Very recently, I blogged a post on the dilemma that I was in about modifying my car given the high COE prices these days. Well, one post leads to another, and I was inspired to blog another post on car modifications - this time to express my opinions on our local modifications culture and scene.

Car enthusiasts will surely agree with me that LTA has laid down rather draconian rules on the issue of car modifications. Whether these are warranted will rightly be the topic of a subsequent post but I would like to commend local modification enthusiasts for they have often ingeniously worked their way around these rules to modify and customize their beloved rides.

Despite the strict regulation, I personally find that our local mod scene has not has its creativity stifled. While perhaps lagging behind the Japanese and the Europeans, our local enthusiasts have often managed to churn out gems of modified vehicles that could hold their own in our region. Well, let's not discuss the "disasters" for I believe that every country has its fair share of people with strange and acquired tastes or a limited budget or both. But generally, when we find a nicely done up specimen, it is really of a standard proud enough to compete with our neighbours. This, I believe, takes plenty of effort and dedication and (in my books, at least) is highly praiseworthy in light of our harsh laws. And if legislation were loosened, I am convinced, our scene could develop even further.

And much like our national culture, which is a hodgepodge of all things from all races, our local modification scene borrows on ideas and concepts from many diverse mod cultures. Very often we see elements of JDM concepts fused onto very European automobiles. And in a nod to our high car prices, we see VIP style and ICE monsters creeping into humble machines like vans or lorries. And, no car, is too small or too humble to be dressed up. And being an open nation, we often have ideas flowing in from all corners to a relatively receptive audience. With all this, our modification scene is strangely vibrant and colorful despite our small size and car population.

All in all, I am hopeful for the continued development and progress of our local car modification scene. With the completion of the Changi track and car storage facilities, more might find it viable to purchase a non-road legal vehicle solely for track or showcase purposes. With that, we could jolly well find ourselves in a car modification renaissance of sorts. And I can hardly wait.