When it comes to modifying cars, aerodynamic components are often subject to mockery and criticism. Slapping on a big wing has always been popular with those desperate for the race car look, and it’s easy to overdo things by tacking on silly canards and extraneous vents. Still, few go quite as far as this West Coast Honda owner.
What you’re looking at is an eighth-generation Honda Accord. Based on the tail lights, it looks to be a post-facelift model, built for the 2011 or 2012 model years. All in all, a comfortable, capable commuter car that wouldn’t normally draw the slightest bit of attention. That is, except, for the many jagged adornments decorating every surface of the vehicle.
This vehicle came to our attention thanks to @skeletonyuth on Twitter. They first posted about the eye-catching Accord back in October last year. Given the striking “aerodynamic” elements, you can see why they saw fit to take a photo.
so i see this crazy looking honda near work sometimes pic.twitter.com/7I4g0gI6ni
— 2014 HONDA CIVIC (@skeletonyuth) October 30, 2024
The Accord, as first spotted by @skeletonyuth.
The Accord has only gotten crazier since then. It wasn’t long before more random parts were added, particularly to the rear doors. Fast forward to today, and the front doors have gained similar levels of complication. You almost have to hunt for the door handle amidst the plastic and (possibly) carbon fiber jungle.
The parts applied to the car are a total mishmash of the functional and the functionally insane. The wheel arches, rear wing, and front splitter are typical tuner mods; you could say the same for the front fender vents, too. However, it’s a little more unconventional to stick random canards all over the body, including in places where they’ll do precisely nothing to aid downforce. Similarly, there appear to be sideskirts affixed to the roof. Quite creative.
The doors themselves are perhaps the biggest standout, though. Beyond the second set of mirrors, it’s hard to even figure out what the owner has stuck on there. It’s just a mess of black protrusions stacked one on top of the other. It appears that various lips, flares, and trim pieces have been stuck on to create the overwhelmingly chaotic sculpture that this car has become.
As you might imagine, a car this crazy doesn’t go unnoticed. The car is routinely spotted out in the world and captured by astounded enthusiasts. It started appearing on Reddit in August last year, most commonly posted by people trying to figure out just exactly what they were looking at.
Based on photos online, the car appears to live on the West Coast. It’s been captured in Arizona and the neighboring state of California.
I might have a degree in Aerospace Engineering, but I don’t need it to tell you that this isn’t an effective way to improve your car’s performance. With so many jagged protrusions sticking out into the air stream, this Accord is carrying a lot more drag than stock, for no downforce benefit. With so many random parts hanging off the body, it’s unlikely even the functional parts are having a positive effect on grip at speed.
It’s worth noting that the drag penalty from all these mods would certainly be having a negative impact on fuel economy. The weight doesn’t help, either. It would be great fun to throw this thing in a wind tunnel. Mostly just to see the thick clouds of turbulence pouring off the thick forest of tacked-on hardware.
Obviously, though, performance isn’t the point of this build. It’s a unique car with an outrageous aesthetic, and it’s certainly good at pulling eyes. It also has a side benefit—it would be pretty hard for anyone to dent the car in a parking lot given there’s so much random stuff hanging off the sides.
All in all, I hope to track this owner down one day for a chat about their beautifully unique build. My first question is already burning, because they’ve left one panel untouched. When are they going to start decorating the hood?!
Image credits: @skeletonyuth via Twitter (permission provided)
Me and my aero
Takin’ the high road
Wherever we go, everyone knows
It’s me and my aero
This is giving “try-hard Uber/Lyft” driver. I kind of love it.
I didn’t know Dan Flashes sold cars!
How much computing power would it take to calculate that drag coefficient?
Probably less than it takes to mine a new Bitcoin these days.
Screw it. this has gone full circle bugnuts into being ridiculous and hilarious again. I have no small disdain for fart-canned, stanced, plastic-chromed-out civics with asymmetrical vortex generators lazily slapped above the rear windshield. But this, this is magnificent, the stuff of dreams and nightmares.
It’s like the bosozuko trend in Japan for me. It goes so over the top that it wraps around to being fun. Refuge in audacity and all that.
Just needs a car sized trench coat so it can become the back alley aero dealer.
*Opens trench coat*
“Got some fresh splitters, overnighted from Japan”
“Got some good things on sale, stranger.”
(Omar Sharif voice) “Souvenirs, novelties, party tricks…”
“It would be great fun to throw this thing in a wind tunnel.”
My immediate thought.
It looks like it’s molting. A Transformer in the pupae stage.
Blades and balance? Scimittry
I respect it. It’s unique but not entirely random. Made an otherwise unassuming car their own.
Looking at the photos from all the angles provided, it actually appears to be symmetrical. I was not expecting that…
Presenting the all-new Honda Discord.
I have (imho) a high tolerance for crazy aero, but even I draw the line after a massive, splitters, wing, diffuser, canards, and your obligatory aesthetic only hood and roof scoop.
My OCD appreciates that the owner has applied the items symmetrically around the center line of the car.
The progression of this build is like the progression of the art of Louis Wain: https://vocal.media/psyche/artist-louis-wain-s-descent-into-schizophrenia-was-documented-through-his-art
Anybody wonder if this was triggered by an early viewing if the new bZ4X?
If this thing ever got into a wreck, it would just explode into a cloud of sticky plastic…
BTW, is anyone else having problems with the little dingy bell up at the top of the page? Mine indicates I have several notifications, but nothing happens when I click it. I’m always on mobile, if that makes a difference.
I switched browsers and that made it work for me
Hilariously tongue-in-cheek. I love it!
Yeah, I’ve seen my share of guys trying to trick out a mainstream car over the years. This is about 2-3x beyond serious and well into the “art car” realm. Not even show car…that would require some restraint. This is like testing to see how far you can go, and it’s actually really well done for what it is.
Philosophically, it also could send a message of “my car is so fast, I had to Harrison Bergeron it just so you have a chance!”
This looks like the automotive equivalent of BrundlePod.
(Bonus points to all who get the Jeff Goldblum reference – the T2 discussion yesterday got me reminiscing about old SciFi.)
“Help me, help me!” Not from the Goldblum version, but in the same horrorverse.
The fact that they back into spots far away from everyone else was making me think that maybe they’re taking this seriously and not as a joke, but then I suppose you can’t park in spots next to other cars because the other cars and people are constantly knocking your aero package off the doors.
OMG! I stayed at that exact hotel in July of last year and took pictures of that car from our room. It’s bonkers! The amount of stuff just stuck on that car make it look like it really wants to transform into a robot. Maybe a go-bot…
Maybe it is just a movie prop for the villain in a Transformers TMNT collab.
“How to turn a 30 minute car wash into an all-day project. Like and subscribe for more car care hacks!”
Mugen has never produced an adjustable front splitter. It’s just some ebay thing with ebay Mugen stickers on it, like everything else here.
They got your attention, someone has made them slightly more internet famous than they were. They succeeded.