Global Aftermarket Auto Industry Booming

By Feann Torr - 02/6/2005

Have you ever rolled up to the traffic lights, looked to your right and seen someone driving the exact same car as yours?

It certainly happens, especially to owners of popular car makes, and for drivers who consider their vehicles an extension of their own style, or just don't want to be seen as a 'follower', this just won't do.

At the same token, the amount of cars I see on the road today - particularly in inner Melbourne and Sydney - that have been modified are steadily increasing.

From an innocuous muffler upgrade to fancy wheels, a bonnet scoop, bigger brakes and even the full monty - bodykit, custom head and brake lights, full engine tune, glossy interior - more and more modern cars are getting the custom treatment.

Though cars are primarily a useful mode of transport, they're increasingly being seen as trendy extensions of their owners' personalities.

While car tuners of older models have been doing this for aeons, tuning their Torana SLR 5000s, HQ Monaros and Ford Falcon XC Cobras to attain quicker quarter mile numbers, new car buyers seem to be more and more opting for aftermarket upgrades, items that give their cars more personality, individuality and often more performance.

Taking the idea of car customisation to the extreme, the sporadically eccentric Swiss tuning and styling house Rinspeed is now offering owners of the new 997-series Porsche 911 Carrera the chance to open their doors vertically, instead of the standard horizontal hinging doors.

Rinspeed is quick to acknowledge the importance of the Porsche brand to its own operation over the years. "The eighties saw great success with the R29 models based on the Porsche 928, the R69 based on the Porsche Turbo 1 and the Rinspeed Porsche Speedster based on the first Speedster model," states Rinspeed.

"These models quickly became the epitome of exciting sports car design with unique styling and quality," the Swiss company says.

As you can see from the photography, the team behind the bizarre Porsche Chopster has created a whole range of accessories for the new Porsche, number one on the list, the wing doors.

In addition to these eye-catching (and costly) doors, sure to make your Lamboghini-owning brethren green with envy, Rinspeed has created a whole range of new accessories for the new 2005 model 911 Porsche Carrera models.

Wheels in various sizes are offered (18 and 19-inch predominantly), as are full suspension kits that can drop the ride height of the cars significantly, while increasing steering response and grip.

You can also individualise the look of your Porker by using a number of the European company's aero upgrades. In addition to (allegedly) improving the aerodynamic effect of the car, they also help to create a different look, from front carbon fibre lip spoilers to side skirts and rear wings.

Rinspeed also offers its own exhaust systems that increase power output and add another visual difference to the rear of the car, with fancy looking exhaust outlets. It can also customise the interior of the cars, adding leather upholstery and back-lit scuff plates, Rinspeed-issue throttle/brake/clutch pedals and gear shifters.

Though not quite as wild as the Chopster, and far less futuristic than the advanced Senso, Rinspeed's latest crop of upgrades and custom parts for the new 2005 Porsche are nonetheless pleasing to the eye, particularly those exotic wing doors.

And just like far more common cars here in Australia, such as the Mitsubishi Lancer, Ford Falcon and Honda Accord Euro, owners of high end cars are similarly looking for ways to make their rides stand out from the crowd and perform differently, whether it be with simple decals, a new paint job or exhaust system modifications.

The automotive aftermarket and 'tuning' industries are today worth billions of dollars annually, particularly in places like North America and Europe, and as more and more money is sunk into car customisation, we are beginning to see the car manufacturers themselves trying to beat the aftermarket companies at their own game. Where there's demand, there will be supply. Take Mercedes-owned 'smart' for example. It offers interchangeable coloured and patterned plastic exterior panels for some of its vehicles, and take one look at companies like FPV and HSV in Australia for more evidence of the desirability of a higher-spec, modified vehicle.

As the 'tuning' scene builds momentum right across the globe, with Auto Salons and 'show and shine' competitions becoming ever more popular, we could even see the day when no one car is similar. Imagine that - pulling up to the traffic lights and never ever seeing the same car lined up next to you. Now there's food for thought.