Modified Car Styles Explained!

Here we have put together a short explanation of what each modified car style term means, hopefully it will give the beginner modders a guide to creating the authentic style that they are trying to achieve.

JAP STYLE Cars: Anything from Japanese coupes to Corsas & R5's. Bodykits: Swooping open-mouth front valance with plenty of meshing, equally big back bumpers with space for one, or two 5inch slash-cut tailpipes. Aggressive sideskirts flared up and into the rear quarter panels, VeilSide style. Vented bonnets and huge rear wings work well here too! Even if you're only running a 1.0 litre Corsa, these kits are so mean that everyone will move over! Paint: Most bright colours in almost everything from metalflakes to Kandy's, flips or pearls. Wheels: Go Big, drivability isn't an issue... 20's on a Saxo! Engines: Serious tuning isn't crucial on hatchbacks - an induction kit, meaty back box and lashings of polished metal or carbon covers will suffice. Four-cylinder Jap coupes (200sx's etc) should pack at least 300BHP. Six-cylinder motors (Skylines, Supra's) need 400BHP. Interiors: For hatches we'd go the same route as Cali, but not as mad. Japanese supercars have more parallels with the JDM look. Extras: Lambo doors are a great finishing touch.

EURO STYLE Cars: Most German cars, from Mk1 Golfs to Audi A3's. Bodykits: Wild is the anti-Christ, smooth and clean lines are a must. All Euro cars share a passion for de-badging, simplifying design and smoothing looks (flush tailgates are a must) with the emphasis on top quality craftsmanship. Classics like Mk1 Golfs don't do bodykits, while newer motors can enjoy a simple front and rear bumper. No wings though. Paint: Striking colours from Kandy purples and blues to pearlescent oranges. Wheels: On classics, keep it small and wide with narrow tyres stretched over them. Newer cars can go upto 19's. Engines: Immaculate with lots of chroming and polishing. Tuning, especially engine transplants, is respected but not essential. Interiors: Cleaner than NASA's lab. A leather and alcantra retrim is cool, as is a polished roll-cage. Massive jobs that no-one notices because the work looks like the factory did it are big news in Euro world. Porsche dashboard in a golf? Extras: Slam your ride to the ground, coilovers work best. Ditch anything not absolutely essential such as door handles and rear wipers.

JDM (JAPANESE DOMESTIC MARKET) Cars: All things Japanese, from hatchbacks to coupes. Bodykits: Subtle, chunky styling with lashings of carbon and an emphasis on usability. Wings are common with the exception of hatchbacks such as Civics. Paint: No wild flips here... Blocky blues, yellows, whites and reds are a must. Wheels: Rims are usually five or six spokes made from lightweight or forged alloy. Go for graphite to contrast with your paintwork Engines: Healthily tuned and often all mods from one tuner such as Blitz or HKS. Electronic engine monitoring and nitrous are a sure fired winner too! Interiors: Black cloth Recaros, OMP wheel and carbon gear knob. Strip the rear seats and fit a roll-cage. Dash mounted electronic engine monitoring dials feature well. Extras: Standard orange indicators, repeaters and rear clusters are popular. Some modders go to the trouble of importing standard parts from Jap-spec motors for that authentic look and feel.

RACE - Drift / DTM / JGTC / Rally Rep / Drag Cars: Anything! Bodykits: Performance-orientated styling that boosts aerodynamics wherever possible! Weight is saved through material choice, use loads of carbon fibre/Kevlar. Paint: Standard colours are the norm as upto a third of bodywork is hidden behind motor sport decals. Wheels: Go for 17inch or 18inch lightweight rims. If you're choosing a wide-arch look, remember to get wider wheels and spacers. Engines: 300BHP is a good benchmark. Interiors: Really easy - rip everything out! Fit one fixed bucket seat for the driver. Install a roll-cage, rear strut brace and racing harness for the driver Extras: Mounting a fuel cell to the passenger side is a tricky but final touch.

CALI-LOOK Cars: Audi A4's, VW Boras, or the try the new VW Beetles and Ford Focus's. Bodykits: Off-the-shelf bumpers, sideskirts (wings where applicable) with optional arch extensions. Wings West fit carbon parts and paint over them in the cars body colour, a small strip revealing their lightweight origins. The West Coast likes to lead the scene. Paint: Vivid single or two tone jobs work well here. Wheels: Gunmetal spokes with polished lips are a must right now, and go big. Chromes are still a popular choice. Engines: Tuning often limited, save for a whopping great nitrous install together with a purge kit. Continue your exterior colour scheme under the bonnet. Interiors: A continuation of external colours and flair - colour coded dashboard, sumptuous retrim in leather or alcantara with front bucket or recliner seats. Nitrous bottles mounted in back seats or front footwell, loads of AV screens, fat head unit and cool touches such as amps built into front seats. Oh, and a monster dash mounted tacho just to finish it off. Extras: Big-brake conversion front and rear to fill the rims.

CUSTOM Cars: Absolutely anything! Even your grans old Micra! Bodykits: Off-the-shelf parts are cut and shut to fit, or valances, arches and sideskirts created from scratch. Anything that can be changed will be. Paint: Coat your motor in vibrant colours to best highlight its funky lines. Metalflakes, pearls, flips, Kandys, silks, neons, marble, matts and multi-colour schemes can all rule! Wheels: Chromes, spinners and anthracite/gunmetal/black-spoked rims with polished lips are safe bets. Engines: Styling is essential. Tuned engines aren’t, but are heavily fettled with polished products. Interiors: Every inch is covered with big-name recliners totally stripped and fibreglass-backed, or trimmed, for colour-coding. Dashboards, roof-linings, doors and pillars are painted or trimmed. Extras: Airbrushing is big with custom cars!