

 

^i think what u need is a hayabusa engine in there
and that will do the trick

 

Anyways I consider putting yer $$$ into car mods is a whole lot better than into buying coke and Tech-9s!!

TEHO! Yes, I may think your dream car looks like a garbage barge; -you may wanna shield yer eyes from the vision of mine...
So what? -Beauty is in the eye, etc, and what pleases a car owner is what pleases the owner! If I worried about everyone else's designs and ideas regarding attractiveness and what's 'cool' and what ain't, sheeeesh, -I wouldn't have much time left to explore and enjoy my own concepts of such, now would I?

 

The reason I decided to buy a Fit was due to the first 2 articles I read about it in automobile magazines.... The things I found attractive was the quality, function, handling, and the acknowledgement that the U.S. after market would answer the call for performance enhancing products..... I appreciate a car that is a product of it's owners good taste, sweat and financial expenditure as long as it doesn't take precedence over performance and function.... The problem is that some people with a strong sense of what is or isn't fashionable based on boutique priced JDM products and a form over function mindset are creating cars that are much like dogs bred for the show ring instead of what the breed is functionally bred to do.... It doesn't matter what you spend to create a car that stands out, your car will sooner or later be dated by the constantly changing styling trends and someone will sooner or later categorize you and your car as rice, if it is a car of Asian manufacture.

 

LOL, I am trying to make every effort to not do engine work... If this was my first car, i prolly did it already =P

 

Good point, but sometimes its hard because you want your car to be appreciated too~ standout in the crowd as a nicely done car is one thing, standout in the crowd as a ricer is another =\

 

Again, this depends on your outlook.. What others may or may not think about my car means nothing to me... As long as I like it, thas damn good enough! -While I may appreciate my own tastes in automotive 'beauty' (so called?), I really have very little of my ego tied up in it.. So what others may think about my ride is not of much concern to me!

I suspect this 'admire-my-ride' is a younger, kids' thing? As an older dude most of this crap means little or nothing to me... (And it's a very liberating attitude, believe me!)

I ride MCs and scooters, and I watch these guys go by who have maybe $40-$60K tied up in these fat rear tired custom bike monsters. Only thing is, they're head-achingly loud, their fuel tanks are usually tiny, they vibrate your arms and hands into numbness, they often break down during rallies on the open road, and their wide rear tires are so bulky they cannot lean their bikes over but have to cruise thru wiiiiiide corners almost completely upright!

All of which, to my mind, takes much of the skill and joy out of riding! To them it's all about just being seen, and mostly in parking lots. (-And I gotta admit I do enjoy watching them, because the dumbness of the scene is just such an absolute hoot!)

 

Great post Chazzlee..... I like that you used the term "custom bike monsters" instead of what others refer to as "choppers"..... These guys hat go on about how much better their cars are with modifications that limit the ability to be driven in real world situations reminds me of a woman that will tell someone admiring a new pair of fashionable shoes that she is wearing how wonderfully comfortable they are while her feet are in pain from blisters they have caused..... I have scooters also.