pimp my ride

Format

The show picks young car owners (requirements limit participants to ages 18-24) living in the Los Angeles/Southern California area. An episode of Pimp My Ride generally begins with the participant showing his or her car off, and convincing MTV why it needs to be "pimped". After this segment, rapper Xzibit shows up at the participant's house, takes a look at the car himself, makes wisecracks about the particular things that are wrong with it, and promises the owner a complete makeover of the vehicle.

After examining the car, Xzibit takes the cars to a custom body shop (West Coast Customs (WCC) was the shop for Seasons 1-4; replaced by Galpin Auto Sports (GAS) in Season 5), where the shop team generally replaces most of the components and rebuilds the interior and exterior from scratch.

Each car is a custom "pimp", tailored to the personalities and interests of the owners. For example, a Need for Speed: Underground 2 fan had his car painted to look like one he customized in the game, while a bowler had a ball washer installed in his trunk, and a surfer got a full-size dryer (or at least one that fit) in the back of his Volkswagen van. Work usually includes new paint, accessories, chrome, tires and rims, and internal electronics (even, and especially, DVD players, video games, TFT screens of excessive size and other top notch gadgets). Most changes are only cosmetic, and mechanical work is generally only done to enable the car to run. However, the show has replaced entire engines with new high performance motors. Customization and extra gifts usually total around US$20,000 (though the show usually doesn't put much emphasis on costs). However, WCC is well-known for putting their own whimsical touches in their work, such as the aforementioned dryer, or an electric fireplace in the trunk of another vehicle.

At the end of the show, the car is revealed to its owner, as well as all the details of the renovation and the custom features; in addition, the participant is usually given a gift somehow related to the car or the owner's hobby.

Notes

Seasons 1-4

On only two occasions did WCC not "pimp" the automobile. In the first instance (the last episode of Year 1), the car-to-be-pimped was actually two halves of Ford Escorts welded together to make one car, a 'cut and shut', and was considered unsafe. In the second instance (Episode 8 of Year 2) the "Pimpee" was studying to be an auto mechanic, and WCC decided to let him "pimp" his car as a study project. In both instances, the "Pimpees" were given brand new cars, with extensive WCC modifications to customize the new car for the owner.

Much of the appeal of the show comes from the personalities involved. The WCC employees are an eclectic mix of outgoing personalities, such as:

• owner Ryan (who was preceded by the good-natured manager Q),
• the appropriately named Big Dane,
• electronics (and outrageous engineering) expert Mad Mike,[1]
• tough-looking interior and fabric maven Ish,
• the heavily pierced tire-specialist Alex, and
• paint and body expert Buck.

Both host Xzibit and West Coast Customs have experienced boosts in business due to the show: Xzibit has gained wider attention for his music career (as well as hosting and movie gigs), and WCC had to expand their facilities, due to the international exposure Pimp My Ride gave their work. After the second season however, WCC manager "Q" announced that he would not be willing to take a role in the show anymore. He cited a desire to expand the company's business with a customs shop in St. Louis, Missouri. Ryan Friedlinghaus, the owner of WCC, has been featured in season 3 as the "lead" for discussions on what customizing will be done on the incoming cars.

Some of the show's pimped rides have found their way onto eBay, including, but not limited to, the Chevrolet Caprice from season 3. It was auctioned off as a 1996 Chevrolet Impala from Pimp My Ride. [2]

Season 5

Beginning with the fifth season, the show moved to another garage, Galpin Auto Sports (GAS)[3], as Ryan, the WCC Owner has moved his shop to Corona, CA and has signed a deal with another television production company. However, the show retains Mad Mike [4], now dubbed a "car customization specialist". The new cast includes the employees of GAS:

• Owner Beau
• Electronics Expert And "The Wizard of Wiring" Mad Mike,
• The Wheels & Tires Specialist Gyasi,
• Paint & Body Luis,
• Accessories specialist Diggity Dave,
• Interiors Rick.
• Fabricator The Cabe.

Pimp My Ride worldwide

Pimp My Ride is one of MTV's most popular shows in nearly all of its worldwide subsidiaries (numbering nearly 100), and also in the U.S., where it is second place to The Real World (which is generally much less known outside of the United States). Country Music Television, also owned by MTV parent Viacom, has a show called Trick My Truck that operates on the same principle, but only customizes semi-trailer trucks.

Canada's music network, MuchMusic, also aired the show until MTV Networks signed a deal with CTV, which resulted in MuchMusic losing their rights to MTV programs. MuchMusic's sister station in Quebec, MusiquePlus, airs the show subtitled in French under the title Pimp mon char ("char" is Quebec French for "car).

A UK version of the show launched on 26 June 2005, presented by the DJ Tim Westwood. Carisma Automotive are the customisers for the UK version.

The German-language MTV Central Europe has two adaptions of the show called Pimp My Fahrrad (English: "Pimp My Bicycle") and Pimp My Whatever. On Pimp My Fahrrad [5], the bike shop Elbcoast Psycles redoes almost the entire bicycle, usually leaving only the frame intact. While the show could be seen as a parody of the American original, it is also a loving tribute, using all the elements of the American show with a bicycle twist. It is hosted by German actor Oliver Korittke. In Pimp My Whatever [6] ElbCoast Psychos return once more to pimp anything from a bathroom and a doghouse to a Birthday Party or even someone's brother. Pimp My Whatever is hosted by MTV presenter Patrice Bouédibéla. Both shows are located in Hamburg.
The original US Pimp My Ride is shown in English language with German subtitles.

MTV Italy also features a different version of Pimp My Ride, called Pimp My Wheels. Hosted by the Italian hip hop group Gemelli DiVersi, Pimp My Wheels turns old rusty motorscooters or motorcycles into brand-new shiny vehicles.

Pimp My Ride is currently broadcasting in almost all European countries with Pimp My Ride international, a European version of the show where cars are pimped from all over Europe in Holland at All Stoff.

Criticisms

An article in The Guardian has accused the show's producers of implicitly condoning the sexual exploitation of women and gay men by glamourising sexism thinly veiled as irony. The article accused the producers of buying into the misogyny surrounding gangsta rap and negating MTV's socially conscious campaigning on issues like HIV/AIDS.

Cars featured on the show

U.S. Version

Season 1

1. Wyatt's Daihatsu Hi-Jet (1988)
   • $20,000 of goods put into the Hi-Jet, painted blue with silver/grey flames
2. Nile's Cadillac Sedan de Ville (1978)
3. Logan's Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme (1986)
4. Christina's Honda Civic (1992)
5. Antwon's Mitsubishi Mirage (1989)
6. Mary's Ford Mustang (1967)
   • The car was originally fitted with special exhaust pipes that shot out flames when the engine was ignited. However, due to concerns of the WCC owner Ryan that such devices could be illegal, they were quickly removed.
7. Jared's Ford Ranger (1985)
8. Danelle's Pontiac Trans Am (1981)
   • When the Trans Am was being pimped, some of the WCC crew made references to Smokey and the Bandit. This pimped-out vehicle had a coffee maker installed in a center console and a chandelier in place of the dome light.
9. Neil's Chevrolet LUV Truck (1974)
10. Shonda's Mustang Convertible (1989)
11. Ezra's Nissan Maxima Station Wagon (1984)
    • The Nissan was referred to as the 'identity crisis' because of the Datsun and Nissan badges.
12. Krissy's Volkswagen Baja Bug (1960)
13. Brian's Honda CRX (1987)
    • This was the first car to visually get a brand new engine, as the old engine died before Xzibit could pull it into the shop.
14. Gabriella's Toyota Land Cruiser (1972)
    • A pick-ax with a padlock came with the Land Cruiser.
15. Kerry's Ford Escort (1988/89)
    • This was two halves of two Ford Escorts welded together; therefore the car was considered too dangerous for him to continue to own. To replace this car, WCC and Xzibit procured a 2004 Scion xB and "pimped" that instead.

Season 2

1. Ron's Cadillac Eldorado (1984)
   • The wheels on it were 24 karat gold, which were worth more than the car itself. They were also somewhat disproportionate to the car, being twenty four inches in diameter.
2. Kiearah's Ford Escort (1991)
   • Turned into a replica of a BMW M3
3. Ryan's Volkswagen Bus (1958)
4. Alice's Chevrolet Suburban (1985)
5. Erin's Chevrolet S-10 Blazer (1987)
6. Josh's Acura Legend (1988)
7. Quoc-Viet's Nissan 240SX (1989)
   • Produced as a replica tie-in with the video game Need for Speed: Underground 2. Of note is that the game uses a fastback, while the pimped car was a coupe.
8. West's Ford Fairlane (1963)
   • The 19-year old owner was hoping to become a mechanic, so WCC and Xzibit decided to let him restore his car himself and procured a 2005 Toyota 4Runner to "pimp".

Season 3

1. Nate's Ford Econoline (1985)
   • Formerly a Municipal Van, turned into a Limousine for the band that the owner played for.
2. Sara's Chevrolet S10
3. Brooke's Chevrolet Cavalier Convertible (1991)
   • A digital projector was mounted on the trunk lid, which could pivot so that the projector faced forward and could turn any wall into a drive-in movie theater. A popcorn maker was also installed in the center console, and individual DVD players were also stuffed into the headrests so the rear passengers could each watch their own movie.
4. Tom's Chevrolet Caprice (1996)
   • This was a former Police car.
   • It eventually made its way to Ebay.
5. JT's Honda Civic (1988)
6. Jekara's Chevrolet Bel Air (1955)
   • Dubbed Big Bertha by the owner.
7. Vivian's Toyota Van LE (1986)
   • Was given a dog grooming area in the trunk, and a recreated 80's Arcade table-top game in the passenger cab area.
8. Eric's Mitsubishi Eclipse (1998)
   • To reflect his job as a baggage handler at the airport, the hatch area had three belts that simulated a baggage claim area. On each belt, was a Sony PSP.
   • Given a half/half paint job, where one side was one color scheme, while the other side was another color scheme.

Season 4

1. Jessica's AMC Pacer (1976)
   • The owner of the vehicle was studying to become a nutritionist. The car was fitted with a huge cloth sunroof, a rear wing with a solar panel to power the electronics, and a juicer in the trunk. The entire interior of the car was retrofitted with yellow shag carpeting, to which Xzibit humorously replied, "Who killed Big Bird?"
   • This car was infested with rat droppings; indeed, the mechanics found a live rat inside the car. Consequentially, Xzibit's gift to the car's owner was a cat.
2. Josh's Toyota Corolla (2003)
   • The car had suffered a lot of superficial body damage before it was 'pimped'. Intriguing features of this car included four LCD monitors mounted in the left and right of both front and rear bumpers.
3. Heather's Chevrolet C10 (1986)
   • This truck was "pimped" so that the entire truck bed could come out at an angle. Also, the driver's seat included a special raise/lower feature, as Heather (a very short female) had difficulty seeing out the back.
   • The truck had its brakes nearly completely gone; the show featured the truck hitting an egg (before the brakes were fixed), then rerunning the same stunt with fixed brakes, where the egg was not hit.
4. Tin's Dodge Caravan (1988)
   • Since the owner was a full-time student who often slept in his car, the van was installed with a custom fully-reclining Maybach-style seat positioned between two waterfalls.
5. Alex's Chevrolet Chevelle convertible (1968)
   • An all-new small-block Chevy V8 engine was installed in the car in order to live up to its reputation as a muscle car. Also, since the driver practiced magic, it also had its sound system concealed, only to be revealed by a secret incantation.
6. Rashae's Ford Taurus (1989)
   • This car was fitted with memory foam seats for the comfort of the driver, and since the owner had aspirations to be a Hollywood stuntwoman, the trunk was fitted with a professional stunt cushion.
   • The Taurus's front door hinges were altered to swing upward (Lamborghini style) and the rear doors opened horizantally without hinges.
7. Jake's Buick Century (1986)
   • The WCC crew removed the backseats and replaced it with the MTX JackHammer, a 22" subwoofer weighing 369 lb. A decibel meter was installed in the dash to alert the driver to keep it down. Uniquely, due to wanting a retro 50s nature for the car, this would perhaps be the only car in Pimp My Ride's history to have flat black paint, and alloys replaced with regular steel wheels, whitewalls, and hubcaps.
8. Cristi's Chevrolet Panel Van (1957)
   • The owner was of Italian descent. The WCC crew installed a copy of the Michelangelo's famous mural painting The Creation of Adam on the ceiling of the truck.

Season 5

1. Calvin's Chevrolet Malibu (1977)
   • Having stated that Calvin had seen a UFO after living in the desert, his car was painted with crop circles and featured doors that opened automatically via a remote control.
2. Erin's Volkswagen Thing (1973)
3. Monique's Mitsubishi Galant (1994)
   • The Galant was painted sky blue with a white sun on the hood. The GAS crew swapped the rear seat for a chaise lounge, featuring 4 LCD monitors and a laptop which could be pulled out.
4. Dante's Ford Econoline Ice Cream Truck (1976)
   • This was the first actual business vehicle to be pimped, which means Dante could receive a tax deduction if he gets taxed for everything put into it.
   • The GAS crew found a family of eight mice in this van when stripping it.
5. Jason's Toyota T100 (1994)
   • Having been completely stripped off all parts and stolen, only the actual frame and cabin remained. Other than a complete "pimping" of his car, Jason also received a Yamaha Raptor 660 All Terrain Vehicle which also was pimped. The GAS crew put two LCD monitors and a DVD player on the ATV.
6. Joe's Cadillac Sedan De Ville Limousine (1988)
   • Joe ate his rotten food that looks like a "4-week-old chicken fried steak", and Xzibit nearly threw up by seeing Joe eating his old chicken fried steak.
   • Xzibit was stopped by a LASD policeman while driving the car to the GAS garage.
   • Having replaced the divider with a 50 inch plasma monitor, a Pneumatic Tube system was installed so the passangers could communicate with the driver.
7. Shawna's Toyota Celica (1990)
   • Given typical ricer mods like Lambo-style doors, bodykit, outrageous paint scheme and other related modifications.
8. Tad's Land Rover Range Rover (1989)
   • Xzibit finds the graphics on the SUV and he does not know what kind of graphics are these.
9. Gerald's Chevrolet Monte Carlo (1978)
   • Gerald's Monte Carlo was given the Southern "Box" treatment. It was painted like a leopard up front and faded to Black in the rear.
10. Ellyn's Ford Contour (1996)
    • Xzibit finds a car marked with claws that Ellyn explains was attacked by a bear while she and her friends were camping.
    • The GAS crew equips with the muffler-like Salmon cannon in order to prevent a bear from attacking her car again.
11. John's Mercury Cougar (1968)
    • Car painted canary yellow base with black racing stripes. GAS also installed a 450 hp racing motor. Special feature was the 32 foot inflatable projector screen
12. Xilomen's Ford Probe (1995)
    • Car's Aztek-style paint scheme by street artist Man One; interior seats done up with Aztek pyramid designs; trunk made to hold art supplies for Xilomen's art classes
13. Tyler's Chevrolet El Camino (1965)
    • A football fan's El Camino becomes the ultimate tailgating machine. Metallic purple paint job with yellow flames. New 350 cc, 350 hp engine with birdcatcher blowers. Satellite TV with five plasma monitors, 5000 W audio amplifier, and Playstation 2. Also includes a propane grill and Wunder Bar condiment dispenser.
14. Lawanna's Volkswagen Bug (1968)
    • Car's body parts placed with the Porsche and Ferrari body kits by the GAS crew. Xzibit also gave her a plane toy that includes flight lessons in order to fly a real plane.
15. Josh's Chevy Blazer (1987)
    • The snowboarder's ride was given an RC car-style paint job, 6 subwoofers in the trunk, and a 60-inch flip-up LCD monitor in the rear.
    • Josh also received a new Burton snowboard with a 7-inch monitor built in.

Special

1. Jeep Wrangler
   • This car was "pimped" for The Tonight Show announcer John Melendez.
2. MTV Presents Xbox: The Next Generation Revealed
   • The crew pimped out the original Xbox.

UK Version - Pimp my Ride UK

Season 1 (2005)

1. Bethan's Morris Minor (1961)
   • Bethan wanted her car pimped so it could be her wedding car.
2. Asif's Volkswagen Golf (1989)
   • The Golf was made over with Lamborghini-Style doors.
3. Jay's Ford Granada Hearse (1983)
   • The Funeral car was pimped for Jay and his band to perform gigs in.
4. Armick' Fiat Panda (1987)
   • The Panda was pimped with a trailer containing skate equipment.
5. Sean' Ford Capri (1986)
   • The interior was decorated with over 1000 Swarovski crystals .
6. Bez's black cab (1986)
   • Starring also Davina McCall
   • Ironically, the car was originally a sleeper before being rebuilt.

Season 2 (2006)

1. Chris's Nissan Sunny (1988)
   • Chris won his car in a Poker game.
2. Adam's BMW 316 E30 (1989)
   • Adam obviously didn't have trouble sleeping before filming. Instead of answering the door, Westwood had to wake him up!
3. Zoë's Volkswagen Split Screen Camper (1967)
   • Zoë was actually conceived in her own campervan dubbed "The Beastie", which has been in her family for nearly 40 years.
4. Lana's Volkswagen Polo (1990)
   • Lana had been a flight attendant and was trying to earn a Private Pilot License at the time of the filming. The car was fitted with actual Boeing 747 seats.
5. Jamie's Suzuki Swift (1991)
   • Jamie was given a hand cast of his favourite actor, and of course Westwood. The car was covered in vinyl stickers in his favourite Japanese style.
6. Sheerin's Volkswagen Beetle (1969)
7. Lawrence's Ford Anglia (1959)
   • As Lawrence was a fan of 1950's culture, the car was pimped in the style of a 1950's hotrod. An American style diner was installed in the boot.
8. Hannah's Kia Pride (1991)
9. Bedford Rascal (1990)

Special (2006)

1. Madonna's white van, for the video for "Sorry"

Pop culture references

Since the show's debut, Pimp My Ride has been referred to numerous times by other television shows and comedic acts; several similar shows have aired on other networks. Other companies, including MTV itself, have spoofed the series on their own shows, acts, or television commercials. For examples of references to this show, see Pimp My Ride in popular culture.

As part of a 2006 advertising campaign, Volkswagen created a series of television commercials called Un-Pimp My Ride, starring Swedish actor Peter Stormare as an effete German engineer named, Wolfgang. The ads were created as a parody of the Pimp My Ride TV Show. The three 30-second spots became something of an internet phenomenon when popular automotive news website Leftlane News uploaded the ads to video distribution service YouTube.

Legal action

Viacom, the owner of the 'Pimp my ride' franchise, has made legal threats against a number of small business owners over the use of the words 'Pimp my...' in business names. Businesses using the names 'Pimp my pet' and 'Pimp my Snack' have been threatened with legal action for an alleged breach of a trademark owned by Viacom.

Similar programs

• Monster Garage: Also features outrageous custom engineering of vehicles, albeit within an entirely different program format.

• Overhaulin': Like Pimp My Ride, Overhaulin' features automobiles in poor condition being restored to show-quality. However, Overhaulin' places emphasis on performance enhancements, works with a set time limit (usually a week), tricks vehicle owners into parting with their cars, and is aimed for a more mature audience. Although ostensibly a competitor of Pimp My Ride, one episode featured a WCC paint job.

• Trick My Truck: CMT's equivalent to Pimp My Ride features the Chrome Shop Mafia customizing semi-trailer trucks for lucky fans.

External links

Official links

• Pimp My Ride entry in MTV.com
• Pimp My Ride (UK) website
• Official Pimp My Ride (UK) Car Close-Ups Game
• West Coast Customs website
• Galpin Auto Sports website
• Pimp My Fahrrad/Pimp My Bicycle website in MTV.de
• Xzibit - Official Site
• Carisma Automotive website
• Tim Westwood Site
• Pimp My Ride International
• Mad Mike's Site

Fansites and resources

• Pimp My Ride at the Internet Movie Database
• Official Xzibit fansite
• Pimp My Ride episode guide
• Un-pimp My Ride
• Busted Rides | Pimp My Ride Gone Bad
• www.PimpMyChurchVan.com A takeoff on the show where they pimp a youth group church van.
• Pimp My Ride Spoof
• Pimp My Google