Boy racer is a term given to a young person who drives in a fast and aggressive manner; it has become a broader term for participants in modern custom car culture who tune and modify cars with street racing-style aftermarket cosmetic and performance parts such as body kits, audio systems and exhausts. The culture encompasses a broad range of car types including sport compacts and economy cars typical of the import scene, this is in contrast with the hot rod culture of previous generations. Some car enthusiasts and modifiers feel the term labels them as deviant and anti-social and are keen to distance themselves from the term. Boy racer is a term mostly but not exclusively associated with the UK, in Australia and New Zealand hoon is sometimes preferred. In the US, "Rice boy" or "Ricer" is a derogatory term for the driver or builder of an imported hot rod, or someone who modifies their car in a cheap way to imitate the look of a higher performance vehicle.
Aston George Taylor Jr., professionally known as Funkmaster Flex, is an American DJ, rapper, record producer, and host on New York City's Hot 97 radio station. In 1992, he became host of the first hip hop radio show on Hot 97 in New York, which was a pop radio station at the time.
West Coast Customs is an automobile repair shop focusing on the customization of vehicles. It was started by co-founders Ryan Friedlinghaus and Quinton Dodson circa 1994. According to Friedlinghaus, he began the business with a $5,000 loan from his grandfather, but other sources claim that he raised the seed money for the business while working at his father's liquor store. Owing to the patronage of celebrities such as Shaquille O'Neal and Sean Combs, along with appearances in the reality television programs Pimp My Ride and Street Customs, the company has gained a high degree of notoriety and has become a multimillion-dollar business.
A custom car is a passenger vehicle that has been altered to either improve its performance, change its aesthetics, or a combination of both. Some automotive enthusiasts in the United States want to push "styling and performance a step beyond the showroom floor - to truly craft an automobile of one's own." A custom car in British according to Collins English Dictionary is built to the buyer's own specifications.
Carisma Automotive is a UK-based automotive shop which specializes in customized interiors, paint, tyres, and other accessories, founded in 1996. Its founder and head is Jamie Shaw, who claimed he was a former employee of Rolls-Royce. From 2005 to 2007, the company was featured on Pimp My Ride UK, the UK version of MTV's Pimp My Ride television series, where Carisma Automotive served as the British equivalent to the original series' West Coast Customs.
A pimpmobile is a large luxury vehicle, usually a 1960s, 1970s or 1980s-model Lincoln, Cadillac, Buick or Chrysler vehicle, that has been customized in a garish, extravagant and kitsch or campy style. The style is largely an American phenomenon.
A body kit or bodykit is a set of modified body parts or additional components that are installed on a car. They are typically composed of front and rear bumpers, side skirts, spoilers, bonnets, and sometimes front and rear side guards and roof scoops. There are many companies that offer alternatives to the original factory appearance of the vehicle. Body kit components are designed to complement each other and work together as a complete design, but often owners will 'mix and match' pieces from different body kits.
Ride with Funkmaster Flex is a television show that was produced by MTV Networks. The show aired from 2003–2004, lasting two seasons. It was originally shown on Spike TV and RedMoxie and was also broadcast on MuchMusic and ESPN with a licensing agreement to MTV Networks.
The Detroit Autorama, also known as America's Greatest Hot Rod Show, is a showcase of custom cars and hot rods held each year at Huntington Place in Detroit, Michigan, in either late February or early March.
Galpin Auto Sports is an American custom car and automobile repair shop located in the Van Nuys region of Los Angeles, California, which specializes in customizing and remodeling vehicles specifically for their drivers. They also provide specialty parts and accessories. The shop was founded in 1946 by Frank Galpin and later purchased by Bert Boeckmann.
Pimp My Ride is a simulation/racing game published by Activision. This game is based on the popular MTV show of the same name. It was released in 2006 for the Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 2. It was panned for its poor physics, lack of replay value, and repetitive gameplay.
MTV is a Portuguese pay television channel that was launched on 1 July 2003, replacing MTV Europe in Portugal. A high-definition simulcast feed of the channel launched on 17 June 2015.
Alvin Nathaniel Joiner, better known by his stage name Xzibit, is an American rapper, actor, television presenter, and radio personality. He began his musical career in 1992, and signed with Loud Records, an imprint of RCA Records to release his debut studio album, At the Speed of Life (1996). The album saw positive critical reception, modestly entered the Billboard 200, and spawned the single "Paparazzi," which peaked at number 83 on the Billboard Hot 100. His second album, 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz (1998) was met with similar reception and spawned the single "What U See Is What U Get."
Street Customs Berlin is a reality series about West Coast Customs' franchise in Berlin that aired for one season on TLC and Discovery Channel, starring Ryan Friedlinghaus.
Two Guys Garage is an American reality television series on automobile repair and customization, hosted by Kevin Byrd and Willie B. The series is based in Tampa, Florida. Two Guys Garage covers virtually every aspect of vehicle repairing, customizing and restoring. The hosts perform product demonstrations and installations on a wide variety of import and domestic cars and light trucks, and they show viewers the right way to execute modifications with hands-on projects throughout the season.
Car Warriors is an American automotive reality TV show produced by BASE Productions that aired for two seasons on Speed in the United States and Discovery Communications affiliates in international markets. For season 1, each episode pits an all-star car restoration team against a rival team from a different city to restore and modify their car in less than 72 hours. The challenging team has a chance to take home not only their car, but the All Stars' car should they win the contest; otherwise, they go home empty-handed if they lose. Season 2 replaces the All Stars with another local restoration team, as both teams have 48 hours to transform their cars for a chance to keep them in the end.
Lords of the Car Hoards is an American reality cable television series which debuted on the Discovery Channel on March 17, 2014.
Pimp My Ride UK is a British reality TV show which is presented by rapper Lady Leshurr. The programme initially ran on MTV UK from 2005 to 2007 and was revived as a show for MTV's YouTube channel in 2022. The show is an adaption of the American MTV series Pimp My Ride, featuring one car in each episode being renovated and customized ("pimped") to match the owner's interests. The first three series were hosted by English DJ Tim Westwood, with the renovation and customizing done by Carisma Automotive. For the 2022 reboot, the work is being carried out by Ashford-based tuning centre and body shop, Wrench Studios.
