Rice burner

The term rice burner or rice car can mean different things, based on the context of its use:

Uses

• Most of the time it refers to automobiles (usually low-cost factory standard) that have the appearance of a customized / high performance car, but possibly with little or no functional modifications, such as improved engine, suspension or brakes. This is the most common use of the phrase and is the one the rest of this article deals with.

• Some people will call ANY Asian made vehicle a "rice car", frequently derogating it in favor of locally produced vehicles.

• There is also some confusion with the term "rice rocket" meaning a fast car, sports car, or sport motorcycle from Japan.

Origin

The "rice" refers to the fact that many of these modified cars are of Japanese origin and owners or drivers are often (but not necessarily) Asian. Drivers of rice burners are known as "ricers" or "rice boys". While some people claim "ricer" is an ethnic slur, this is not necessarily true. (A possible exception is if used in the second manner listed above). The term originated as a result of the heavy use of rice in East Asian cuisine and muscle car enthusiasts' jokes that cars from Japan used engines powered by rice alcohol. Hence the term "rice burner." The climate of the East Asian region provides optimal growing conditions for rice. It is because of this that rice has historically been a staple food source in Japan and other Asian countries. Coupled with the popularization of Americanized Chinese food which has globalized East Asian dishes and culture, this word has associated itself with a racial group in the same way pasta is associated with Italian]]s, i.e. using the term pasta rockets to describe Italian made sports cars such as the Ferrari or the Lamborghini.

Characteristics

"Ricing" (a term usually not used by the modifier himself) a vehicle is meant to emulate the work of independent automotive tuning companies who modify more than just appearance and give an appearance of greater ability then the car actually has. Ricing is generally looked down upon amongst people who actually modify the running parts of the vehicle itself, for example engine tuning.

Common aftermarket modifications, or rice, can include:

• Body modifications
  • aerodynamic-looking body kits
  • wings and spoilers
  • carbon fiber hoods (sometimes fiberglass knockoffs made to look like carbon fiber)
  • excessively large rims (for example chromed, or "dubs")
  • lowered suspension
• Aesthetics
  • bright paint or interior, frequently in contrasting colors
  • decals and stickers
    • for non-existent aftermarket parts
    • with the name of the car's model in a fancy or funky font usually covering the upper rear window
  • badging from other higher performance vehicles (Honda's "Type-R" and Nissan's "GTR" being the most common)
  • tinted windows (If not professionally tinted, the use of cheap tint cellophane often traps air bubbles yielding aesthetically unpleasing results.)
• a loud, free-flowing exhaust system with a large cylindrical resonator at the rear of the car (often referred to as a "fart can", "coffee can exhaust" or "bee fart exhaust") meant to add extra power (though most small displacement engines can hardly benefit from it).
• Lighting
  • neon and LED lighting.
  • Super blue or super bright Xenon headlamps (although Xenon headlights are now gaining in popularity on many new cars).
  • Euro-style taillights (also known as "altezza" style lights or "altezzas")

Some businesses such as PepBoys are even catering to the ricer market by offering large assortments of ricer styled products.

Within these modifications there are different ranks based on the amount of money the person is willing to spend, or if they are involved in theft or gangs. The picture at the top of this article is a lower-end example.

Not all automobiles displaying these traits are rice burners, nor are all merely cosmetic. A tremendous aftermarket industry has sprung up around engine and drivetrain modifications.

Sometimes modifications can cross from manufacturer to manufacturer when the particular vehicle does not have what they want; such as an Impreza WRX sporting a VTEC sticker, or a Honda Civic with a TRD (Toyota Racing Development) badge.