I’m a petrolhead – six trends loved by drivers which make your motor look tacky

MODIFYING your car has become more popular than ever – but drivers are being warned of six trends which make your motor look tacky.

There has been a rapid increase in the sales of parts to make vehicles faster and flashier in the UK.

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Car modifications allow motorists to alter the appearance and performance of their vehicles.

Brits can upgrade their cars with exterior accessories, light lens tints, custom hood ornaments and other cosmetic improvements.

Drivers can also better the performance of their vehicles by modifying their brakes, engine, exhausts, suspension, steering and filtration.

But there are big no no’s when it comes to some particular modifications.

FAKE PERFORMANCE BADGES

We’ve all seen them – putting an R badge on a TDI Golf or RS on an A4 TDI.

Mercedes-Benz has the AMG division and Audi has the RS division.

The act of adding a badge to a car that was not present when it left the factory is commonly referred to as fake badging.

Drivers attempt to dupe the onlooker into believing their car is faster and more expensive than it actually is.

SPINNING WHEELS

Spinning wheels have rim essays that continue to perform a rotary motion even when the wheel is stationary.

The optical effect is banned in Germany as it may irritate or endanger other road users.

STICK-ON BITS

So many cars have fake vents and hood scoops now and everyone thinks they are terrible.

Hood scoops channel air into the engine compartment, to either an intercooler for the turbo or the air-intake system itself.

But cheap imitations are available on the market.

A-PILLAR GAUGES

When some motor heads modify their cars with ridiculous row of gauges mounted up on the car’s A-pillar – it’s overkill.

You don’t need an exhaust gas temperature gauge, a fuel pressure gauge or an air-fuel ratio meter.

SCISSOR DOORS

Scissor doors (or LSD doors) are a impressive kind of door that rotates vertically and slightly forward on a front hinge, similar to how scissors open.

You might also hear these referred to as “lambo doors” as the door style can often be found on Lamborghini models.

FAKE ENGINE SOUNDS

Everyone loves the sound of a Ferrari or Mustang, but some gearheads use mods to generate fake engine noise.