Hollywood inspired craze for modifying. But are these cars now fading out on UK roads?

THE eighth instalment of the hugely successful Fast and Furious franchise hits cinemas next month, with the high-octane action certain to be a box office hit.

When the original movie was released in 2001, it gave birth to a new breed of drivers interested in ‘modding’ cars, with extreme bodykits, tinted windows and big exhausts in fashion.

Fans were even able to create their dream motors, mirroring the F&F models, in the Need for Speed video games that proved popular at the time.

But while the appetite for the movie franchise and its ludicrous stunts appears to remain, the current generation of drivers has changed.

Figures show the more outrageous – and at times, illegal – end of the modding industry has slowed down. According to Direct Line Insurance, the number of motorists penalised for unlawfully altered exhaust systems and silencers decreased by 43 per cent between 2013 and 2015. At the same time, prohibition notices served for tinted windows fell by 68 per cent.

The reason? One is that police say having mods on your car, legal or illegal, attracts attention and means you’re more likely to be pulled over.

Another is the price. With everincreasing insurance premiums for young drivers, traditional “boy racers” can barely afford a policy, let alone racy wheels and a spoiler. Then there’s the risk of those mods hiking prices further or even invalidating policies.

Finally, it’s just not “cool” any more. A souped-up car never looks quite as good stuck in traffic on a bleak UK motorway as it does on the big screen touring exotic locations. Perhaps it’s a market best left to Hollywood after all.

“Having mods on your car attracts attention; you’re more likely to be stopped by the police”