Social media has greatly contributed to the popularity of the automotive industry through its combination of unique videography clips paired with easily recognizable music.
Although cars were designed with the intention to move people from point A to point B, they have gone on to become a display of creativity and self expression within the car community.
“Cars are one of the biggest sources of freedom for young kids,” said automotive fan Gavin Masak ‘26. “It’s something they can experiment with and make their own. I think some people decide to spend lots of money [customizing their cars] because it gives them a sense of success. Cars are fun, and you really can do a lot with them. Cars are a great way to hangout with friends or meet new people.”
Car modifications can range from simply putting a wrap on your car, to changing the car’s shape by using a body kit. Some common modifications are the addition of alloy wheels, neon lights, carbon fiber detailing and spoilers. An example of a more complicated modification would be the weight reduction of the automobile. This modification provides an overall better handling of the vehicle and improves performance by reducing the car’s inertia, granting the car the ability to speedup and slow down rapidly.
“My first car is the one I would say I really customized,” said local car photographer Keenan Indra ‘25. “I gutted the interior for some weight reduction. Other than that, I didn’t change anything big but rather lots of little things that I wanted.”
Videos of street takeovers and races have recently gone viral on the internet. These videos glamorize increasingly dangerous driving by pairing high quality video footage with trendy music, when in reality they are incredibly dangerous. Despite California Highway Patrol efforts to monitor and shut these events down quickly, spectators often still end up creating a degrading image of the car community.
“I hate [takeovers],” said Indra. “Personally I think it ruins everything for everyone, and people seem to think you are crazy if you mention you like cars because of the image [takeovers] have created. Nowadays, there are a lot of new laws being put in place like with [State reffed], you have to bring your car back to stock and pay fines. In addition to this, if you dont allow the police to search your vehicle, it will get towed. I think they are getting a lot more strict with laws like this because of street takeovers.”
Many agree that these takeovers create a bad image of the community as a whole. All around the world one may find organized car meets and shows. It’s events like these that bring people together with true appreciation and respect for the invention of such spectacular cars.
“It’s kinda like music: cars just bring all types of people together,” said Masak. “Everybody who is at those meets shares something with you, a real passion for cars. What initially got me into cars was my stepdad’s C–5 and C–6 corvettes. Ever since I saw them I have loved them. Car meets are a great way to make friends and immediately be around people that share the same passion as you; it really is a lively community.”
Whether one grew up watching motorsports or fell in love with cars through simply driving, there seems to be a perfect fit for every type of car lover.
“There’s a lot of different subgenres within the community,” said Indra. “I would say the [Japanese domestic market] and night scene people typically like holding events at night. It’s more of an industrial and city vibe while, on the other hand you have older people with their exotics and classic cars who partake in things like cars and coffee. There’s so many different events, some where everyone can show up, [like] night meets, and then there are also more organized, wealthy and put together meets.”
As beautifully crafted as these cars are, it’s important to remember to follow all state laws regarding modifications and driver safety.
“Just because you drive a car that has hundreds of hundreds of horsepower, that doesn’t mean you have to drive hundreds of miles per hour,” said local CHP Officer Espinoza. “Drive whatever you want, whatever you feel proud of driving, but just drive safe no matter what. We (CHP officers) say ‘drive to arrive’ when we are driving. When talking to a young driver, they don’t have a lot of experience behind the wheel, and a lot of them just have these really fast cars, I don’t think they realize what could happen if something goes wrong.”
