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Low Offset Wheels: A General Guide

When it comes to wide wheels and low offsets, a lot of considerations need to be taken into account. For one you may interfere with suspension components. The wider the wheel, the closer and more tight this clearance will get. The main thing is to find a perfect balance. When shopping for new wheels, take into consider disk fitment. This is in reference to big brake kits as you must take into account the diameter of the rotor such that it will fit in the wheel you choose, along with the curvature of the face of the wheel. With high disk fitment, the face of the wheel will curve move to make clearance for the bigger caliper. With low disk fitment, the face of the wheel will appear “flatter”.

If you buy a new set of wheels, it is almost a given that you have your car lowered or you are going to. In terms of most larger sedans, you should be fine with anything up to 19” with the right wheel dimensions. Over a 1.5” drop you will need to do inner fender modifications. This may include removing the fender lining completely and relocating the wiring harness, depending on how extreme you want to go with your drop. When it comes to making the actual wheels fit, you can roll your fenders, run negative camber, stretch tires, pull your fenders, or do a combination, or do all. There are many techniques for rolling fenders. If you plan on rolling a lot of fenders, you might want to invest in a fender roller, a handy device that bolts to your wheel hub and allows you to easily and consistently roll your fenders. No baseball bats or phonebooks necessary here, and you come out with a clean OEM look.

Low offset wheels can thus be a very viable option for modification. It transforms the look of the car and gives it a much more aggressive feel. Obviously the only catch is cost and more importantly, lots of work. There is a large degree of planning and math involved to ensure your fitment is both good looking and drivable to a degree. Add in the work in rolling fenders, refinishing wheels, mounting tires, and simply maintaining the look and it can be seen how it’s a tough job. However, it is a very rewarding endeavor that I highly suggest any auto enthusiast try out.

Simplify and Add Lightness

I’m a strong proponent of the formula “Simplify and add lightness”. Power isn’t everything for me, and I can speak for many enthusiasts when I say that the modern era has replaced engineering and simplification with just slapping on more power. It seems that power has become the way to correct an imbalanced chassis, or heavy vehicle. Instead of going in and engineering something much more competent while maintaining low power, many manufactueres just use forced induction to make up for mistakes.

This is what really separates a driver’s car from well, something like an S65 AMG Mercedes. There is no question of its speed. Ask any enthusiast or reviewer and they will tell you the same thing – that biturbo V12 is a monstrosity and the car is properly fast, not even for a luxobarge but for a car in general. Yet, would you want to take that on a backroad? Most likely not. I would have much more fun in an S2000 or Lotus, both of which have sub 300hp and weigh half as much as an S-Class Mercedes. Those cars were engineered with the chassis in mind, then the motor. Power was not what would make those vehicles fun, it was the light nimble feedback they gave you. As much as an S65 would be fun to drive for brute acceleration, in terms of mechanical driving feel, having a one-on-one connection with the chassis, that is simply not possible in my opinion.

In the modern age power seems to be the only concern among automakers and tuners. Production cars are reaching unbelievable levels of power, and at an affordable price too. For example, the latest Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 has well over 600hp, and can be had for well under $100,000. This sort of bargain bin deals combined with supercar levels of power are becoming the norm, and its incredible. Yet at the same time, to me, its beginning to detract from the pleasure of just driving.

I personally don’t see automakers going back to the era of simplicity and lightness. With added safety regulations and electronics it seems that the weight and size of cars today only seems to be getting bigger. But there is hope, I can attest to that through cars such as the Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ twins which were a refreshing approach to building sports cars – simple and light. And yet they’re selling unbelievably well right now, who would’ve thought.

Stance Wars

Stance culture is not really a new phenomenon as the trends seem to dictate. Lots of people also relate stance to merely lowering your car. Yet stance and a drop have a lot in common but stance is something more profound and significant than just lowering your car. The basis of stance culture is the reduction of clearance. If you take a look at a stanced car you’ll probably be a bit dumbfounded as they sit so low and have a suspension geometry that looks broken. Such vehicles seem to touch the ground not only with their wheels but with the whole body so they really look like something very vulnerable and fragile. It makes you wonder, how in the world do they get over speedbumps? What happens if they hit a pothole? Why would they even do that?

I’ll always remember the time I was driving with my father and we passed by a MKIII Jetta. This was no ordinary Jetta though. It was a dark purple color, riding a centimeter off of the pavement, and on a set of wide BBS RS’s with gold faces and polished lips. What a sight! I was in awe, I thought it looked incredibly good. I looked over to my father and he just looked dumbfounded, confused, and a bit disgusted. He thought that it looked broken and assumed the driver was driving on a collapsed suspension, more concerned about his safety. When I informed him that this was an actual style of tuning, he just looked at me funny, and murmured “That’s just ridiculous”. It was hilarious in hindsight as it shows just how people can perceive what may seem completely normal to the average enthusiast.

I think a big draw to stanced cars is really the attention they bring, especially from those that don’t know much about cars. Want the attention that comes with driving a supercar? You can achieve a similar level of awe from driving a bagged eurocar on an aggressive wheel and tire setup. People for some reason seem to be at a loss of words. Its taking a car, making barely functional, and then driving it consistently like that. It’s a bit of an anomaly in all honesty but that’s the fun of it. People see something that seems nearly impossible, or just difficult to wrap their heads around. Regardless of who you are, seeing a bagged big body sedan nearly hovering along the stone cold pavement down the highway is quite a sight. It looks as if its levitating and generates its own presence and questions that go with it.

For this reason, I think it’s a very interesting take on tuning. It has zero performance merit. But it does not even try to achieve that or give the appearance of that. Stanced cars care about one thing, and that’s stance. There’s simply nothing else to it. Its not about horsepower numbers, not about motor configurations, not about how much your car cost. Rather its about the choice of parts and the execution of achieving a stance that just simply works for your own build, and I can always appreciate that.

The Exhilaration of Driving

“Firing the big, flat 12 Porsche engine sent a chill up my spine, partially because it sounded so great but also because it was sitting about five inches behind my neck! There was plenty of vibration and noise, but good noise. Slipping the clutch to get out of the pits, J.T. began a quick warm up and was starting to hit his stride by the time we got to turn seven. Double clutching and down-shifting into seven, he asked if I had enough room – we were looking akin to Siamese twins at this point – and I said, “Of course,” just happy to be in the iconic Porsche. By the time we came out of turn eight, a tight 110 degree hairpin, J.T. was into the first of four gears at full throttle and distinct over steer, revving past seven grand going on to the back straight. Pinning me against the back of my seat, John took it quickly through the gears as the desert scenery was fast becoming a blur. Entering the dog leg going in to turn nine, we were now going back down through the gears, toe-and-heal, with the brakes whipping us from left to right. There was a crudeness to the 917 that gave most drivers a love-hate relationship with the vehicle. It had tons of pure, raw horsepower but had to be finessed and sometimes manhandled, making it both fun and tiring to drive. Sweeping through nine was an experience as my side of the vehicle came within a few inches of the concrete retaining wall under full throttle as we headed to the start finish line.”

This excerpt by Mike Parris details his experience driving the iconic Porsche 917. The details in the text just make the hairs on your neck rise. It is a feeling and description we can all relate to, however, despite never having stepped foot in a flat 12 racing Porsche. The feeling of rowing through gears with mechanical precision, blipping the throttle, heel-toe shifting, or coming out of a bend and just punching the throttle, we’ve all been there and had those hair raising feelings. It doesn’t have to be a dangerous or on-the-limit move either, the simplicity of hearing the revving of a naturally aspirated motor on ITB’s can be enough to simulate an adrenaline rush. It is a truly exhilarating feeling that you can only know by experience. These words do not even chip at the surface of how lively it makes you feel.

Driving is as much a sensory pleasure as it is a physical and mental endeavor. It is a skill and form of leisure that really involves nearly all your major senses. There is just a focus and concentration of your mind and body into driving from an enthusiasts point of view. Now I’m not talking about cruising down the highway at 60mph on cruise control and nearly falling asleep—no this is much greater than that. This is finding a backroad with no one on it, flying into corners, turning, feeling the tail slip, making a quick counter correction, then kicking the throttle out of the turn as you row into the next gear, the engine quickly gasping for revs. There is a beauty in that, a passion and a level of animation in the vehicle. It really does come alive and it feels as though you’ve just tamed an animal. This sort of experience is something I feel everyone should try, merely find a backroad and just drive it for the sake of driving.

Car Shows: The Enthusiast Social Mecca

One of my favorite parts of being an auto enthusiast is not just the cars but the community. The amount of friends I have made in this community is paramount. Most of my closest friends all come from our love of cars. The best part is how you tend to meet them in the craziest of ways. Car meets are the most viable, common, and easy way to meet like-minded auto enthusiasts. The entire point of them is to gawk at cars and nerd out over them, sharing each others interests and disinterests as well. There is such a great degree of comraderie involved when one is able to relate to others about a passion they share. Its essentially a club, which can be as diverse or specific as you would like. From Corvette only clubs, to giant meets with anything from an BMW Isetta to a McLaren P1, there is just a plethora of variety.

I attend the Hunt Valley Horsepower Meets here in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the only meet of its kind around here, any make and model can merely show up in the parking lot and join in on the fun. There is no brand allegiance or snobbery in this community, I have seen literally everything from military grade vehicles, to race cars, to sport bikes, to street machines. The options are limitless and its quite amazing to see just how diverse and passionate people are about their cars, yet talk to any of them and you can still relate easily. That is the beauty of these meets, there is just a common understanding and love for cars that allows all makes and models to be able to unite and be commonly observed. It is a truly unique and wonderful thing.

I seem almost fanatical about these meets. I can honestly say that I am, I have met my closest friends at Hunt Valley Cars and Coffee, and the things ive seen and experienced I would never trade away. I suggest to anyone to look for a meet to attend. The easiest way to do so is the internet, go on your favorite car forum and just look at the regional sections or event sections. You’d be surprised just how many like-minded enthusiasts there may be in your area. And even if there are no real events, then why not start one? HVH started last year with a handful of people bringing their cars to an old parking lot, and yet this March we had nearly 1200 people attend our 1 year anniversary. Its an amazing thing.

Forced Induction Versus Naturally Aspirated

The idea of using forced induction on a motor versus keeping it naturally aspirated is a very heated topic. It is a very one sided topic, rarely with people in between. Nearly eveyr auto enthusiast has an opinion on the matter, and for good reason. Both options of power create a very different form of power delivery. 300hp from a turbocharged flat-4 is a very different 300hp from that of a naturally aspirated straight six. Its not just a matter of engineering but also your driving style, and even general preference for your build.

A naturally aspirated vehicle is typically easier to own. There are far less moving parts and complicated systems for inducting power. Typically they are much more easier to work on and have a wealth of parts. Cars such as the E46 M3 use a naturally aspirated motor that is legendary, so obviously it is no slouch. However, the downside is trying to get power this way via modifications. It takes two very distinct turns. One is when it comes to smaller displacement naturally aspirated motors.

The challenge is squeezing out more power. These motors typically have much higher compression ratios and as a result from the factory have been optimized for power. Thus most bolt ons typically don’t net very much power. However, when it comes to large displacement naturally aspirated motors—im looking at you American V8’s—then it is a vastly different story. They respond to cams, intakes, and the like very well. Their simplicity makes them cheap and reliable.

A turbocharged vehicle on the other hand is much more complicated. A turbocharger, intercooler, EMS, oil lines, manifold, header, etc. must all be added into the equation. That means quite a lot more can go wrong, not to mention it is rather expensive. But the pay off is huge. In both large displacement and small displacement applications, the horsepower and torque gains are usually double digit. The amount of boost also makes it very easy to tune and fit the power level you desire precisely. This can make for easy daily driver setups with low PSI, or high PSI track setups as well, the level of customization and fine tuning is what really sets forced induction apart. As for me personally? I find turbocharging a great solution to a desire for more power. The benefits far outweigh the costs.

Street Racing: It Isnt a Part of Being an Enthusiast

Street racing seems to be connotated with being a car enthusiast, and frankly it is one of the most erroneous claims that a person can make about this culture. To be completely transparent: street racing is illegal, dangerous, and shouldn’t be why you are a car enthusiast. It seems as though the media propagates the stereotype that any car enthusiast is a boy racer who wants nothing more than to race down public highways at 200MPH with zero regard for anyone around them. For reasons entirely beyond me, this seems to be looked up upon by many kids. It is seen as edgy, rebellious. But what it also is is simply this: stupid.

Now I cant deny that these people exist, they are absolute nutcases and are not representative of the auto modification community or car enthusiasts in general. But they are such a fraction of the population, a population of enthusiasts who have a passion for cars not speed. This creates such a distinction as the focus is the machinery, the art that is a car.Street racing employs this level of mischievousness, foolery, and danger. These are all things which are just juvenile, and not representative of the hobby. The hobby is around cars, not the thrills or dangers that a car can bring. Its all about responsibility. Of course its capabilities and performance play a huge role, its simply fun. But this fun can be had elsewhere, a race track.

Track days are such an easy and fun way to go fast and do so safely. You can go faster than you ever could on the street, with likeminded people, and no traffic. Why some people street race is completely beyond me for this very reason. I do not understand the appeal in racing on the road where your life and other’s lives are in danger. Adrenaline junkies can have just as much of a rush on a track with a number of racers on the tail. Its just a very viable option that puts together like minded people, whats there not to like?

HID Retrofitting

A friend of mine recently decided to retrofit a set of HID housings and bulbs into his existing halogen headlights on his Accord. This sparked a whole discussion for me as to the role of HID’s in the car modification scene, essentially the do’s and don’ts. Now typically you see factory HID’s as an option for most vehicles, and standard on most luxury production vehicles. BMW, Mercedes, Audi and the like all have HID projectors as standard. They provide a huge improvement in light amount and dispersion, along with clarity, of standard halogens and bulbs.

But this brings me to tuners wanting the same effect. The problem arises in people buying HID bulbs but placing them into their existing halogen housing. This is where the nightmare begins. The halogen reflector housing is much wider and more reflective than that of an HID projector housing which is an actual lenses that focuses the light. See where this is going? This is why you are typically blinded at night by what seems to be a massively white dispersed light coming from some often loud, tasteless cars. They put the HID bulbs into a stock housing and as a result the light is not focused at all and merely refract all over the road, and your eyes.

Legitimate HID retrofitting as my friend did is a much better solution. This involves purchasing an actual housing which contains a lens and then fitting that into the existing halogen lamp. Now this varies model to model, but some kits are even plug and play, where they are designed to fit into the halogen reflector hole.

However, some go for more intricate retrofits that involve taking apart the entire housing, opening it up, creating a hole, and then wiring the HID housing. This is an extremely complicated process but the results are entirely worth it, its often seen on a a lot of VIP cars. If you’re going to be going the HID route, my advice is, do it right, and purchase a proper housing. A little research and time will net you some results that you’ll be happy you invested you time in for.

A New Project: Update

So a week later from my last “New Project” post and I must say, the car is definitely still living up to the praise I gave it before. However, ive become much more focused as to where I want the car to go. This is mainly in the forms of cosmetic modifications. I find that the looks of the E90 and lines are great, especially in the color Sparkling Graphite Metallic, however a few minor additions can really bring out the car’s aggressive lines and make it look significantly sportier. In addition I have been looking at options for increasing power.

As for exterior aesthetics, so far I am planning on purchasing front splitters from the bumper, paintmatched in Sparkling Grey Metallic. This will attatch to the stock front bumper. Then, I pan on installing some LED angel eyes to replace the amber ones that are currently in my Xenon headlamps. This really changes the look of the car and is a fairly popular modification among BMW enthusiasts as its cheap, easy and looks great. I already painted my kidney grilles black which has made the car look more aggressive as well, a mod so common that BMW now even offers it as a factory option on many of its own models. In addition, I plan on adding a CSL trunk spoiler and a roof spoiler all paint matched in Sparkiling Graphite Metallic. Originally I was going to pursue carbon fiber but I realized paint matching would be much cleaner.

As for performance, the N52 responds very well to tuning as it Is a detuned version of the 328i. Thus I have the option to remap the engine management system and also run a 330i intake and have significant power levels, that of a 330i model actually. This is very appealing and I plan on pursuing it as a future modification. In addition I am very interested in a new exhaust system to really hear the inline 6. My previous post about exhaust noise was critical, but I must say I fit into the crowd I criticized as well, I love loud exhausts.

Otherwise, I plan on adding front and rear sway bars, lowering springs, and a wheel/tire combo in a more aggressive fitment. I’m quite looking forward to these updates and modifications to my car, it is a very exciting and enjoyable process and you end up learning so much through hands on activity.

Exhaust Noise, Is it Really Necessary?

When it comes to cars, especially fast cars, the notion is always that louder is better. Louder is faster. Louder is meaner. It makes sense, popular culture loves to symbolize sports cars with throaty revving V8’s whether in movies or on TV. But is this really necessary? Or is it all for show? I’ve definitely noticed people in the auto modification scene tend to lean towards extremely loud exhaust setups, while most production cars, even sports cars have much quieter exhausts, despite being just as fast.

So is it really merely a question of preference? I think so. I think it comes down to just enjoyment of the sound, but there is a limit. When it comes to modified cars, a nice exhaust is nearly a must. Whether it be a Honda or AMG Mercedes, it is one of the most common modifications. Yet a lot of the time it seems to be merely for the sound, not for performance. I think this just brings to light two styles of tuning, the sleeper versus the show. Most of the louder exhausts ive seen have come from obnoxious ricers that assume that putting a 4” axelback will somehow increase their performance despite using stock piping the rest of the way. With a sound similar to a coffee can full of pissed off bumble bees, its just not a great sound or look.

But then focus your attention on and AMG V8 with a proper exhaust, the sound is deafening yet a low growl. It is something you have to experience in person to truly appreciate. It is nearly a full body experience as you can feel the vibrations go through you. This is a very different approach from the situation I gave earlier. Yet the third one is even more interesting, and that’s those with very quiet exhausts. For instance, the Bugatti Veyron is relatively silent. A 1000HP+ vehicle that really doesn’t make much of a show while blazing at speeds upwards of 250 mph.

Its interesting to see how much sound honestly doesn’t play a role in performance, it seems to be more of an enthusiast perk now adays, a more immersive experience. There is a kind of delight that comes from the sound as you modulate it with your own foot. A mechanical connection with the body exists and is transmitted through sound, and there's something so appealing about that.

Horsepower Freaks

Power power power. In the modern age it seems to be the only concern among automakers and tuners. Production cars are reaching unbelievable levels of power, and at an affordable price too. For example, the latest Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 has well over 600hp, and can be had for well under $100,000. This sort of bargain bin deals combined with supercar levels of power are becoming the norm, and its incredible. Yet at the same time, to me, its beginning to detract from the pleasure of just driving.

Automotive Trends: Is underglow making a comeback?

Something ive noticed recently is that some trends are beginning to recycle themselves in the automotive scene. This emulates fashion in a sense as if you look back you can see how older trends from the 70s, 80s, and 90s are making subtle reappearances in our society today. The same can be said for the automotive scene in my opinion. What sparked this whole debate for me was the fact that I saw a few modified cars recently running underglow neon. I’m not pulling your leg and this isn’t a satirical post my any means.

The first thing that comes to mind with underglow tends to be none other than the “ricer” fad of the early 2000s. There tends to be a strong stigma with giant aluminum ebay spoilers, flamboyant paint jobs, chicken wire grille inserts, vinyls, and underglow neon to top it all off. This is my impression of it, as many share the sentiment too thanks to movies like The Fast and Furious. However, recently I’ve seen a much different take, and that’s been on very clean stanced cars, running either LED light strips or actual neons under their cars. I’ve even seen photoshoots where people leave their neons on, often with an immaculate car and then the neon shining bright in a night time photoshoot. This new resurgence seemed to spark a new interest in it for me.

Now first and foremost, I still hold a strong stigma against underglow neon. Much of the misinformation and “fad”-ism that has seemingly infected the automotive modification scene has stemmed out of trends such as underglow neon that merely demand attention. However, on these cars it was different. It wasn’t to attract attention but rather it created presence. Especially in VIP cars, using white underglow in combination with white LED’s in the HID lamps, and a lit LED interior seems to actually command a level of presence and creativity. It is by no means obnoxious, and honestly, I can say that I like it quite a lot.

However, there is also a resurgence of the more gaudy use of underglow. For example, I’ve noticed the famous Japanese tuner Liberty Walk, an upcoming Lamborghini and supercar tuner, using underglow excessively on Lamborghinis, with flashing neons and obnoxious colors. This sort of tuning is simply not my style and I think it is a fad that is not needed in the scene today. Much of the negative attention and stereotypes tend to come out of trends like this that send out the wrong message – attention over passion. While people are entitled to desire attention and free to do so however they want, I personally would never use those kinds of means on my car to do so.

But its trends like these that make the scene so unique and diverse, creativity does not always garner approval, its experimentation and I can respect that.

A New Project

This article will be looking into something a bit more personal, which will be my own car. I purchased it around 3 weeks ago and have fallen in love with the car. These posts will be outlining my thoughts on the car and the direction id like to go with it. To start it off, the car is a 2006 BMW E90 325i with a 6sp AT with Steptronic Manual. Its quite a mouthful but I managed to get a great deal on it. I’ve always been a massive BMW fan with my dream car being a 1990 BMW E30 M3 Sport Evolution. It will be a car I know I will be purchasing later in life. There is just no doubt about that, its what ive dreamed about driving. A proper 5 speed, the legendary S14 motor, those box flares. I could go on and on about the car. Which brings me to its much younger brother, the E90.

To start off, just wow this car drives fantastically. This is a base model, as it is denoted by the 325i. The higher echelon models go from the 328i, 330i, and 335i. The 330i and 335i both use turbocharged N54 motors while the 328i and 325i both use a naturally aspirated N52. I already have a love affair with the BMW straight six whether its in an e28 or an e46 M3. There’s just something properly pure about it. This motor falls into the same category, it revs to nearly 7000 RPM, has a great torque curve and sounds great. Even with the muffled exhaust which I plan on chopping to bits, when you engage the car in sport mode and wind out the motor it just sings.

And then I go into whats even better than the motor: the handling. My previous car was an old Mercedes Benz W210. It was definitely a boat but I always gave it some credit in handling based on being so big. But after driving the E90 I realized just how poorly the other car handled. Being RWD the car is planted. The rear independent suspension does wonders in corners, ive yet to reach its limit. I literally point the wheel and it just goes. There is no question or doubt when I go into a turn and its just fantastic. The steering is on point too, its very sensitive, direct, and driver oriented. I mean, I love BMW wheels, I happen to have one mounted on my wall in my room from an original E30.

However, despite the car seemingly relatively great, there are still a lot of modifications I’d like to do, mainly in the department of wheels and suspension when it comes to performance. A rear sway bar, coilovers, strut bars, wider wheels and better tires. As for cosmetics I’d like to put on blackline tails, angel eyes, splitters, and a CLS style spoiler. Definitely more to come on my car as I rack up more driving time with it.

A Word on VIP Style

Japanese VIP style is definitely a topic that touches many a nerve in the auto enthusiast community. There is so much debate as to what is and isn’t vip, that the lines tend to get blurred. You see euro cars that are “vip”, supercars, even American muscle cars. However, according to wikpedia: “VIP Style refers to the modification of Japanese luxury automobiles to make them more fashionable and even more luxurious. VIP Style are typically large, expensive, rear-wheel drive sedans, though automotive enthusiasts use other cars like minivans and Kei cars. Once associated with the yakuza, VIP Style modifications now are a subset of automotive modification.” These cars are a simple formula, but don’t let that make you think this is easy by any means. It is a very inclusive and brand oriented form of tuning, basically, you have to pay to play.

A movement that started in Japan, it has now spread across the globe and has recently found its place in the U.S. as well. Its all about the wheels with these cars, which is an interesting take. Its almost like saying that the shoes define the person, but within the VIP scene this is paramount. Wheel choice can make or break a car.

See, with large luxury RWD sedans the body lines are so extravagant that its very easy to make it look trashy, or boring with the wrong wheel choice or ride height. Thus a lot of guys tend to spend thousands on wheel set ups with extremely aggressive offsets. This is what typically gets me, its plenty normal to be running 19 and 20x10, 20x12 staggered setups in this scene. That is just absurd if you ask me. Not to mention the tire sizes and costs associated with that.

But the thing is, I personally love this movement. As I stated in my camber guide, it’s a niche in the tuning scene, but one that employs a huge level of creativity, planning, and dedication. When your status in the community relies on the cleanliness and authenticity of your car, it really speaks volumes as to how dedicated you must be. These are definitely cruisers and one day I would love to build one. It’s the daily driver, the get groceries car, while you save the faster, more obnoxious car for the weekends. This is about comfort and presence, not so much how fast you can turn a corner. And I think that’s whats so great about it, its not trying to be anything that it is not, its simply doing luxury better.

Paul Walker: My Take On His Influence in the Modified Car Scene and My Interest In Cars

The news of Paul Walker’s tragic death shook up not just the auto enthusiast community but also much of society, he was a name everyone knew from the infamous Fast and Furious movies. With cheesy lines and hardly believable stunts, the movies were still a lot of fun to watch and were definitely a satirical take at modified car culture and street racing. The original film was released in 2001 and since that time they each reflected the shifting tide in automotive culture. Love or loathe them, you definitely will have watched one.

But the reality was that Paul was a car guy and we’re all car people too. He raced and owned some great cars so we can all relate to the painfully simple tragedy of this loss. If you look at his contribution to automotive culture you’ll really begin to see how and why his loss has been publicized so much in the auto enthusiast community.It has been quite literally an out pour, with charity meets and remembrance car meets sprouting out in every single state. I can’t think of a single enthusiast that i know that has not been saddened by his loss, especially with those of us that grew up on the Fast and Furious movies.

I think that’s where this hits closest to home, Paul really did jumpstart my own love for cars. I know I am speaking for so many people my age when I say that. The movies set the stage, Paul was the action hero, the underdog. Yet at the same time he came out on top, and it was in that iconic R34 GT-R. A ridiculous bodykit, the characteristic early 2000’s underglow, NOS, a spoiler that looks like it belongs in a park, coffee can exhausts, and what seemed like a 50 gear transmission. It was a kid’s dream car, it was over the top and a hero.

It wasn’t just Paul, it was always Paul and his R34. That inspired so many of us to get into modified cars. The R34 and Supra became my two dream cars from this series, and they remain that way for me even today. I still plan on purchasing a Supra in the near future, its always been a dream since this film came out.

I can’t count the amount of times I’d nearly break my neck peering out of the window as I would look out my mother’s car at any passing modified car after that movie came out. I couldn’t help it, I was bit by the bug. Now 12 years later and I’m still an absolute fanatic, and still following the films. Albeit my taste has definitely drastically improved since then to a much more tasteful and lowkey form of modification and style, I have to attribute that to the original “ricer” fad that came from none other than the Fast and Furious. Paul was a real enthusiast and so involved in the automotive community. He was a man I definitely looked up to and who had a significant impact on my childhood, as I know it did for many many others of the “PlayStation” generation. RIP

Automotive Trends: A Guide to Oni Camber

Oni ( 鬼 ) is the Japanese word for demon or ogre. Camber angle is the angle made by the wheels of a vehicle. Moreso, it is the angle between the vertical axis of the wheels used for steering and the vertical axis of the vehicle when viewed from the front or rear.

Often negative camber is run due to a greater contact patch while cornering. Think about it, its fairly intuitive, your outer tires bear the brunt of the handling responsibility and they will tend to roll away from the car reducing the contact patch of the tire. The negative camber (which points the top of the wheel/tire into the car and the bottom edge away from the car) allows for a greater contact patch in these turns as the tire will roll into the patch. It makes plenty of sense and you'll often see it on racecars and track prepared cars. Its also not very pronounced typically, but you do get more wild examples that are completely functional just like this:

So there is performance benefit right? But then we get to the fad of Oni or Demon Camber.

Now this is a trend that is fairly difficult to understand. To put it plainly, there are no performance benefits at all. This is purely for looks and the owners go to extreme lengths for it. It originated in Japan in the VIP style of tuning which is the modification of Japanese luxury automobiles to make them lower in stance with wide aggressive wheels, suspension, and body kits. VIP Style are typically large, expensive, rear-wheel drive Japanese sedans, but it can extend well past that into other types of vehicles.

For instance in the two images above you can see how the wheels "lean" and tend to have deep dishes and stretched tires as well to fit under the fenders. The camber also allows them to get a low lower, you can see they're only a few millimeters off of the ground. The look is essentially to look very wide and aggressive while still emanating class and luxury. This often causes tires to run bald fairly quickly, but its actually possible to prevent this by merely having your Toe settings realigned during a proper alignment.

Now there are two strong opinions about this style, either you love it or hate it. I personally love it, i think on the correct vehicle like an LS400 it looks great, like an anomaly that gets attention wherever it goes. I can see how people would see it as idiotic or a waste, but it really is in itself an art experiment. A lot of people see it as a fad, i dont necessarily see that. The guys that run these setups are far and few because its an expensive and impractical style to get into, its just not feasible for most people. Its very different from just fitment. These wheels often exceed 10" wide, run ridiculous offsets and require extensive modification of suspension and fenders. Another crazy fact is that many of these guys are also running a static suspension, which as opposed to an adjustable airbag suspension, means that they ride at that height 24/7.

Even if you dont appreciate the style, you have to give these owners credit for the dedication and care they put into their cars for their level of technical difficult and cleanliness. I'd personally love to buy an LS series Lexus or 90's Mercedes and pursue this style. A set of wide Work Equips and bags would finish it off for me. Just one of those things to think about, with so many directs and niches possible.

Giving Meaning to Two Simple Colors: The Gulf Racing Porsche 917

Not much needs to be said, the pictures speak for themselves. This in my opinion is one of the most beautiful pieces of engineering in motorsports history. It seems so counter intuitive that something built strictly for function, for winning races, could carry itself so elegantly. The swooping lines, the presence, the sound. It looks to be more of an artistic endeavor than an engineering feat.

Porsche 917K Flat-12 Pure Engine Sound - In Action on Track

#Cars #autos #porsche #917 #racing #gulf #livery #german #classic #motorsports #100 octane

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