We speed freaks are capable of shelling out tens of thousands of dollars for that adrenaline rush we so crave when driving fun cars. More often than not, we eventually start swapping out parts for (apparently not always) better ones.
The aftermarket for cars is arguably as big as the car market itself, every single car on the road today will eventually need new parts to keep running without a hitch. With this in mind, there’s always something for your own car to improve its capabilities. Some who own sports cars are only in the club to show off their wealth and what not, but a lot are really committed to chasing better lap times and are addicted to the driving experience.
This is quite a dilemma; a double-edged sword, whether to buy more parts or just purchase a whole other car. The sad part about this is not everything you put into your car will make it more desirable. Here are 25 ways to ruin a sports car with aftermarket modifications.
25 Too much chrome trim
Simplicity truly is a beauty when it comes to cars. Not many know this, but keeping the exterior as stock as possible is actually a sign that the owner/driver is a car guy with impeccable taste in aftermarket mods.
Chances are the car guy put all his money into making his car fast instead of just looking fast. Do you see those sleepers on the internet that race Lamborghini and Ferrari models and then proceed to smoke these dudes wiping their smirks off? It would be much more fulfilling if you had an unassuming car that just goes and goes.
24 Neon lights
Under-glow, the greatest fad in the late '90s and early 2000s. Neon lights under the car were all the rage around a decade or two before but that era seems like a lifetime ago.
Popularized by films like The Fast And Furious and other heavily JDM influenced shows, almost everyone was sporting under-glow since it was readily available and some even had the colors of the rainbow with the flick of a switch. We're glad this trend died down as quickly as it popped up and people slowly but surely developed more refined tastes.
23 Diamond encrusted body
How could you ever concentrate on the road and focus on not crashing when all you can think about every moment you’re up to speed is worrying about the diamonds on your car.
There’s a lot of debris out on the track from pebbles to rubber from the tires and when you hit even the smallest thing at high speed, a couple of diamonds will surely chip off. Not even the most extravagant billionaire would be able to brush off the pain of losing a couple grand’s worth of precious stone.
22 Obnoxious paint jobs
Like body kits, paint jobs offer a chance to freshen up or completely change the look of your car. There are only a handful of sports cars that are bad looking straight from the factory; chances are, yours isn't.
However, no matter how great the lines of the vehicle are or how sporty it may look, a tacky paint job will ruin everything. If ever you plan on ruining your car's paint with "artistic" pieces then at least do it in style and hire the best airbrush artist in your area.
21 Too many stickers
We get it! You buy legit and expensive parts; you don't have to cover your whole car like an official endorser. Over stickered cars look like they've been through the local preschool and they let the kids go all out.
A new wave of stickers has also come to fruition in the last couple of years. Luxury brands such as Supreme and Yeezy's with all the Hypebeasts have brought about a different kind of style to the sticker game on cars. Is it to the benefit of the car community? We highly doubt it.
20 Useless giant rear wings
Massive wings on rear wheel drive, all-wheel drive, and front wheel drive cars are ineffective unless you're going fast. Wings are there to create downforce and keep the car planted at high speeds. However, a huge percent of the people installing wings on their cars had only the aesthetic in mind and not the real purpose of spoilers.
Unless the whole assembly is made out of composite material such as carbon fiber or anything lighter, you're probably only adding extra weight. The only pro is your car is going to look faster (arguably).
19 Fake vents
Nowadays, absolutely nobody is safe from fake vents. Even the giant manufacturers from Germany have succumbed to the this and have put fake vents all over their expensive, supposedly perfect works of mechanical art.
See that huge black plastic part in the bumper that seemingly has holes in it? Nah, it does not lead anywhere. Another common place to put fake vents is in and around the wheels to apparently channel air through the brakes and cool them but we know better. This is borderline ricer in a lot of people's heads.
18 Slammed stance
#slammed! Shout out to all the body shops that keep getting return clients because of damaged bumpers, side skirts, and fenders from the #stancenation. Some people really do spend quite a pretty penny to get their rides as close to the ground as possible, and we're talking about legitimate fast cars here that they're lowering.
There are a number of ways one can slam a car; lowering springs, hydraulics, sawed-off coils, take your pick. Watch out for pebbles the size of a coin though; you might scrape your bumper going over it.
17 Scissor doors
Scissor doors, do they look cool? Kind of; if the car installed with scissor doors fits the persona of something like a Lamborghini, or anything that can remotely match the panache of a flamboyant supercar, then everything is fine and the owner has nothing to worry about.
Be that as it may, the people putting on scissor doors as aftermarket parts are in desperate need of brain cells. The door panels are heavy and they'd only be adding a lot of junk in their trunk (doors in this case).
16 Oversized rims
Proportions are everything; nobody in their right minds would put 15-inch rims on a truck. Now; with that said, nobody should also put 23-inch rims on a mid-sized sedan. Everyone agrees that the wheels make or break the overall look and feel of any car whether it'd be an SUV, a coupe, or even a limousine.
Performance wise, too large wheels have many negative implications. The front wheels might have a hard time turning in or the center of gravity of the whole car might be elevated by a few centimeters.
15 Overdone body kits
Since the depression era, people have been modifying cars to make them go fast or make them look better or even both! Body kits offer a breath of fresh air if you get tired of looking at your same old car every single day. Swap out the old parts and in with the new and voila!
Your car looks invigorating. Exactly like everything else in life, overdo body kits and your car will become an infuriating sight for car enthusiasts and you surely get some awkward looks.
14 Coffee-can muffler
These things are also known as fart cans and when you hear them in action, you'll know why. Not only do these abominations make yours and everyone else's in hundred-meter radius ears bleed, but these also give your car no gain in power whatsoever.
What makes everything worse is that people who got fart cans on their cars think that everybody loves to hear their exhaust noise. Straight pipes are a different story, although many have varying opinions about straight piping the exhaust, some say they make the engine breathe better and some say they create back pressure on the pipes.
13 Over-the-top sound system
We all know that one friend who is never absent during car meets and when he gets there, he opens up the trunk and this complicated contraption with all the blinking LED lights, massive speakers and subwoofer come to life. We don't know if he owns a car with a sound system or a portable sound system installed in a car...
When he drives, the music is on full blast and you can't even hear yourself think. If he's willing to sacrifice performance and weight reduction for the sake of his beloved music, who are we to judge?
12 Cheap Tires
Tires are the only things in contact with the road, (assuming you are still upright). One cannot stress enough the importance of performance tires on performance cars. They don't have to be racing slicks or even semi-slicks, just get something that has a relatively better grip than simple road tires and has a stickier compound.
Nobody wants to end up in a ditch somewhere just because of understeering due to slippery tires. If you're into drifting though, cheap tires in the rear are okay so the costs won't be too heavy for the wallet.
11 Air suspension
Nothing beats performance spec coilovers when going at it at the local track or conquering twisties in the mountain passes. A stiff suspension and a rigid ride will always be a deciding factor in who wins the race.
Cars with air suspension are also capable of high-speed cornering but not as much as coilovers. Some people simply like to have the ability to lower and lifting the whole car (which is admittedly cool) at their own whims. The added weight of all the gear for the suspension will also be a downside.
10 Too many gauges
A driver only needs maybe three additional gauges; the most you will ever need is probably five. Any more will surely hinder your vision and distract you from the road ahead.
Too many gauges will not make any sense since you would be too busy with your hands and feet, you don't need all that information when driving. Of course, it is important to monitor how well the car is running but you can do that with a few key gauges that give you crucial data.
9 Welded differential
The sport of drifting has been constantly growing all over the world and to do skids easily, the quickest fix for a rear wheel drive sports car is a welded differential to keep the wheels spinning.
Don't be mistaken, going sideways is a lot of fun and it goes against every instinct you have when it comes to racing. A welded diff will have some negative effects on your car's performance as well, you got to say goodbye to 4-wheel steering, torque vectoring, and all other good stuff that modern cars have to help you through a corner quicker.
8 Tinted brake lights
But why though? Cue Ryan Reynolds GIF meme. Why in the world would anybody with a functioning brain tint the lights which inform vehicles behind you that you are about to stop?
This fad has the whole car community scratching their heads. It's probably for aesthetic purposes, there is no other logical explanation (though it isn't even logical in the first place). Sure, a blacked out car looks sleek but please leave the lights alone, they've done nothing wrong to deserve this travesty! The headlights are included, obviously.
7 Uncomfortable bucket seats
Yes, they keep us bolstered in the tongue and add tremendously to the “race car feel” of the driving experience. After sitting on them and withstanding G-forces for hours on end or for even just a few minutes will have your back aching if the seats aren’t the right shape and size for your body.
We suggest getting adjustable bucket seats and trying them out thoroughly before investing in a couple thousand dollars on a pair. There is a possibility that the stock seats of your sports car will already be sufficient though.
6 Weird wraps
Does anybody honestly like the gold plated, chrome wrapped supercars and ultra-luxury vehicles in the Middle East? Admittedly, it is not for everybody’s taste. It is too flashy most and it is too ostentatious for everyone (probably we are just jealous that we don’t have that kind of dough to spend on cars).
There are even those tacky, poorly done wraps that seem to have been done in a dirty location which is a big no-no if you want to have a solid wrap job.