Equipped with glamorous lighting and artistic design, Wu Rui's new Toyota Reiz car is tailored for music performance. Photos provided to China Daily

In search of adventure, women show growing interest in modified cars

When Wu Rui first rode her modified car onto the racetrack, she was overwhelmed by the wind hissing past her ears and the cheers coming from all around.

"I love the excitement as well as the challenge. Moreover, it allows me to play music whenever and wherever I like," the 29-year-old pop singer said.

Modified cars have become not only a part of Wu's lifestyle but also an inspiration for artistic expression. She recently wrote a song titled Dream based on how she transformed a Toyota Reiz car to a moving music festival.

The car was equipped with a 3-kilowatt inverter and an emergency power supply to power a sound system as well as a range of instruments, including a keyboard, an electric guitar, an electronic drum set, a loudspeaker box and a sound console.

To add a touch of flair, it has also been refitted with 20-inch wheel hubs, which work together with a D2 pneumatic suspension system to allow the vehicle to lie flat on the ground, transforming the car into a mobile VIP room.

When she performs a show, the car spreads out like an eagle. The trunk opens up to reveal the keyboard and electric drum, while the speakers emerge from the roof and the doors move in different directions to look like wings.

The interior and the floor are decorated with glamorous lighting tailored for the performance.

"The vehicle has to be one of a kind, and it has to tell who I am," Wu said.

In the pursuit of individuality, adventure and sometimes purely aesthetics, more women like Wu are becoming fans of modified cars and cross-country vehicles, a realm that has been dominated by male drivers in the past, industry insiders say.

No independent body has the data to verify the market volume of cross-country or modified vehicles, but Lu Xin, director of the vehicle modification division of the China Automotive Maintenance and Repair Trade Association, estimated that the value of the modified-vehicle market last year was around 10 billion yuan ($1.63 billion), and women contributed about 30 percent to the market.

Display of taste

"The volume of the market has been doubling every year for three years in a row," he said at the fourth China Cross-Country and Modified Vehicle Trade Show.

"People, especially females, are waking up to the fact that a vehicle is more than a brand- it is a display of taste and personality."

Ke Le, founder and leader of Traversing Off-Road Vehicle Club, witnessed how the club evolved over three years from an all-male group to one that has one female in every five members.

"Many of them were introduced to us by their male friends and family members. It has now become part of their life, and they are just as passionate as the guys," Ke said.

While many of the female drivers are trying their hands at places close to home, some are looking for challenges further afield.

Hua Chao, a 28-year-old who works in finance, started driving modified off-road vehicles in 2010 after borrowing one from a friend.

She instantly fell in love with the generous view the vehicle provides.

"The sense of freedom and openness was incomparable, not to mention its drivability," she said.

Keen for adventure, Hua has driven to places like the Bashang grassland in Hebei province and Hulun Buir in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Hua is now saving up to buy her first off-road vehicle, and she is looking for something around the price range of 300,000 yuan.

"I hope I can have it within three years. And the first place I'm going to would be Tibet," Huang said as she searched for the perfect pick at the trade fair.

Even within the crowded city of Beijing, driving a personalized vehicle creates a different experience, one that has less pressure and more excitement, said Zhang Na, a 29-year-old fashion buyer.

"Ordinary vehicles simply can't ignite my passion for driving," Zhang said.

Every morning when she opens her windows, the first thing she sees is her modified BMW M3 racecar.

"As soon as I see it, I can feel the energy swelling in me. Driving the car gives me the same satisfaction as other women get from luxury bags," she said.

Zhang had the wheel hubs of her BMW modified from 18 inches to 19 inches. An Ohlins suspension system was added to allow the car to run closer to ground to get more traction.

Personal preference

Like many drivers of modified cars, Zhang has found that the ability to customize is a big selling point, she said.

For the interior, BMW's signature combination of white and blue was partially replaced with gray, black and red according to Zhang's personal preferences.

The whole modification cost about 70,000 yuan.

Apart from the "unique humming of the engine and the driving force that comes at any given moment", Zhang particularly enjoys deftly navigating Beijing's tricky traffic.

"It's like a game, and it would never be so fun without my car."

Female drivers are known to pay more attention to the exterior of the vehicles rather than their functions, said Mike Ma, vice-president of the Geely Automobile Research Institute.

"Women prefer vehicles with brighter colors, glamorous lighting and outstanding sound effects," he said.

"However, too much lighting on the front of the car should be avoided because it hinders the view and poses threats to drivers' safety."

While men would choose a professional cross-country vehicle to go to places like Tibet and Europe, women tend to prefer light and sporty ones for camping in the outskirts of town, he said.

Designers are now starting to accommodate this new wave of female drivers.

Vehicles like crossover utility vehicles combine a car chassis and features of a sport utility vehicle to cater to drivers who need a car adapted to city and off-road driving.

What women lack in strength, they make up for with their flexibility and carefulness, said their male counterparts.

"When driving in a desert, a female driver can sometimes do better because they are more sensitive to the road condition," said Jin Bo'en, a male all-terrain vehicle driver.

"Being a light driver also means you get through easier when come across a pit or a slope."

Although women are still a minority in the sphere, it does not mean they are satisfied with sitting back and letting the men lead the way.

Gong Zhaohui, 26, has been traveling in a cross-country vehicle for five years. A co-organizer of an off-road club, she has led fleets to Yunnan, Sichuan and Tibet. Gong took up car racing last year, competing with both male and female drivers on the track.

"I want to be a more professional driver. And racing with these people helps me improve faster," Gong said.

At the moment, the modified car business remains a gray zone in China.

Only modifications to the exterior are permitted and all others are illegal, said Lu from CAMRTA.

The restriction has created a black market that is rife with fake products instead of one that is healthy and well regulated, he said.

The association is initiating a quick-response code system that aims to identify all the car components to avoid fake products. "The momentum of the market is irresistible, and it is time to make clear what is right and what is not," Lu said.

sunyuanqing@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily USA 09/02/2013 page15)