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Legal Street Racing: The Street Car Takeover

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Legal Street Racing: The Street Car Takeover

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With cellphone video, GoPros, YouTube, and outlets like 1320Video, street racing is now more popular than ever.

However, street racing is a short-lived hobby. While it can be great for a while, the retirement plan usually sucks.

Street Racing In Stockholm: Welcome To The Underground was the first story I ever read on Speedhunters, and it established in me the lifelong Joy of Machine.

To quote Shakespeare, "These violent delights have violent ends," and when applied to street racing the results are always something that local news media love to cover. The police stings to impound six-figure cars, or much worse - deaths of racers or bystanders. But despite the risks, you still see 1,000hp street cars racing around the globe. That's a significant investment which can quickly become scrap metal.

Is there really such a thing as legal street racing? Street Car Takeover sets out to make it real, by creating a legit way to drag race and roll race on a track. They're the only national event to host roll racing in the United States.

Drag racing has been legtimized since races were run on dry lake beds and airstrips in the 1940s, but roll racing is still earning its spot.

Roll racing is a more passive form of street racing and its lines of bystanders and flashlight signals. Instead, it's like the highway, pre-determined speed, and three honks type racing. It looks weird the first time you watch it as participants line up way back behind the burnout box.

For the Street Car Takeover, the driver in the left lane leads once they're given a signal from a track worker. Drivers are not to exceed 40mph (64km/h) - sometimes 30mph (48km/h) depending on the sanctioning body - but once past the beams it's wide-open throttle to the traps. The winner is the one who crosses first, and only the speed is displayed, no elapsed time (ET).

There are three roll racing classes: 140mph (225km/h) and 150mph (241km/h) brackets of which the speed cannot be exceeded, and the King of the Bakery unlimited class where there is no limit.

At the most recent Street Car Takeover, held at zMAX Dragway (part of Charlotte Motor Speedway) in Concord, North Carolina, the King of the Bakery winning car was a twin-turbo 2014 SRT Viper built by Vengeance Racing and owned by Ned Dunphy. The original V10 was ripped out and sent to Late Model Engines (LME) for forged internals capable of withstanding 45psi (3bar) boost, which is a lot. They've been through three phases with the car and currently run two Garrett 80/96mm T6 turbos hidden behind the front wheels. The track was too slick to lay down full power, a problem all semi-finalists experienced, but Ned still ran a best of 184mph (296km/h).

The staging lanes are filled with a huge mix of street cars with seemingly little in common with each other.

One car which immediately caught my ears in the lanes was this 860hp Ford. Jonathan Nerren, a Formula Drift Pro 1 licensed driver, built the Mustang to compete in the 2020 FD season. Based on a Shelby American Super Snake Widebody, it runs a supercharged Ford Performance 5.2L Aluminator compared to the Super Snake's 5.0L Coyote engine. The motor is backed up by an Andrews H-pattern dog-box transmission, very similar to those used in NASCAR Cup cars. The rear axle is a Ford IRS with a 9-inch center.

"I've never done roll racing... on a track," said Jonathan. "I did it in my younger years, but this is new to me. It's interesting to start behind the burnout box, but fun. Any time you can take it off the street it's safer; there are too many variables on the street."

Jonathan finished off the weekend with some peddling down the drag strip and the burnout contest. In roll racing, he saw indicated speeds around 140mph (225km/h) but did not receive an official slip.

Street Car Takeover also provides a variety of street car drag racing classes which require DOT tires, the original body (no fiberglass race car bodies), a current registration and insurance.

There are heads-up classes which don't display ETs for those sneaky guys, and classes which require a street cruise followed by back-to-back runs, and no working on your car in between.

Jonathan Atkins of Tick Performance beat his own record in the semi-finals of the Street Racer Stick Shift class, with an 8.01 at 180.69mph (290.79km/h). That sets the record for the fastest LT1/stick shift car. He went up against another record-setting car in the finals, Jon Rogers' 1,250hp Nissan 240SX, which runs a stock block (and stock crank) 2JZ. It also uses a triple-disc clutch paired with an H-pattern G-Force transmission, another NASCAR Cup-style transmission.

This car has a history of records under its belt, now holding the record for the world's fastest H-pattern stick shift car at 7.55 at 189mph (304km/h). In the finals, Rogers won with a 7.96 at 191mph (307km/h) pass against Atkins' 8.04 at 181mph (291km/h).

This beautiful Honda S2000 with an LS-swap and massive turbo sticking through the bumper was a perfect case of hard work and bad luck. Travis Mangum thrashed this thing together, finishing only the day before the race. The engine is an LQ9 6.0L Chevrolet LS with forged internals and Trick Flow heads.

The turbos are Forced Inductions GTX55/88mm units with Rock Solid Motorsports turbo headers. It's a fully insured, licensed, and street-legal car. Unfortunately, after laying down an impressive eighth-mile pass, a rod went through the block ending Travis's weekend on the first pass.

Another participant who caught my eye was Eric Warren's 2013 SRT Superbee Charger running two BorgWarner S400 turbos sticking through the hood. The SRT features its original 392ci V8 Hemi, but it's now been stroked to 426ci. Built by MXA Motorsports, this was the car's first time on the strip. The MoTeC ECU detected an oil pressure drop on launch and cut fueling. They're replacing the oil plan and hope to come back out and run 8-second quarter-mile passes.

It's a thrill to walk through filled pits in daylight and see the vast sea of fast cars. Learning of different combinations and options for street performance has one's mind turning with possibilities...

While the excitement of true street racing may never disappear, you may never lose the thrill of Street Car Takeover either.

Jesse Cale Kiser
jesse@earnestmarketingnc.com
Instagram: jessekphotos
thefloorbolt.myportfolio.com

Drag Racing on Speedhunters

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Legal Street Racing: The Street Car Takeover - Speedhunters

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With cellphone video, GoPros, YouTube, and outlets like 1320Video, street racing is now more popular than ever. However, street racing is a short-lived hobby. While it can be great for a while, the retirement plan usually sucks.

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Out of Control:  The deadly toll of  street racing in LA

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Out of Control:  The deadly toll of  street racing in LA

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Valentina D'Alessandro was at a party with a few girlfriends in 2013 when one of them got sick. They accepted another teenager's offer to drive the girls home in his red Mustang.

In a commercial area of Wilmington, at the intersection of two four-lane boulevards, a car pulled up alongside the Mustang.

The race began.

Minutes later, Valentina, 16, was dead, her body wedged in a passenger side window following a crash. Police found her high school identification card at the scene.

She was one of at least 179 people who have died in Los Angeles County since 2000 in accidents where street racing was suspected, according to a Los Angeles Times analysis of coroner's records, police reports and media accounts from 2000 to 2017.

Southern California has long been an epicenter of high-speed car culture. Wild police pursuits dominate television newscasts. The "Fast & Furious" film franchise, which many cops blame for hyping street racing, was set in Los Angeles.

Police say incidents of street racing are on the rise, driven by popular culture and the use of social media to draw contestants and evade authorities. In what racers call "takeovers," participants use their cars to block off streets or intersections to stage races.

In recent years, car clubs from neighboring areas, including Orange County and the Inland Empire, have begun traveling to Los Angeles to compete against local racing crews, increasing the number of dangerous drivers in the county, investigators say.

"We have the locations. We have lots of flat street. We have industrial parks. And the Hollywood connection," said Chief Chris O'Quinn, who leads the California Highway Patrol's Southern Division in L.A. County. "This is the place to be."

The deadliest year on record was 2007, with 18 fatal crashes. After a period with relatively few recorded deaths, the count grew in recent years, with 15 fatalities in 2015, 11 in 2016 and 12 deaths in 2017, the Times analysis shows.

The dead were overwhelmingly male and young: More than half were 21 or younger, including two children, ages 4 and 8, killed along with their mother. Slightly less than half of the victims- 47% - were behind the wheel. The rest were either passengers in the speeding vehicles, spectators or people simply walking on a sidewalk or driving home.

Who dies from street racing?

More than half the dead were not behind the wheel.

Deaths have occurred across Los Angeles County, but some places - Long Beach, Santa Clarita, industrial zones Southeast of downtown and the wide boulevards that stretch across South L.A. and the San Fernando Valley - have been trouble spots.

Where do street racing deaths happen?

Deaths have occurred all across L.A. County, with the biggest concentration in the small city of Commerce.

One of the few law enforcement agencies tracking street racing incidents is the CHP, and it has only been doing so since 2016. From July 2016 to July 2017, the CHP has recorded nearly 700 racing incidents in L.A. County. Those races involved roughly 17,000 vehicles and 22,000 people, according to the CHP data. The data did not include fatalities.

The Times examined street racing deaths since 2000. Its tally of 179 killed is a conservative estimate, because few law enforcement agencies track street racing fatalities and the incidents themselves are difficult to classify.

Authorities say many of the races that lead to fatalities are, like the crash that killed Valentina, spontaneous.

Valentina's mother, Lili Trujillo D'Alessandro, didn't know what street racing was before her daughter's 2013 crash.

When she dropped Valentina off at a friend's house that day, she remembered, "she looked amazingly adorable. I can't even explain the love I felt in that moment." Her daughter was wearing combat boots and mismatched socks, her brown hair tucked under a beanie.

"Maybe something inside of me told me I was never going to see her again," Trujillo D'Alessandro, 53, said.

According to coroner's records, the two cars were surging down the road at an "unsafe speed" when the Mustang slammed into a third car.

The driver of the Mustang survived. He was 17.

Less than a month later, Trujillo D'Alessandro went to an anti-drug assembly at her daughter's high school, carrying a poster of a smiling Valentina. Soon after, she formed the advocacy group "Street Racing Kills."

"I want the kids to see reality and hit them with reality," Trujillo D'Alessandro said. "I want them to see that this can happen."

Eric Siguenza, 26, and Wilson Thomas Wong, 50, were killed in February 2015 in an area of Chatsworth known as the "Canoga Speedway" while watching a street race with more than 60 others.

Nine months later, three people, including a 15-year-old, were killed in Commerce after a Dodge doing doughnuts in the street collided with a Ford, striking spectators. Sheriff's deputies said more than 100 vehicles may have been in the area at the time.

Those deaths occurred during takeovers. The potential for danger, authorities said, is high, reinforced by drugs, large amounts of cash and other criminal activity.

"When you look at a takeover, you have a very large concentration of people, out of their vehicles, in a small area, and again you've got that 3,000-pound machine that is semi in control at best," said Sgt. Jesse Garcia, one of the Los Angeles Police Department's top street racing investigators. "You have the potential of a much higher number of victims should that vehicle lose control."

Racers at takeover scenes have grown more aggressive toward police in recent years as well, according to O'Quinn, the CHP chief. Officers once were able to scatter racers with a flash of their cruisers' lights. Now, some in the car scene fight back, either blocking a roadway to allow friends to escape or, at times, physically confronting officers.

A fire engine and ambulance responding to a medical emergency near downtown last year came across a takeover and were "surrounded by a large group in the hundreds, possibly more," said Peter Sanders, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department. The crew put out a distress call after some racers leaped into the emergency vehicle, Sanders said.

No one was injured, but another ambulance needed to be dispatched to help the subject of the original emergency call, who was struggling to breathe.

"That activity placed somebody's life in danger," said Capt. Al Lopez, of the LAPD's Central Traffic bureau, whose investigators are searching for suspects in that incident.

The takeover scene, police say, has grown stronger in recent years, bolstered by a young population hungry for attention on social media. Events can be organized within hours, and locations can be changed on the fly.

Instagram "likes" on viral videos of stunts - people performing doughnuts or bouncing lowriders - are the new street cred, Garcia said. As much as $20,000 is bet on some illegal drag races.

Tracking the number of street races is difficult. Street racing is not listed as a possible cause on state forms that record traffic collisions, so many agencies don't keep detailed records. Others don't agree on how to define a street race or speed contest. The penal code's definition is broad and includes races against a "clock or timing device."

The image of two cars rocketing down a stretch of asphalt is commonly associated with street racing, but some agencies, including the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, also include single-car crashes that involve racing against the clock.

Following a 2016 crash in Commerce, the LAPD and CHP formed a task force to tackle the problem of illicit racing. In the past three years, seven people have died in the city of about 13,000 traversed by the 5 and 710 freeways.

Deaths in the City of Commerce

Eleven have died on the small, industrial city's streets since 2000.

Three of those deaths occurred in the fiery 2016 collision. A suspected street racer doing 100 mph lost control of his Dodge Charger on the 5 Freeway and slammed into a UPS truck, which went airborne, landed on the center divider and collided with two other vehicles before exploding. Two passengers in one of the cars - Brian Lewandowski, 18, and Michelle Littlefield, 19 - were killed, along with the driver of the UPS truck, Scott Treadway, 52. Four others were injured.

"My every day, my every move with my wife, was about my daughter," said Willy Littlefield, Michelle's father. "When we wake up, we have to remind ourselves that our daughter is not here, that this is the new reality."

Dealio Lockhart, 37, was charged with three counts of murder in connection with the incident. He is still awaiting trial. A second driver remains at large.

A few law enforcement agencies have assigned officers to the task force. But some agencies say they lack manpower. The CHP has assigned two-full-time detectives, O'Quinn said.

At least a dozen officers in the LAPD's Central Bureau investigate street racing, focusing on organized meet-ups since spontaneous racing is nearly impossible to deter. Efforts to place a similar unit in the Valley, another racing hot zone, were abandoned for lack of staff, a street racing investigator said.

Los Angeles City Councilman Mitchell Englander, whose district includes a stretch of the San Fernando Valley that is infamous for racing, is an outspoken critic of the scene's culture and the department's response. Three years ago, the city council approved an ordinance he authored that requires the LAPD to incorporate a wide array of data regarding street racing into the department's crime tracking system. After a fiery racing-related crash claimed the lives of four young people in Northridge last October, LAPD officials admitted during a public hearing that they still weren't doing so.

"You can't solve a problem that you don't measure," Englander said.

Late last year, the LAPD began tracking fatalities, injuries, crashes and the number of citations related to races, according to Josh Rubenstein, a department spokesman. The information was added to the department's crime tracking system in January, he said.

The Times' analysis found that at least 60 people died in crashes related to street racing in the city of Los Angeles between 2000 and 2017. Only two other cities in the county - Long Beach and Commerce - saw more than 10 deaths during that period.

Neither the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department nor the Long Beach Police Department, two of the largest agencies in the region, have officers assigned to the county task force.

County deputies are being trained to recognize vehicles that have been modified for racing, but, Det. Christine Ostrander said, "our deputies are just overworked, understaffed."

When Benny Golbin, 36, didn't show up to play saxophone for a Steely Dan cover band in Seal Beach on a Friday night in January 2016, his family knew something was wrong.

Hours later, they got the news: Golbin, a musician and teacher, was dead. That afternoon, as he was heading between jobs, a silver Chevrolet Cobalt flew over a median on Crenshaw Boulevard in Hawthorne and landed on his Honda CR-V. He was killed instantly.

Police said at the time that the Cobalt was racing a red Camaro. The driver of the Cobalt wasn't seriously injured. The driver of the Camaro fled and was later arrested.

For Golbin's family, the loss is only made worse by the outcome of the criminal prosecution in his death. The drivers of the Cobalt, Alfredo Perez Davila, and the Camaro, Anthony Leon Holley, were initially charged with murder but ultimately accepted plea deals. Davila pleaded guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter and was sentenced to four years in prison. Holley pleaded guilty to felony hit-and-run and was sentenced to three years probation after an emotional and contentious court hearing last July. The prosecutor declined to comment.

Benny Golbin's wife pleaded with the judge for a stiffer sentence, saying that she would not call the incident a "car accident."

"It is a murder," said Anchesa Bunyasai.

When Golbin's mother, Sheri Kessel, hears a saxophone playing on the radio, she turns it off.

"This isn't just going out and driving fast and having fun with your friends," she said. "People get killed. This is life and death."

More from the Los Angeles Times

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Out of control: The deadly toll of street racing in Los Angeles

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Valentina D'Alessandro was at a party with a few girlfriends in 2013 when one of them got sick. They accepted another teenager's offer to drive the girls home in his red Mustang. In a commercial area of Wilmington, at the intersection of two four-lane boulevards, a car pulled up alongside the Mustang.

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Atlanta's Considering Limited Legal Street Racing

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Atlanta's Considering Limited Legal Street Racing

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Beyond just requiring careful car prep, racing also usually takes place on special-purpose tracks or courses. However, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic emptying roads, more people are starting to treat streets as their own personal racetracks. That means more speeding tickets, and more chances for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians to get injured or worse. But, just like racing organizations are changing to match the virus, so too are local legislatures. However, at first glance, Atlanta, Georgia's proposal seems rather odd: legalize street racing. Could it be crazy enough to work?

Atlanta's legal street racing plan details

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 15: Illegal Street racing activities on Ana Street in Compton on April 13, 2015. (Photo by Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

RELATED: Traffic Deaths In 2019 Down While Speeds Are Up: Why?
To be sure, Atlanta's government isn't proposing turning the whole city into a Fast and Furious backdrop, explains. Instead, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms' 18-year-old son proposed the idea of making a designated street racing space. And the idea isn't just a teenaged fantasy, reports. The city is working with consulting agency Bloomberg Associates to consider multiple ways of combating illegal street racing, burnouts, donuts, and other unsafe automotive exuberance.
RELATED: Cannonball Run Record Broken Seven Times in Five Weeks
However, not everyone's on board with the street racing space idea. Atlanta Council member Dustin Hills, reports, believes creating such a space would remove the illicit "thrill" street racing brings. Thus, people would still race elsewhere, making the proposed space pointless. It is worth point out that the city already has a racetrack, Atlanta Motor Speedway. However, it's predominately focused on NASCAR oval racing, with few concessions to other styles.
RELATED: Truck Drivers Have It Worse Than You Think During the Coronavirus Pandemic
As of this writing, there is a petition asking Mayor Bottoms to consider moving forward with the street racing space. Any decision would be some time away, as CBS46 reports officials are "still in the very early stages of research." In the meantime, people are still racing illegally. reports that, over the weekend of May 17 th, 2020, police made 44 street-racing-related arrests.

However, solving street racing through legalization does have some precedence.

Other cities offer legal drag racing opportunities
RELATED: There's a 1400-Hp Ford Mustang Drag Racer-And It's Electric
One of the first cities to offer a sanctioned form of drag racing, reports, was Medley, Florida. True, it's not quite on the street, but on a prepped dragstrip. But now, instead of racers running from the police, they're racing the cops head-to-head. So, instead of the situation feeling like an 'us vs. them' scenario, racers and cops can compete in a healthy and safe environment. There's still a thrill of competition, but no innocent civilians get endangered.

In 2009, roughly 30 states held some form of "Beat the Heat" race. And reportedly, the Miami PD's efforts were so successful, the department disbanded its anti-street racing task force.

In California's Bay Area, the program's still up-and-running at the Sonoma Motor Speedway. As long as your car or motorcycle passes a safety inspection, and you've got a license, you can race, reports.

There's also a variation of the idea in Detroit. Since 2016, the annual Woodward Dream Cruise has hosted legal drag racing on Woodward Avenue. And since 2018, Motor Trend's sponsored multi-day events.

There's also another Detroit event that may preview the future of Atlanta's, and other cities', street racing scenes.

Would legalizing help solve the problem?

Detroit's 'Sunday Funday,' reports, is what's commonly called a 'sideshow.' Instead of just racing, participants shut down streets to slide, do burnouts, and in general, show off their cars. And, naturally, police tend to shut these down to protect the populace.

However, in March 2020, the police didn't shut the event down completely, Detroit's reports. Instead, Police Chief James Craig worked with the organizers to create a designated space for all the donuts, 360s and slides the drivers want. Organizers Daryl Hairston and Will Quarles told WXYZ that the drivers don't want people to get hurt, or even hold up traffic. They just want to have fun, as the video below (NSFW language warning) shows.

True, someone was lightly struck when Sunday Funday moved to private property, Click on Detroit reports. But there were no injuries, and the person involved was standing too close to the staging area. The biggest problem is finding more space to spread everyone out.

Obviously, there will always be someone who starts trouble. I've personally seen Cars & Coffee participants accelerate dangerously, right in view of the cops. But hopefully, Atlanta's street racing can find a way to provide fun without reckless danger.
Follow more updates from MotorBiscuit on our Facebook page.

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Atlanta's Considering Limited Legal Street Racing | MotorBiscuit

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Beyond just requiring careful car prep, racing also usually takes place on special-purpose tracks or courses. However, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic emptying roads, more people are starting to treat streets as their own personal racetracks. That means more speeding tickets, and more chances for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians to get injured or worse.

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FOr me it is the passion about making something you like into something you "love" and personal to you, wheather this be the small touches or big mods

Modifying cars has a long history, it actually started no long after the car was invented. Back then the mod's were mainly to improve them and see what they could change to make them faster, safer and cheaper to produce. Then as the years went by this changed to modifying them for other purposes, most notoriously in America for Moonshine Runners and Bank Robbers. These cars we put through there paces and made to outrun any police they may come across and the purpose was purely for speed and agility with the moonshiners making some alterations to withstand harder terrains due to using their own made routes.

From this it has changed over the years from Racecars to lowriders, there is now 1000's of different genre's of modifying and it has just got bigger and bigger with no sight of it ever slowing down. Here in the UK the modifying "scene" has always been strong, with the early day's consisting of a lot of engine modifications and customisation for the sole purpose of Street Racing. Street Racing was very popular back when the Ford Escort mk1 and mk2 were dominant as they were very fun and easy cars to work on with massive potential for modifying.

Speed has now took a step back slightly for the majority of the modifying community with most going for cosmetic changes with some small engine mods. most of the modern stuff, especially in the UK & Europe, is based on how a car looks with the "euro" smooth and low looking being the current favourite amoungst enthusiasts, where as the 90's was all about big body kits, neons and big rims.

For most people modifying a car is a hobby, which turns into a passion, which turns into a obsession. They start with small little things to improve the looks and it snowballs from there with some people spending over £40,000 in modifications. Some people see it as a waste but enthusiasts will argue that its better than spending it on drugs and prostitutes and it keeps us out of trouble (mainly) as we are always working on the next thing. This brings me to my next point, no ones project is ever "finished" not matter how complete it looks, this is due to our obsession with having to change everything and keep it all fresh.

To me, modifying has turned into an obsession and I just cant help but mess with cars. I have a massive passion for cars in general but then modifying them makes them better to me, this is because its more personal to the owner. Modifications can be done to anyone's taste so as long as you love your own creation is doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, and this is why I love it, no 2 cars as never the same. All my cars are modified for the passion and no purpose at all, I just love taking the car I like and changing it into something I love and am happy to say I had the vision to make it how it is.

For me it all started from the day I got my driving licence and first car, Fiat Punto mk2 1.2 8V Active Sport, and from then I have spent £1,000's and not looked back. When I got the car i thought it was the best thing since sliced bread (like any 17 year old and their 1st car) and drove it everywhere, then came the wheel changes, stickers and subs. I must admit I made the car look like a mess to start with thinking it was cool, but I was sooo wrong but I got my act together and changed it. It had a full change from ever panel being smoothed to having a turbo conversion on the little 1.2 and pushing just over 160bhp. I have a particular issue with collecting and changing wheels with 14 sets being bought and sold over a 3 year period for 1 car.

I have since kept my first car, the Punto above, but had second cars to try and be more "practical" which always failed as I modified those aswell. My fourth car was a 1.8 HGT Fiat Punto which was modified for track/handling use and was something totally new to me, buying the car mainly done i just changed minor bits and found out how fun speed could actually be in a perfectly set up car. From this I went to a BMW E36 328i which I again went slightly different route with very small but subtle mods but then dropping it as low as possible on some super wide deep dish ACT Wheels (17x11j rears) and have now got the itch for power so I will be doing a 1UZ-FE V8 conversion in it next year.

As you can see above I have been doing it for several years and it is purely for passion and obsession. I am even obsessed and going on rants while writing about it as I can't help it, I have a huge passion for doing it and the "scene" in general. I work with people in all the genre's, from Drifters to Dubbers, and have to say nearly everyone is doing it because it has become a bug, a disease, that they just can't shake and it makes us all want to do more and more. I am very lucky to work with the variety of people I do as it really opens up how different each area is and why they are attracted to the particular cars or Motorsport.

Within Motorsport there seems to be more and more enthusiast groups that then come together produce series and championships, I think this is shown within Drifting as this is now one of the most Up and Coming Motorsports there is. And this all started with modifying a car to make it better at taking corners sideways, welding a diff, wider wheels & camber is where it all started for most. It has now turned out some of the best looking cars around the world and is providing innovation though the whole "scene". Over the past few years I have seen drifting grow and influence more and more trends, with big over fenders being the current most popular with some nice engine transplants.

My question to you is, why do you modify cars? Is it for the purpose of racing or the passion of making a car fully personal to you? Be sure to share you photos, experiences and views of the whole "scene" from around the Globe

Photos & Words By Mathew Bedworth

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FOr me it is the passion about making something you like into something you "love" and personal to you, wheather this be the small touches or big mods Modifying cars has a long history, it actually started no long after the car was invented.

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Your Modifications Don't Add Value to Your Car

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Your Modifications Don't Add Value to Your Car

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No matter what I spend on modifying my car, there will be no return on investment.

But I'm OK with that.

People spend more on a vacation or holiday in one year than I do on modifying a car. People spend a lot of money on hobbies, and if you own a car for reasons outside of a necessary mode of transport then that my friend, is a hobby.

You don't expect a return of investment on a vacation or a hobby.

Yet you still see people still set a value on their car as a model with a year and a condition, and then list a bunch of modifications and reflect their perceived value to the owner in the asking price.

The problems are two fold, maybe even three depending on how deep the mods go.

First you have the issue of not knowing who did them or how well they are done. The seller may say "ALL MODS EXPERTLY INSTALLED!!!!" but even if you forgive the abuse of all caps and crime against punctuation, then that still means nothing. Those are just words. Everyone thinks they are an expert once they have done their first windscreen washer fluid mod, and you're about to trust that someone has expertly modified the suspension on your car?

You, dear reader, I know are not an idiot.

He or she may have some invoices even, chances are high you don't know the shop if there actually is one though. Even if there is, you don't know the conversations that went on and if corners were cut to suit a budget or a profit margin.

Second, there's a reason someone lowers a car, has a turbo and carbon fibre cup holders installed - so they can drive it faster. At the very least you can safely assume the drivetrain has more strain put on it than an unmodified version purely by knowing it's been modified. With all the best will in the world, you don't know that persons understanding of driving and level of mechanical sympathy imparted upon the car.

The third fold is that even if that car was modified for a pensioner at a facility you already know and trust, then the car was auto-crossed by that dear old lady once a month for six months... the whole point of modifying a car is to suit the owners tastes and goals, not the next owners. The chances I'm going to find someone willing to pay over book price for my car because they too wish to own that particular model and year with a one inch drop on the front and .75 drop on the back complete with that particular match up of springs and struts, with carbon ceramic wheel nuts, bolted down La-Z-Boy recliner sport seats and tasteful pink and blue interior LED lighting to top it off... are remarkably slim.

Of course, you can go buy a car modified already at over book price and people occasionally do. Occasionally someone will pick up an actual screaming deal of a cool car, but mostly you'll find the seller got incredibly lucky and the buyer bought someone else's problem.

If you have a car that's been modified or you're planning to modify, it is possible if done right and judiciously you may be able to list and get a little over book price but in general terms we are talking ten grand to pull back maybe one. Pennies on the dollar type money.

My advice is to do what I do - spend that money purely on my car and then if some dumb ass offers to buy a five grand car for fifteen, then deal with the moral and ethical dilemma then.

Otherwise, accept and enjoy building a car for you in the same manner your next door neighbour plans and enjoys a holiday. Except of course a week later they'll be posting selfies and shaky vertical video on Facebook while you're out rocking your fresh twin turbo, neon under-glow and windscreen fluid upgrade like a boss.

There are of course some exceptions depending on who modified the car and it's authenticity. On the high end, this was Steve McQueens Porsche and last time I read about it there was $1.5m price tag attached.

Neither you or I are Steve McQueen though.

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Your Modifications Don't Add Value To Your Car

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No matter what I spend on modifying my car, there will be no return on investment. But I'm OK with that. People spend more on a vacation or holiday in one year than I do on modifying a car.

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2 Fast 2 Furious Official Behind The Scenes - Car Selection (2003) HD

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Formula 1 Driver Daniel Ricciardo Breaks Down Racing Movies

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Formula 1 Driver Daniel Ricciardo Breaks Down Racing Movies

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Formula 1 Driver Daniel Ricciardo Breaks Down Racing Movies | GQ Sports

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The Coolest Street Racing Cars We've Ever Seen

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The Coolest Street Racing Cars We've Ever Seen

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A car is a mode of transport, a tool, a way of life, a diversion, or a hobby. In some cases, a car is all of these combined when the owner decides to modify his ride into something more. Though costly, a car owner can take his standard car and turn it into something even its designers would have never imagined.

Street racing is an intensely competitive hobby, way of life that many car enthusiasts take part in. This car scene involves a lot of modifications to the car, improving its performance in all aspects - power, handling, braking, aerodynamics, and aesthetics.

As there are no strict car class limitations on what constitutes a street racer, there are so many good examples of once stock rides that through meticulous mods, have been transformed into their next/maximum level. In this article, we look at some of these amazing cars - Here are the coolest street racing cars we've ever seen.

15 Mitsubishi Eclipse

While not as popular as its predecessor, the 3rd gen Mitsubishi Eclipse is just as good if not better. Owing to improvements on its body rigidity and suspension, this Eclipse handled better and consequently, made for a better street racing machine.

Related: Ranked: The 10 Fastest Street Legal Supercars

14 Toyota Celica

The T230 was the last edition Toyota Celica, it was sold from 1999 to 2006. Smaller than the preceding model, this was the slickest model yet, with Euro-inspired styling, part of Toyota's then marketing drive to get younger buyers interested, a strategy that paid off til now, as the Celica is a popular street racer/tuner car with young racers.

13 Honda NSX

Already legendary in its lineage and performance capabilities, the NSX is also a popular choice for modders wanting to beef up its already impressive speed stats to compete in street races. With its massively tuneable VTEC engine, there are examples that have reached a stunning 400Hp.

12 Nissan 370Z

Though it's a smaller, cheaper alternative to the legendary GT-R, the Nissan 370Z is no slouch, with its standard V6 engine churning out 37oHp to power its rear-wheel-drive set up, there are many lesser sports cars left behind by its 5.0, 0-60 acceleration.

11 Mazda RX-8

The next evolution of the Mazda RX series came with lucky number 8. As the new torchbearer of the mighty rotary engine, the Mazda RX-8 carries on the proud tradition of race domination, with the added bonus that unlike other sports cars, the RX-8 has usable rear seats.

10 Subaru WRX STi

Rally bred and race-proven, a hallmark of a true champion car, this is the Subaru WRX Sti. With its turbocharged engine making almost 300Hp, this Japanese hot hatch is a highly respected racer, off track and on the streets.

9 Mercedes-Benz 190E Supercharged

The Mercedes-Benz 190e is one of the most popular models of the brand. Built from 1982 to 1993 with several special editions, the 190E has been a favorite car by modders and tuner owing to its robust engine and solid chassis, able to outrun newer cars despite the model being almost 40 years old.

8 Volvo 850R Turbo

Better known for its safety features and durability, Volvo actually makes some of the fastest sedans on the planet. The 850R ranks as one of the greats from the Swedish automaker. With its 5 cylinder powerplant churning out 207HP this salon car deserves its designation as a great sleeper car.

Related: 10 Muscle Cars Favored By Street Racers

7 Alfa Romeo 155

With its numerous wins in the British and European touring car championships in the 90s, the Alfa Romeo 155 was able to hold its own against the might of BMW and Mercedes-Benz. While not particularly powerful, its nimble handling makes this a good tuner car, as attested to by its racing pedigree.

Capable of 155Mph, this full-sized sedan from Audi is surprisingly fast and more than a match for its other German rivals. With 605Hp from its bi-turbo engine, carbon-ceramic brakes, and carbon-fiber aerodynamic body kits, the Audi S8 is a street racing super sedan.

The E46 M3 was - and still is - considered as one o the best performance sedans on the planet. A product of decades of experience refining the 3 series, the M3 embodies and exceeds the old tagline "The Ultimate Driving Machine" by virtue of its astonishing performance.

4 Porsche 911

Despite being almost 60 years old, the iconic Porsche 911 has only received five updates. A champion among champions, the 911 has given Porsche almost 30,000 race wins, making it the winningest car in motorsports. Already race-ready when stock, enthusiasts have modded 911s for street races, creating an even more extreme Porsche.

3 Jaguar F Type

The F-Type revitalized the Jaguar brand when it was launched. With dramatically different styling from older Jags, the F-Type took the old man's car image and replaced it with a dynamic form, normally seen in Astons and Mclarens. Still new in 2020, its formidable stock form has already been modified by racers, allowing it to compete in street races.

2 Ferrari Berlinetta

Some consider the Ferrari 355 together with the F50 as the last pure Ferrari's, due to observations about the succeeding 360 being too soft and safe. With its almost perfect proportions and design, the 355 has its fair share of fans that have decided to tinker with its V12 to make it faster and more reliable, resulting in a street racer Ferrari,

1 Lamborghini Gallardo

At about $200,00 when it was new, the Gallardo was the smaller car in the then Lamborghini line up that was led by the Murcielago. Powered by a V10 making over 500HP, street racers lucky enough to own a Gallardo have less to worry about power improvements as this, in its bare-bones stock form, is already a super street racer.

Next: 15 Most Popular Cars For Street Racing In 2020
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Here Are The Coolest Street Racing Cars We've Ever Seen

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A car is a mode of transport, a tool, a way of life, a diversion, or a hobby. In some cases, a car is all of these combined when the owner decides to modify his ride into something more. Though costly, a car owner can take his standard car and turn it into something even its designers would have never imagined.

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5 Cool Car Modification Tips for Beginners 

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5 Cool Car Modification Tips for Beginners 

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Whether done as a hobby or a profession, the practice of modifying cars has been around for as long as cars themselves\. The market for modifying cars is huge, which gives us plenty of choice and room for creativity when upgrading our cars, but it can also be a confusing task for beginners. For those people, the best places to start are the simple modifications that will have the biggest impact.

If you are considering making changes to your car either for performance and aesthetic reasons, here are 5 car modification tips for beginners to get you started.

One of the simplest but most effective ways to change the look and performance of a car is to change the wheels and tires. They can make or break a modified car, so it is worth investing in the best. Toyo tires are great for any weather, but your choice will come down to what you want from the car in terms of performance and personal taste.

Your choice of wheels and tires will also be important if you are planning to change the stance of your car...

Changing the stance of a car is not as straightforward as changing the wheels, but it can also have a big impact. Cars tend to look more visually appealing with a flush arch gap and many of the leading manufacturers opt for this design in their sporty cars. Some people, however, prefer the wheel to be protruding from the arch or tucked away, but lower generally equals better when it comes to modifying cars. When changing the stance of a car, you need to focus on the wheel width and size, tire size, camber and spacers.

There are many options when it comes to changing the plastics on a car. You may want to change the bumpers, the grill or just the front splitter. The change which is likely to make the biggest impact is to swap the rear and front bumpers or to replace a honeycomb grill for a slatted grill. Don't forget window tint! Darkening the glass can improve the look of any vehicle.

A new exhaust which changes the sound of your engine is a popular modification because there are so many ways you can approach it and it is typically one of the cheaper modifications. For example, you could change only the back box or you replace the whole thing. You could go for pre-made or get one fabricated specifically for your car. Whatever you decide, you can turn your car's roar into something to be reckoned with.

It's not always a straightforward process, but upgrading the seats and other elements of your interior is another choice a lot of vehicle modifiers make. You may be able to find a set which are ready-made for your car, but in a lot of cases, you will need to spend quite a lot on getting bespoke upholstery created. If you are feeling up to it, you might want to try the DI approach and re-upholster the car seats yourself. The final effect can be truly jaw-dropping, however, so if you have the cash, it may well be worth the investment, especially if you are planning to take the car to shows.

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Auto Industry Insider: 5 Cool Car Modification Tips for Beginners " CAR SHOPPING " Car-Revs-Daily.com

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Whether done as a hobby or a profession, the practice of modifying cars has been around for as long as cars themselves\. The market for modifying cars is huge, which gives us plenty of choice and room for creativity when upgrading our cars, but it can also be a confusing task for beginners.

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Street racing is exactly as it sounds - a bunch of people coming together to race their cars on public roads. In most cases, there are no rigid structures or legal regulations and it is for these reasons, coupled with its incredibly dangerous nature, that it is street racing is banned almost everywhere. Unfortunately, this has not stopped people from engaging in the activity and there have been countless cases of mishaps during street races.

Certain sports cars have emerged as the most popular choices as far as street racing is concerned. These cars usually possess one or more factors that make them ideal for the harsh treatment that street racing entails. Such reasons include the ability to easily tune the car at minimal cost in order to get a boost in performance over the stock form. Others include ease of maintenance, affordability, and of course, cars with superior handling characteristics.

In this article, we look at some of these sports cars that - through a combination of one or more of the reasons identified above - have become rather infamous for their involvement in the dark arts of street racing.

15/15 Toyota Supra MK IV

The fourth-generation Supra is one of the most popular cars on the street circuit; a cult legend made even more popular by movie franchises like the Fast and the Furious. The cars are built to be tough and can take on a lot of tuning parts making them even more potent on the roads. The iconic 2JZ-GTE engine found in these cars is famous for being able to handle ridiculous power, and a modified Supra hitting 2000 hp on a dyno is not an uncommon sight.

14/15 Honda Civic Si

You can refer to this one as a slimmed-down version of the Honda R but it does not mean it will shy away from challengers. It is less expensive too but you do get a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine mated to a very responsive 6-speed manual transmission. There's some turbo lag at low revs, but be prepared for a wild thrill once you put some extra pressure on the gas pedal.

13/15 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX

The Evolution IX debuted in March 2005 and is considered by many car purists to be one of the best in the iconic Lancer Evolution series. The car featured a lot of significant improvements including a revised turbocharged system that translated to more power to play with. U.S versions of the car came with three driving modes; gravel, snow, and tarmac - whatever the driving condition, this one won't disappoint. The same characteristics are present in the Evo X as well, but the IX still seems to be a more popular platform for modifications.

12/15 Ford Mustang

The pony car has all the macho-qualities for the street scene - hefty build, aggressive styling, and heaps of horsepower on command. The availability of spare parts and ease of maintenance are also strong points that count in its favor; and then there's a host of parts like the intake valves, camshafts, and cylinder heads that can be tuned to boost handling and performance.

11/15 Subaru WRX

In the world of fast cars and neon lights, the Subaru is one car that commands a lot of attention and respect; ignore it at your own peril. The car is easy to upgrade but even in stock form, its turbocharged powerplant is highly dependable and reliable. There's also an All-Wheel-Drive system that will help it get off the line like a greased pig.

10/15 Toyota 86

The Toyota 86 is the result of a joint effort between Toyota and Subaru so it should come as no surprise that the car is one of the most popular cars used in street racing. It checks off all the relevant boxes - small, nimble, and powerful. The car is the recipient of several performance awards and it's one of the best budget sports cars in the market today.

9/15 Volkswagen Golf GTI

This hot hatch is designed for the streets and will put up a very stiff challenge when the chips are down. You can opt for a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic for that instant response which can make all the difference in a race. It is a great compromise if you can't afford the more aggressive Golf R.

8/15 Nissan 350Z

The 350Z is another familiar face on the street grid. It is relatively inexpensive and is a great bargain for a car that comes equipped with a rear-wheel-drive and V6 engine. The stubby car can take on massive amounts of tuning parts without breaking down and even when something does go wrong, they are quite easy to fix.

7/15 BMW 3-Series (E46)

The E46 3-Series was an improvement over the already excellent E36 models. The car featured a lighter chassis and the engine had been tweaked to produce even more power; which is always a welcome addition. The steering feels very responsive and the car is not afraid to take on corners with characteristic German efficiency.

6/15 Mazda MX-5 Miata

This bite-sized sports car packs a load of fun in its tiny frame and it won't let you down when pushed hard. It is inexpensive too and can easily be tuned to squeeze every ounce of power from its 4-cylinder powerplant. The size of the car also translates to less weight; an advantage in any race match-up.

5/15 Chevrolet Corvette C6

The Corvette is a tough machine that is renowned for its capabilities on the street and track. Even in its stock form, it will leave many challengers in its exhaust trail. However, they are rarely raced in stock form and a few owners add a few tricks to make it even more powerful - sometimes to the point where they become unstable and hard to control.

Related: 10 Muscle Cars Favored By Street Racers

The M2 is not cheap but it does offer great value for the money as one of the best 'M' cars ever built by BMW. Even without the Competition package, the M2 will finish ahead of most cars in its category. Newer models only need about 4 seconds to hit 60mph and the expertly tuned chassis and balanced ride will get you around corners with relative ease.

3/15 Nissan GT-R

As far as street races go, the GT-R - more appropriately known as Godzilla - sits near the apex. Its significant price tag has not stopped it from becoming a common sight at street races. The car is equipped with an incredible all-wheel-drive system and superior Japanese engineering that keeps the car perfectly balanced, whether it's pointed in a straight line or slalomed around corners. One more thing; Nissan GT-Rs can be tuned to produce insane amounts of horsepower.

Related: 15 Sick Pics From Japan's Underground Car Scene

2/15 Lamborghini Huracan

The Huracan is one of the less expensive Lamborghinis; that, plus some impressive engineering makes it's perfect for high-stakes racing. It will blast past 60mph in less than 3 seconds and for a Lamborghini, it is quite small, making it easier to handle. You can also tune it - without much trouble - for some mega performance.

1/15 Chevrolet Camaro

Here's another popular American-made car that is often used during street races. It is quite affordable and boasts really impressive stats in terms of acceleration and handling. That narrow windscreen does take some getting used to but once you are underway, prepare for loads of high-octane action.

Next: 15 Badass Cars With Supercharged 4-Cylinder Engines

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15 Most Popular Cars For Street Racing In 2020

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Street racing is exactly as it sounds - a bunch of people coming together to race their cars on public roads. In most cases, there are no rigid structures or legal regulations and it is for these reasons, coupled with its incredibly dangerous nature, that it is street racing is banned almost everywhere.