Question of the Night: What's the next absurd aftermarket automotive trend/subculture?

"boxrocket" (boxrocket) 09/08/2015 at 23:19 • Filed to: question of the Night, qotn, trends, culture, car culture

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We’re all too familiar with unusual - if not dangerous - automotive trends and cultures, like “stancing”, “rolling coal”, “donks”, plasti-dipping, “Tron”LED strips, etc.

What will the aftermarket cater to next?

We’ve already started seeing factory-lifted regular cars and hatchbacks - not disguised as crossovers - like the Subaru XV Crosstrek, and Volvo S60 and V60 Cross Country models (not to be confused with the XC60). but with factory-sized wheels rather than the insanely-large “donk” trend.

So while the crossover trend continues to expand through the mainstream, maybe we’ll see folks doing self-done lifts on cars and hatches, instead of the typical truck and SUV lift. Some stick-on matte-black fender flares to give it the tougher look, maybe knobbier SUV tires instead of passenger car tires. Perhaps even brush guards and makeshift push-bars complete with fog lights and a winch to add to it. Side steps might be a bit much, but I also thought “stancing” wouldn’t last. Taller, softer shocks, mud flaps, all the typical truck accessories modified for car use.

How about you, Oppo? What craziness comes next?

philsphan09 > boxrocket 09/08/2015 at 23:22

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Miatas.

captain_spleen > boxrocket 09/08/2015 at 23:23

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Fleshlighting

scoob > boxrocket 09/08/2015 at 23:23

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Autonomous cars

boxrocket > philsphan09 09/08/2015 at 23:24

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They've been around for 26 years. Much more than a trend, but definitely an existing culture.

TheHondaBro > boxrocket 09/08/2015 at 23:25

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Hmm, I don’t know, how about turning our beloved sports cars into crossovers?

*VIOLENTLY CLEARS THROAT*

philsphan09 > boxrocket 09/08/2015 at 23:25

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Sigh...I wish they were just a trend...Can’t stand them!

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > boxrocket 09/08/2015 at 23:25

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Crossover pickups, extreme positive camber, and extremely tuned family sedans.

philsphan09 > boxrocket 09/08/2015 at 23:27

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I think the trend is still CUVs / Small SUVs. Audi Q3/5 to the CX 5 Mazda. They are practical, get great MPGs and are getting very stylish.

and 100 more > boxrocket 09/08/2015 at 23:27

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Positive camber.

Enginerrrrrrrrr > boxrocket 09/08/2015 at 23:29

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I say this would be an excellent trend. Sounds good to me.

Also my favorite lift:

edit: more awesome lifts

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > boxrocket 09/08/2015 at 23:30

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Based on what you’re saying, you’re thinking about doing things like the Golf Country?

Wobbles the Mind > boxrocket 09/08/2015 at 23:30

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Honestly the only new thing I’m noticing is that people are blacking out their roofs. Kind of the way panoramic sunroofs look, but just straight up black. I don’t mind the trend even with moonroofs.

TheHondaBro > scoob 09/08/2015 at 23:31

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wafflesnfalafel > boxrocket 09/08/2015 at 23:31

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the new “floating roof” styling

boxrocket > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 09/08/2015 at 23:32

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Along those lines, but consumers doing them rather than the factory. Not something I'd ever do personally.

El Rivinado > boxrocket 09/08/2015 at 23:33

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Maybe the return of the factory made Brougham. I don’t know about you, but there might be people out there looking for soft luxury again after years of the whole sports sedan thing with luxury cars. Could we possibly see manufacturers going back to offering velour interiors and other stick on stuff like that?

I don’t know, but it would be pretty damn funny if you saw a Navigator with a carriage roof or a Lexus with wire-wheel covers. Hell Lexus could bring back the brougham, their customers are sure as hell old enough to remember the heydays.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > boxrocket 09/08/2015 at 23:34

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Right. But it’s sorta the look you’re talking about. I kinda like the idea of an offroad little car. The Golf Caddy should have been 4WD.

boxrocket > philsphan09 09/08/2015 at 23:36

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Yep, as I mentioned, the crossover craze continues to inundate the mainstream. I’m looking for subcultures, the “underground”, the next big thing most folks don't hear about.

Enginerrrrrrrrr > TheHondaBro 09/08/2015 at 23:36

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Maybe it will actually be the new Juke?

Berang > boxrocket 09/08/2015 at 23:50

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Bring back spinners and blue headlights.

boxrocket > El Rivinado 09/08/2015 at 23:51

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Well, the Lincoln Continental Concept had that very blue interior, so perhaps. It’s certainly prevalent in the aftermarket, but I could see it becoming more popular if high-interest production vehicles started doing it. SEMA certainly has had coverage of it in the past.

Carbon Fiber Sasquatch > boxrocket 09/08/2015 at 23:55

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Hot rod Mom-mobiles

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

= Absolute insanity

ranwhenparked > El Rivinado 09/08/2015 at 23:58

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I maintain that Broughams never died, they just became pickup trucks.

Evidence: Ram Laramie Longhorn. Considering that big trucks essentially replaced big cars after CAFE made them too difficult to sell, it isn’t a big leap. But, look at those giant chrome badges and all those ornate Western-style details on the seats, dash, and gauges, and tell me those wouldn’t fit right with the 70s brougham craze.

ranwhenparked > boxrocket 09/08/2015 at 23:59

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If current trends continue, merely owning an ordinary passenger car as opposed to a CUV might constitute membership in a small subculture. Especially when a few mainstream brands discontinue cars altogether in favor of crossovers. It hasn’t happened yet, but I’ll bet Mitsubishi takes the first step.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > boxrocket 09/09/2015 at 00:05

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BRO-STANCE!!!

It will be a truck with a suspension with 2 settings... low to the ground or sky-high. And it will have unmuffled stacks rolling coal.

The tires will be 30” wheels a 1” layer of rubber melted on... no air needed. And there will be negative camber... oh yes... lots of negative camber.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 09/09/2015 at 00:05

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“Der Bro-Golf”

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly 09/09/2015 at 00:09

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Nah. Wheels aren’t flat black with chrome hardware bro enough.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 09/09/2015 at 00:09

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Easily rectified...

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Enginerrrrrrrrr 09/09/2015 at 00:11

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That Volvo... I like it!

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly 09/09/2015 at 00:15

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No.

smobgirl > boxrocket 09/09/2015 at 00:17

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I was nearly run over by a lifted minivan the other day. Is that a thing now?

Vi517, JDX Racing > boxrocket 09/09/2015 at 00:22

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Small(er), crossover based trucks. Similar to the Subaru Baja like you pictured above. People want crossovers but they also want trucks, so why not both? Case in point, the Hyundai Santa Cruz.

Less cargo space than a crossover and a smaller bed than a truck, perfect for the average consumer! We will probably see hybrid/electric versions combined with autonomous features, clearly the trend of the future.

Elon Musk said that he wants to do a truck as well, and I’m guessing it will be based on the Model X. It won’t be a true truck in the same way the X is not a true SUV.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 09/09/2015 at 00:28

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Oh yesssss.... we take some of this:

And add some of this:

BUAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly 09/09/2015 at 00:32

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The red Golf on steelies looks good though.

Amoore100 > Carbon Fiber Sasquatch 09/09/2015 at 01:23

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Ahem...

Tapas > boxrocket 09/09/2015 at 14:14

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Wrapping cars.

Next, people will buy hatchbacks and lift them so it seems as if they are driving more expensive cross overs. I’m convinced they will do this even though, the cost of lifting + cost of car would equal to the cost of a cross over - because the way cross overs are selling, some people must love them dearly.

Carbon Fiber Sasquatch > Amoore100 09/09/2015 at 22:00

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Yep and

here they come!

Amoore100 > Carbon Fiber Sasquatch 09/10/2015 at 00:17

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There are enough of them that Motor Trend has already done a comparison test of them...

Audi SQ5 vs Mercedes GLA AMG vs Porsche Macan Turbo vs BMW X4

To me the Mercedes is still just an A class that’s been made even less useful...same for the X4 compared to the X3...

Carbon Fiber Sasquatch > Amoore100 09/10/2015 at 00:47

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I’m expecting this to expand to almost all brands. I’m talking Escape RS, Trax SS, BMW X1M, RSQ3, think smallest CUV plus biggest engine.

And then it’s all hunky dory until someone throws a new Viper engine in the back of a Buick Encore lol

Amoore100 > Carbon Fiber Sasquatch 09/10/2015 at 00:57

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Wrong brand. It’ll be a Viper engine in a Jeep Renegade.

Carbon Fiber Sasquatch > Amoore100 09/10/2015 at 01:06

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Oh I know that one is FCA and the other is GM. The Buick Viper will be made by Hennessey lol

Although I like the idea of Renegade Viper

Tohru > boxrocket 09/10/2015 at 01:12

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cellphone mount in the middle of the steering wheel.

Ed, for the old good times > boxrocket 09/13/2015 at 07:35

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