Western vip vs Japanese vip...

[Dominik]

While sitting back reading one of my many vip magazines (i really should start selling or stop buying)... I noticed something which seems to differentiate the US/Western vip scene from the Japanese scene we all love.

Over here it seems alot of us are treating vip as style of modification to 'settle down with'. Vip is seen as the 'practical' form of modification, something to go and do when we get sick of the bumpiness or volume of our drift/tuner car, or because we need 4 doors for a family.

Now compare that to Japan... In Vipcar magazine there is usually a profile of the owner of each car they feature. In it they specify how old that person is and how long that person has followed vip. Some simple maths show that most of them have been into vip since 18 or 19; they may even show a small pic of their last car, and its usually another vip car or some other showy type car.
Obviously they are not 'settling down' into vip, its just the form of modification that they have chosen to follow.


So why bring this up? Well, i think it explains the subtle differences between the way cars are modded here compared to there.
It seems most people in the west are all about keeping the practicality; air suspension, minimal camber to reduce tyre wear, choosing larger wheels (to keep rideheight higher). In Japan, it seems it is more about going all-out. *I believe* thats why coilovers are still the most popular choice, why 20s were not popular until recently (when tucking became popular, or radiused fenders). How many of us would consider replacing the rear seat with an amplifier rack and TVs?

Not sure if this is something that will get comments; its just a rant really. personally i am always looking for ways to go lower. I have no kids, and i doubt they would enjoy the ride in my car anyway. I never understood drifting or even the desire to go racing. I feel vip matches my personality, and i have been interested in it ever since i first saw it (finances are still my biggest drawback). I wonder how VIP will grow in the west, when all articles mentioning it here, say it is the JDM tuning "all grown up" or that the people following it are all from tuner backgrounds.

[firelizard]

I picked Vip styling theme for my car because I figured it suited its use best - everyday driving, and cruising around. I can deal with going low, as long as it can go back up in winter...that's pretty much the only criterion.

My car has to stay practical because it's a daily driver, and honestly, I think that a car that you have to sacrifice comfort in, just to say "I did it" is dumb.

I can't see myself removing a backseat from anything but a track car, or a car with a useless backseat like a Camaro - cruising with friends is way too much fun for that.

I'm creating my own Vip spinoff style to suit my car and my lifestyle, I'm not trying to grow up or anything. Some days I wish I had something to do donuts in the parking lot with.

[Yokotas13]

well, for me it was a mellowing out ordeal
i realized that it was mean of me to ask my wife and future kids to ride around in a gutten track beaten 180
or hell even my stagea was getting at that point
(and i hate driving her cars, they are small and stupid)

I needed something i couldnt modify to the point it was un daily drivable due to the performance and comfort level that i do.

So i figured id get a different type of car
A VIP car, that i always loved te looks of from the time i saw a crown athelete at the BX on base driven by an older guy.
Its a sign of stature, of class. I like building cars, and i wanted to emulate it.
Plus i needed something i can still go 200+ KPH in, and be comfortable doing it and ym wife not bitch and moan about the noise and harshness

So yea, i settled down, and decided to go with a more mature route.
My form of VIP car only matches my personality because i make it fit.

[elpresidente]

For me it's kind of a toss up. I've been following VIP for a long time now and had a good understanding of it too. I helped friends build VIP cars and kept up with everything around it. When our track was closed down I had no reason for my gutted high power sports cars and can never be satisfied without something to tinker with and since I had that prior knowledge it was only natural to start it up for myself. I've always had love for it and the whole history and background of everything surrounding it. I was selling and building VIP well before I had a VIP car of my own...it's weird I hadn't done so earlier.

[boost_me]

Well for me the love started when I was about 18 (22 in sept).....Unfortunatly I STILL have not had the graces of owning one of these awsome car's......But all in good time.......I've love the 'extreme' styled VIP, like the widebody and super deep dish rims........Every time I see a car done like that it literally send's me nuts......I love it......I have chosen VIP because I seriously think that it is stylish, classy and different........And best of all the chick's love 'pimped out ride's' with lot's of button's and comfy interior's.......Rather than that harsh enviroment you guy's put your woman through with your gutted track beast's........ ;)

[DriftGirl]

Ive been in legal trouble all year in regards to driving and my new 'potential influence' on the public...Which is the main reason why my 'DriftGirl' site isnt open R'now.


That BS should end within a few months. I'll be back in the S13, site re-opened and kickin ass! :smiley:


This gave me a bit of time away from that crowd and allowed me to learn even more about VIP. Ive been a member here @ VSC for a VERY long time, reading and asking select questions.

I dont have a family to lug around in a 4dr, so its not the 'next step' for me. I simply LOVE VIP Cars. They're just sexxxay to me!! :p

[RaCinStylez]

Ya, in Japan they have all the badass shit while we here in the states we get shafted. Over there, the parts are readily available. If they mess up their car, they can just go down the street to obtain a new part. You say they go all out with thier cars max camber, back seat systems and whatnot. Did you also notice that most of the people doing these things to their ride make a great deal of money. All of them have more than 1 car, so making a trailer queen is not that difficult. In addition, Japan is very small and almost all roads there are perfectly flat. Thats why they can roll around dumped to shit with no worries.

Basically to do what they have done in Japan you need to have the following.
-lots of money
-lots of time
-a daily driver

Also, here in the states people dont have that VIP lifestyle influence. Over there they have underground VIP meets and car clubs. You see tons of differant style VIP cars. Just one example here in Houston there is like only a handful of actual VIP platforms and on top of that none of them are made to the extent of a Japanese VIP ride. IMO, we will never get to thier level of styling. Give it 5yrs, 10yrs. Maybe when we have an influx of VIP parts, and they make a Fast and Furious Tokyo VIP. Then we will get to see some cars close to thiers, until then we wait and see as the story unfolds.

[BrianStyles]

Also, here in the states people dont have that VIP lifestyle influence. Over there they have underground VIP meets and car clubs.

everything starts somewhere, no matter what country it is. if we know what they have, and we want to try and learn about the culture, it first starts with appreciating it and wanting to make friends with others interested in the industry. I remember you stated a while back that you like to "roll solo" and that "you're doing your own thing." how would HoeBag, you, me, and others here in Houston ever even ATTEMPT to start up even something small if everyone rolls around with that mentality? networks start with friendships. everything will fall into place after that. it will just take like minds. 2 minds are better than 1. anything greater than 2 is even better. a few can make a difference bro.

[RaCinStylez]

everything starts somewhere, no matter what country it is. if we know what they have, and we want to try and learn about the culture, it first starts with appreciating it and wanting to make friends with others interested in the industry. I remember you stated a while back that you like to "roll solo." how would HoeBag, you, me, and others here in Houston ever even ATTEMPT to start up even something small if everyone rolls around with that mentality? networks start with friendships. everything will fall into place after that. it will just take like minds. 2 minds are better than 1. anything greater than 2 is even better. a few can make a difference bro.


In regards to my statement of "I ride solo". That was in the sense of a car club. I agree that 2 heads are better than one. Brainstorming, understanding VIP style/influence, and just shootin the shit is why we have this great forum of ours. Its our way of meeting/talking to other people that are into the same scene we are. Now you cant say im not into the scene or dont want to associate with other people in the scene. I have had 2 meets at my shop so far, and both have had only 2-3 people show up. I still plan to have a lot more meets, but lets get people to show up.

[BrianStyles]

In regards to my statement of "I ride solo". That was in the sense of a car club. I agree that 2 heads are better than one. Brainstorming, understanding VIP style/influence, and just shootin the shit is why we have this great forum of ours. Its our way of meeting/talking to other people that are into the same scene we are. Now you cant say im not into the scene or dont want to associate with other people in the scene. I have had 2 meets at my shop so far, and both have had only 2-3 people show up. I still plan to have a lot more meets, but lets get people to show up.

and we'll do it, no doubt. but lets go bigger man. I know you got big things in mind for your 430 which I can't wait to see happen. and HoeBag should have one of the cleanest VIPstyled SC's around soon, right? so lets bring the influence here to our city. and car clubs aren't bad. Japan seems to love it. haha.

[Yokotas13]

Ya, in Japan they have all the badass shit while we here in the states we get shafted. Over there, the parts are readily available. If they mess up their car, they can just go down the street to obtain a new part. You say they go all out with thier cars max camber, back seat systems and whatnot. Did you also notice that most of the people doing these things to their ride make a great deal of money. All of them have more than 1 car, so making a trailer queen is not that difficult. In addition, Japan is very small and almost all roads there are perfectly flat. Thats why they can roll around dumped to shit with no worries.

.
yeah
have you BEEN to japan?
you're crazy wrong.

i really wish i had a working video camera to show people what i deal with JUST on the way to work let alone everywhere else

[elpresidente]

Ya, in Japan they have all the badass shit while we here in the states we get shafted. Over there, the parts are readily available. If they mess up their car, they can just go down the street to obtain a new part. You say they go all out with thier cars max camber, back seat systems and whatnot. Did you also notice that most of the people doing these things to their ride make a great deal of money. All of them have more than 1 car, so making a trailer queen is not that difficult. In addition, Japan is very small and almost all roads there are perfectly flat. Thats why they can roll around dumped to shit with no worries.

I was going to say something but Yokotas beat me to it. Hahaha. Guys...only some roads are nice over there. The expressways are generally smooth as glass, but many of the the other roads really suck, especially as you get away from the city. So it all depends where you live. I don't understand the Japan is small thing? I mean it takes hours on a shinkansen just to go from Tokyo to Osaka...which on a map isn't too far away from one another in comparison to the length of the country land mass itself. I live in Hawaii...here it is small and our roads suck ass.

[Dominik]

Ya, in Japan they have all the badass shit while we here in the states we get shafted. Over there, the parts are readily available. If they mess up their car, they can just go down the street to obtain a new part. You say they go all out with thier cars max camber, back seat systems and whatnot. Did you also notice that most of the people doing these things to their ride make a great deal of money. All of them have more than 1 car, so making a trailer queen is not that difficult. In addition, Japan is very small and almost all roads there are perfectly flat. Thats why they can roll around dumped to shit with no worries.

Basically to do what they have done in Japan you need to have the following.
-lots of money
-lots of time
-a daily driver

Also, here in the states people dont have that VIP lifestyle influence. Over there they have underground VIP meets and car clubs. You see tons of differant style VIP cars. Just one example here in Houston there is like only a handful of actual VIP platforms and on top of that none of them are made to the extent of a Japanese VIP ride. IMO, we will never get to thier level of styling. Give it 5yrs, 10yrs. Maybe when we have an influx of VIP parts, and they make a Fast and Furious Tokyo VIP. Then we will get to see some cars close to thiers, until then we wait and see as the story unfolds.

Actually, not wanting to keep harping back on your comment, but saying that the owners of vipcars are loaded is also completely false. (NOTE: While i have been to japan a couple of times and even lived there, i have to base this on articles in magazines); Often it will show what sort of jobs their readers are doing, or talk about how they bought their ride. They are often working part time, or in manual jobs like construction, and have saved long and hard to get their cars. Some are only 18 and for various reasons they have a $50,000 loan for their car. Perhaps vip started with loaded gangsters, but right now its more of a young thing

Its true that parts are cheaper there, but most of us are growing older and should be on good money, better money than they are on. So proportionately it should be around the same.

And here is the amazing thing about the Japanese scene... These cars ARE their main cars; and they dont get towed to events, they drive. Actually what prompted this thread was an article in the last few issues of vipstyle which show how to drive your lowered vip...

In the august issue there is a 929 in there which is 4cm off the ground from the front to the back and it shows the driver doing a zig-zag in forward and reverse just to get up a 3cm step on an entrance to a driveway. If it was a trailer queen, he wouldnt even bother, because there was a fair amount of scrapage even with the multipoint turns

I just think that if we start touting vip as the 'practical' tuning style, there will be 2 effects; 1) it gets watered down and practicalized (i think i just made up a word), and 2) even with the practicalized style, many people will realize that its just not as practical as they first thought...

[Yokotas13]

hell yeah
]i saw that shit and i was like
WTF
I have to like launch into parking lots that have a steep angle, if i dont, my rear tire gets stuck in the wheel well under flex and i get stuck (true story, happened twice)

But, i dont really care about my aero, its ugly.

[BrianStyles]

I don't understand the Japan is small thing? I mean it takes hours on a shinkansen just to go from Tokyo to Osaka.

I'll tell you what's small, it's South Korea. Only "big" thing there is Seoul. I hated taking the subways to school there. Man, I swear it's the same, if not worse, than NYC's subway system.

[TransformCelsior]

hey dominik,

it would be cool if you could do a few translations for recent fetures in VIPcar or VIPstyle magazine. I know they get real in depth with their feature rides and tutorials, it would be cool if we had a "in house" translator.

but yeah, VIP style definitely strikes a strong cord with certain people. It's the ultimate automotive expression, it's very fresh and new and nothing like anyting else.

but I'll say this much, If VIP can get that many people hooked in Japan then I don't see why it won't happen in USA.

While sitting back reading one of my many vip magazines (i really should start selling or stop buying)... I noticed something which seems to differentiate the US/Western vip scene from the Japanese scene we all love.

Over here it seems alot of us are treating vip as style of modification to 'settle down with'. Vip is seen as the 'practical' form of modification, something to go and do when we get sick of the bumpiness or volume of our drift/tuner car, or because we need 4 doors for a family.

Now compare that to Japan... In Vipcar magazine there is usually a profile of the owner of each car they feature. In it they specify how old that person is and how long that person has followed vip. Some simple maths show that most of them have been into vip since 18 or 19; they may even show a small pic of their last car, and its usually another vip car or some other showy type car.
Obviously they are not 'settling down' into vip, its just the form of modification that they have chosen to follow.


So why bring this up? Well, i think it explains the subtle differences between the way cars are modded here compared to there.
It seems most people in the west are all about keeping the practicality; air suspension, minimal camber to reduce tyre wear, choosing larger wheels (to keep rideheight higher). In Japan, it seems it is more about going all-out. *I believe* thats why coilovers are still the most popular choice, why 20s were not popular until recently (when tucking became popular, or radiused fenders). How many of us would consider replacing the rear seat with an amplifier rack and TVs?

Not sure if this is something that will get comments; its just a rant really. personally i am always looking for ways to go lower. I have no kids, and i doubt they would enjoy the ride in my car anyway. I never understood drifting or even the desire to go racing. I feel vip matches my personality, and i have been interested in it ever since i first saw it (finances are still my biggest drawback). I wonder how VIP will grow in the west, when all articles mentioning it here, say it is the JDM tuning "all grown up" or that the people following it are all from tuner backgrounds.

[TransformCelsior]

what's really cool about VIP is that now JDM also exemplifies luxury.

to the general public, the term "JDM" has always been associated with "tuner", "racing", "drifting". It's always been associated with pocket rockets.,Little tiny japanese ricer (as some people would call it) cars.

but now no more. The image has totally changed and a new segment in aftermarket auto accessories is born.

You have the hotrodders, and you have the lowriders, and "JDM" could never really fit in. But now it's different. Now you have VIP cars.

[DEE]

Ya, in Japan they have all the badass shit while we here in the states we get shafted. Over there, the parts are readily available. If they mess up their car, they can just go down the street to obtain a new part. You say they go all out with thier cars max camber, back seat systems and whatnot. Did you also notice that most of the people doing these things to their ride make a great deal of money. All of them have more than 1 car, so making a trailer queen is not that difficult. In addition, Japan is very small and almost all roads there are perfectly flat. Thats why they can roll around dumped to shit with no worries.





wow......u couldn't get anymore accurate than that...... ha
you also forgot that the reason that alot of cars in japan are turbocharged is so that they can outrun godzilla.

[Dominik]

hey dominik,

it would be cool if you could do a few translations for recent fetures in VIPcar or VIPstyle magazine. I know they get real in depth with their feature rides and tutorials, it would be cool if we had a "in house" translator.

but yeah, VIP style definitely strikes a strong cord with certain people. It's the ultimate automotive expression, it's very fresh and new and nothing like anyting else.

but I'll say this much, If VIP can get that many people hooked in Japan then I don't see why it won't happen in USA.

To be honest, my reading is at 60-70%. I know what they are going on about, and i can generally understand it, but i know that I might make some small mistakes here and there. I know if i started posting up my translations there would be others that would get nit-picky and pull my translations to pieces.

There are others who are much stronger in Japanese than me. I believe BippU is half Japanese and has lived there for most of his life.


As for getting people hooked i am not sure. I feel vipstyle belongs in a category with those crazy showcars where the aim was to see who could have the craziest car, regardless of how silly it was (TVs in the wheel arches, anyone?). They are the type of people who understand that its all about the look; forget practicality. But do those people still exist? All i hear about now is drift and track racers

[Kohinoor]

i like to think of vip cars as all out show cars. pretty much the same thing done here but with different rides. i was pulled into vip 4+yrs ago by looking at bosozoku cars.. i loved everything about them.. call me a ric0r but i <3 giant exhausts. just the craziness and the flare attracted me.

i feel that western vip is a lot more mild. you have people who are much more conservative because they are still very new to all of it. its like hondas in the early 90s.. you didnt see many mods on them. then more and more aftermarket parts became available and you see this huge boom of wild kits, and parts. around 2000 was when youd see just craziness in peoples cars.

i think vip will be exactly like that in the usa for the next 5-10yrs. you will see more and more aftermarket support here in the usa, and then you will see peoples ideas start to flourish with their cars. they will be less conservative and start to push the limit like they previously did with their hondas. the fact that these cars will be much much cheaper in 5-10yrs will probably help too :p

well, thats my theory anyway.

[widebody_Q]

I started with a domestic and I still have it. Its a Pontiac Grand Prix gtp. Its supercharged from the factory and I added some power to it but I never used to push it. I would just roll in it. Mainly because my fiberglass kit was low to the ground. I was extreme with that car with the mods I did like custom retrofit projectors, $1500 porchse cyanne exhaust tips, custom body kit, shaved tail lights. The GTP guys though I was nuts. Then I discovered VIP and loved it. I then got the F50 and I still have a long way to go before I finish.

[elpresidente]

i was pulled into vip 4+yrs ago by looking at YANKEE cars.. i loved everything about them.. call me a ric0r but i <3 giant exhausts. just the craziness and the flare attracted me.

fixed for you...

[Oyabun]

I've always loved Luxury cars! ( my mom says I'm like my uncle!!LOL) I have my Muscle cars ( 70' Buick GS, my grandmothers car) 86' Camaro. But I've loved the Yakuza and Bosozoku Styled cars from Japan since I was a little kid!! ( Black on Black cars are awsomely Sinister) Since then I've been stuck on VIPStyled cars!! I had a 89 Sentia (VIP Styled) back in the early 90's. But then work pretty much took over and I sold it and drove my other cars forgetting about the VIP Style. Back in July of 06' my aunt pastaway from cancer and my cousin's didn't know what to do with her car! Then they asked me if I wanted it and I said yes. One day I went to my storage unit to put some stuff in it and I found some of my old VIPCAR mags. Thats when I thought about VIPStyling the car!! Since then I've been slowly adding to the car. Since the car is not a "True":rules: Platform car I guess Its VIP influenced!!