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Following these movies were a string of street racing clips that started hitting the lower markets, yet appealed to anyone striving for more car videos. As the videos kept coming in, body kits continued to take off.

The biggest trends in body kits today are Lambo Doors, and car spoilers. 

Lambo doors are the fashionable sliding doors that are held by a bolt and turn vertically at a 90 degree angle. Lambos work best for two door cars (yet can easily be done on almost any car or truck due to hinges), enabling each passenger to step out as the doors mechanically move up. These are the doors that we introduced throughout the Fast and Furious movies, and they obviously grab a lot of looks upon stepping out of your vehicle. The doors are highly aerodynamic, and they are reminiscent of a race car or an expensive sports car.

Spoilers are the other major trend in the body kit market. When you think of race cars in NASCAR or street racing on city pavement, one of the first thoughts you are bound to have is the raised backs coming from the cars' tail-ends. These stylish attachments, better known as car spoilers, come in many shapes and sizes (depending on makes and models of the car), and they will give your car a faster look and a sleek air mover. Whether the car is used for drag racing or just driving through town, a back spoiler maintains the image of speed and fashion. A hood scoop would give your car a similar "Fast" appearance.

The body kit market, though, hasn't just been influenced by trends.  Another influencer on the body kit market is the emergence of popular Japanese cars. Cars from companies such as Toyota, Nissan, Subaru, Mazda,  and Suzuki are making some real waves in the body kit scene.

The Japanese car market has been providing many people with cars that are made out of the highest quality, sport and utility, at a pretty low cost - and increasingly, these cars can be pretty stylish! This international car market has expounded on the body kit enthusiasts even more so, as now they have a car that seems like it is made to be perfected. While many American made cars are fairly solid pieces of machinery, the majority of these foreign cars have the shape (body lines) already built in to assume a position of speed. Those involved with designing these cars had aerodynamics in mind and developed the cars to fit that profile.

If you are all about turning your car into a machine that has race car styles, then a Japanese car is probably the best place to start. Sure, you may never have the engine capabilities of a Jeff Gordon race car, but with the right body kit, you can have the look.

The front and back bumpers are the first thing you see when you look at a car. Bumpers also serve as the first encounter between the car and the passing air that is flowing over it. If you have a car that doesn’t have the most aerodynamic bumpers - you can change them. That is where the body kit materials come in. The bumpers can either be replaced completely or a "bumper cover” can be installed over your existing bumpers. It is like a skin that goes directly over your stock bumper. Obviously, bumper covers will add weight to your car (you would not notice this at all unless you are racing your vehicle and weight is an issue for you). Another choice for you would be to add a Front Air Dam or Rear Skirt to your existing factory bumpers. Once an air dam or skirt is added to your bumper and painted it gives that appearance of an entirely new bumper, and many would think that you replaced the entire bumper. Looks and performance can go together- but at a price.

The side skirts of a car are what give it the sleek appearance- or a low profile one! Depending on your car, the basic contour lines and the existing side skirts will decide what needs to be done in this category. There are many different options with companies like Wings West and Xenon Body Kits delivering some of the best on the market. A car like the Nissan Almera benefits greatly from the addition of a lower side skirt because it gives the imagery of the car being placed lower to the ground.

Hoods serve as a great opportunity to give your car a “new” look. Some hoods have hood scoops built into them and are functional. . Universal hood scoops work well (and are easy to install) on any vehicle, especially Japanese brands such as Toyota, Mazda and Mitsubishi. Usually hoods are made of fiberglass material or you could choose to add a carbon fiber hood to lighten up your vehicle.

Wings, otherwise known as car spoilers usually sit on the trunk of your car and redirects where the air flows. The car wings alone will get your vehicle the looks and an appeal of a race car. This is probably why car wings are the most popular of car accessories.  

For many, aerodynamics really factor into the body kit decision. Keeping a car aerodynamic is what most body kit enthusiasts are all about. Aerodynamics involves letting the wind fly over and around a car with the least amount of effort and in the freest way possible. The biggest factors prove to be the spoilers, hood materials and overall car shape.  While most people just buy aerodynamic material to purely make their car more pleasing to the eye, many purchase with the intent of attaining higher speeds. Some items that are popular in this area are hood scoops, roof scoops and spoilers.

Hood and roof scoops allow for the look of a total transformation with the involvement of just a couple of minutes of installation time. The scoops are usually duel (two) or single (one) and rise up to several inches off a car. In the race car world, they would be useful for cooling off an engine rearing at 200 miles per hour. On the streets, they are more for show, as most cars come equipped with suitable ways to avoid overheating. While they won’t help with most cooling systems, a hood or roof scoop will make a car more aerodynamic as it allows wind to slide easily over the car making it easier to drive faster.

Wheels give a great look to any car and add special aerodynamics to give cars a sleeker look. (If you dont have custom wheel rims yet and you still have your factory "steel wheels" you can add a set of new hubcaps for a fresh look. They attach easily and are quick fixes to unattractive wheels). There are two primary options when it comes to custom rims. A car owner can either go with simple rims or go further and add a set of spinners as well. A simple rim set will include shinier rims (usually chrome) that are bright and that add life to the whole car or truck. Spinners take that to the next level. They spin in circles against the wheel direction that will make your eyes dazzle. A car driver should definitely consider wheel rims when doing a complete body kit make over. 

These are the biggest adjustments that you could make on a car with a full body kit installation. However, there are other considerations and smaller items that can be of use.

• Pinstriping tape - put anywhere you wish, the sides, back or right over the top of the car to really give it a race car feel. Colors and graphics enhance the look.
• Hubcaps- these covers are a great idea if you are already missing one or two to begin with (many people are) or if you just want a change or possibly spinners.
• Rear window graphics - a very customizable option. You can have designs, pictures or symbols in the form of decals- just peel and stick!

There are numerous decisions that could be made to get the look desired and it is always possible to have any car looking the way you want with quality materials.

AUTOMEGA offers the widest, most popular selection of body kits on the market. The major players in the game are: Wings West, AIT Racing, 3D Carbon, Aero Function, Extreme Dimensions and Xenon. To decide which kit is best for you, check out some of the examples in action. Look at body kits out on the streets, check out the movies, and search the internet for samples of cars that peak your interest. You may find yourself liking bits and pieces of several cars and compiling a suitable match for your tastes. Below is a quick review of the most popular brands.

Wings West Body Kits and ground effects are some of the most superior in the car world. They are known specifically for their great fit on cars, and they use materials made out of urethane. Wings West has an especially great line of bumpers and bumper covers. They do, though, carry nearly any body kit part.  The company is renowned for its work on Ford Mustangs, Dodge Chargers and Honda Civics.

AIT Body Kits are a brand of body kits and ground effects that has a tendency to develop cars into aerodynamic replicas of current race cars. AIT uses your car's existing lines and makes any parts that are attached flow with your current lines. They keep the entire car looking like it was built with the body kit in mind. If you want to ensure that the aerodynamics are of highest importance, AIT Racing is a great brand to turn to.

Aero Function Body Kits are another one of the companies on the body kit market that turns out quality and efficient materials. These premium Fiberglass Body Kit beauties are made entirely for show. But they do manage to put on quite a show. They are flashy, sleek, and they give the impression of topping the speed limit by more than just that customary 5 miles per hour.Aero Function is known for their Aero Function Body Kits, the Custom Body Kits and their quality is unmatched.

Xenon delivers first class body kits to many customers in need. From accessories to full kits, Xenon has products from flares to hood refinements. Xenon Body Kits are made of urethane materials and focuses on the overall end appearance that the car is going to have. 

Making a choice in brands will probably come down to the overall style you want your car to have.

Adding performance parts to a car will raise the overall value of the car - so there will be more to maintain. You should also keep tabs on your coolant level, change your oil every 3000 miles, change your transmission fluid every 20,000 miles and check your tires often, so keeping your car in working order should be a breeze!

Keeping a car maintained and smooth is an important part of the entire body kit package.

Some dealerships want nothing to do with body kits or their accessories. Dealers on Wheels states, “We don’t build cars, sell body kits or parts.” While other companies specialize in the design of full body kits such as AUTOMEGA (www.customautotrim.com) who say they have the “the largest selection of high quality name brand body kits and ground effects including Wings West Body Kits, Kaminari Body Kits, Xenon Body Kits, Extreme Dimensions Ground Effects and Kits, all ship factory direct to you!”

There are even website forums that are dedicated to the topic of body kits and ground effects. Many forum writers post comments about their own tricked out rides and those that they have seen abroad, in movies and in person. These sites are good to pick up honest information from real people, however they can be misleading as some people could have a particular bias for no reason. The smart thing to do is to take what you hear on any website pertaining to the development of cars with a grain of salt because while there is truth in every matter, there is also fiction.

Conclusion

So whatever age you are, whatever your background in cars, fashion sense (or lack thereof!) or desires, if you want to improve the overall appearance of your car, truck or SUV, a body kit and ground effect make over is probably what you need. Whether it is a full kit or merely a single product it is possible to turn a car from ordinary to one that has the resemblance and aerodynamics of a race car.