seriously, to each their own, but if this is going to turn into a rag with a bunch of vip tasslefuck baller wannabees then consider me cancelled.

i liked the pike's peak article this month though    

VIP is becoming more popular and I think it's a wise decision to cater towards the up and coming demographic. I'm fairly certain that Super Street will still be featuring mostly tuner cars, as there are already other magazines that cover the VIP scene(Luxury Exotics, etc). Just keep an open mind and try to enjoy other automotive styles. Heck, even I enjoy a good luxury/american muscle article now and again. It keeps the mind fresh, and keeps the scene interesting.  

VIP builders arent "baller wannabees" theyre actually rlly respectable, they just prefer luxury customizing...there isnt anything wrong with that  

I can't see anyone being a "baller wannabe" either. For one thing, if you can afford to immitate a baller, you're not exactly flippin' burgers at the local fast foodie.

Alot of the VIP cars today involve a HUGE investment in cash because their *** doesn't come cheap, and most of it can't be gotten through sponsors because it involves a lot fo custom work. For us Tuners, most of the products today are striaght bolt-on equipment that doesn't involve a whole lot of custom fabricating, mainly because Tuning has become mainstream now. VIP is still in it's early stages of development, and not a lot of people can afford to enter the VIP scene easily, so there aren't very many bolt-on deals where they can send in an app to a bunch of random car companies asking for freebies.  

"I can't see anyone being a "baller wannabe" either. For one thing, if you can afford to immitate a baller, you're not exactly flippin' burgers at the local fast foodie."

sometimes it seems like the people who are trying really hard to make other people think they've got money... really don't have all that much money.  seriously, how hard do you really think it is to have a job that can cover a $600 car payment and then max out a credit card on mods?  that doesn't make a guy rich  

Exactly. Those that act like they are wealthy are most likely not..

For example, back in the day it was mostly doctors, lawyers, realtors etc. that drove the luxury European cars like Mercedes and BMW, but not anymore.. Something like 70% or more of Mercedes are now currently being leased, and many of them are expensive E and S classes as well as the SUVs.

These cars used to mean a whole lot more then now.. Nowadys you have to look twice at the guy and try to decide if he has actually made it in life and got his Mercedes he always wanted, or is just neck deep in debt and too caught up in this whole "everybody deserves luxury" mindset.

Sure these cars are somewhat easier to attain now then it was then, and with heavy marketing aimed toward the middle-class it even seems normal, but trust me there are LOTS and lots of luxury cars out there that people shouldn't really own because they can't afford..

The average household income has not risen since the 60's or so.. It has actually fallen.... (when adjusted for inflation, current housing costs, current education costs etc) So where do all these "baller" people nowadays have the money for their cars?? NOWHERE.. Many people made significant capital gains via an increase in housing equity here in California, but unless they moved and bought a house in Texas for 1/3 of the price, they have no real money to spend on cars.. Those that have all their equity taken out and put in cars and other "bad investments" with a zero-down home loan are now feeling the squeeze everytime their montly payment goes up a little and their home price drops. Cant be fun...

--------

NOW, when it comes to tuner cars however, I feel the story is a little different... Actually it's a whole lot different...

Most tuners regardless if they are into racing or VIP cruising are just enthusiasts that happen to have a very expensive hobby... The VIP scene obviously involves acting "baller" in your "baller" car, but I think these guys are much like other car enthusiasts and are just spending money on their car because its their hobby and they love it.. No wonder they say its "either the car, or the girl", because they are both expensive... (The car tends to be much more expensive if you are a dedicated tuner I feel haha)