Car Culture Glossary: 60 Terms Every Enthusiast Should Know

Car culture has its own language. Here are 60 terms, explained simply, with links to deeper guides.

Styles and culture

• JDM: Japanese Domestic Market; also a style. See JDM style.
• OEM / OEM+: factory parts / factory-looking upgrades. See OEM+.
• Stance: a style focused on ride height and fitment. See stance cars.
• VIP (bippu): Japanese luxury-sedan style.
• Bosozoku: Japanese rebel style with tall exhausts.
• Kaido racer: 1970s Japanese touring-car-inspired style.
• Restomod: classic looks, modern mechanicals.
• Pro-touring: classic muscle with modern handling.
• Sleeper: looks ordinary, isn't.
• Drift missile: cheap, scarred drift car.
• Time attack: racing against the clock.
• Euro style: clean, low European tuning look.
• Itasha: anime-art wrapped car.
• Safari build: raised sports car with off-road tires.
• Cars & coffee: casual morning car meet.

Wheels and suspension

• Offset (ET): wheel position relative to hub. See wheel offset.
• PCD / bolt pattern: e.g. 5×112.
• Center bore / hub rings.
• Flush / poke / tuck: wheel position vs fender.
• Camber: wheel tilt, top in or out.
• Stretch: narrow tire on a wide wheel.
• Deep dish: wheels with a deep outer lip.
• Flow-formed / forged: wheel construction types.
• Coilovers: adjustable spring-shock units.
• Bagged: on air suspension.
• Slammed: very low.
• Rake: rear higher than front.
• Fitment: how wheels sit in the arches.

Body and aero

• Lip / splitter: front aero extension.
• Canards: small front fins.
• Side skirts.
• Diffuser: rear underbody fins.
• Ducktail: upswept trunk spoiler.
• GT wing / swan neck. See spoiler vs wing.
• Overfenders / flares.
• Widebody. See widebody cars.
• Shaved: smoothed, with items removed.
• Debadged.
• Hood pins.
• Bash bar.

Paint, wrap and detailing

• Cast vs calendered film.
• Gloss / satin / matte. See finishes.
• Color-shift / chameleon.
• Chrome delete.
• PPF: paint protection film.
• Ceramic coating.
• Knifeless tape.
• Paint correction.
• Two-bucket wash.
• Clay bar.
• VLT: tint darkness percentage.

Identification

• Chassis / generation code: e.g. E46. See generation codes.
• Facelift / LCI.
• Pre-facelift.
• Badge engineering.
• VIN.
• RHD / LHD: right-/left-hand drive.

Use the terms, see the results

Use these terms in CarForge's Describe Your Idea box for more accurate renders; see 50 AI car design prompts.

Frequently asked questions

What does OEM mean in cars?

Original Equipment Manufacturer: parts made by or for the car's maker.

What does "slammed" mean?

Lowered very close to the ground.

What is a sleeper car?

A car that looks ordinary but has much more performance than expected.

What does fitment mean?

How wheels and tires sit relative to the fenders: flush, poke or tuck.