Establishment and haters have been saying the same thing about us as they did hip hop, that this scene won't last, that it's a passing fad. Take a look at us, almost 10 years later: We have our stars, our originators, our hierarchies, poseurs, sell-outs and whores, and those who have gained fame and fortune from the industry. Life in the West Coast import scene is a sign of the future. We are already the future, because soon this way of life will be the only way of life. What we have done in the import culture is only a tiny indicator of what is coming. If you were to travel to the East Coast you would see how behind they are in styling, and those that are actually on point regularly travel west.
Yes, body culture has truly arrived. And it's not just the cars. What is a car show without half naked, gorgeous women? And there's always an import magazine and the requisite Japanese umbrella girl? This current infatuation with appearances and image is glamorous, but it may be a sign that we need to push the envelope, or risk the prospect of burning out. We may just play ourselves out of fresh ideas and groundbreaking concepts.
Body culture is form meets function. Aero kits came from the go-fast idea and from there, spread to cosmetic enhancements. Big business is still, after all these years, trying to understand the mentality of the import culture. The tastemakers and leading edge personalities, the ones in the shadows shunning the spotlight, create the trends and are eagerly awaiting for a new era of tuning to begin.
Perhaps 15 minutes of fame-as the artist Andy Warhol so presciently coined-is all people are after and maybe it will be the defining benchmark. In a sort of Quiz Show-the movie-gone awry, all of our neighbors will pat us on the back for the heroism of our "awesome body kit" or the political correctness of "those really cool HID lights." For now, it's fame and glory. Ironically, even the holy grail of Japanese-made parts, has been compromised. A lot of them are going to looks only and many of the newer brands, with mysterious sounding JDM style names, can brag no more than our cheesy U.S. counterparts whose products offer no real performance enhancements.
How can we print such blasphemous things? Well, for one thing we do it to ourselves. There are no guns to anyone's head; there are no victims. We're all volunteers. In the end, all of us that are active in the scene do this because we choose to. The climax of body culture actually signifies the changing of the guard, and may the old guard will pass gracefully, since the first generation import culture enthusiasts have clearly graduated and the writing is on the wall. We have the anti-climactic takeover of sport compact drag racing, the political polarization of the drifting scene and the stagnation of elitist 'showoff' style car shows and the conversely huge success of Hot Import Nights to show for all of it. The new generation is eagerly waiting for the next wave of super cars and, until the new wave arrives, we'll be waiting not-so-patiently. The import world will bring with it mysterious challenges and uncharted territory. Until that time, body culture and image may be all we have for the moment.