October 13, 2020

Dinnerplate Flashback - going back to the top wheels of the Sex Spec era

The Sex Spec/Auto Salon era of car modifying might not be what everyone considers the bastion of good taste, but boy did it lead to some wild styling trends. While the top cars needed over-the-top bodykits, an interior totally retrimmed in leather (or vinyl) and a mad stezza to pump your hard bass beats, even just chucking some big-inch chrome wheels and slamming the ride height with some King Springs could get you entry to the scene.

So, what were the top wheels of the Auto Salon era? 15-20 years ago bigger was better when it came to your chromies, but - long before we'd heard of donks, boxes and bubbles Down Under - these were 17s or maybe 18s (19s if you were in God Mode) as most 90s cars came from the factory with 14in or 15in wheels. Low-profile tyres weren't cheap, either, and the replica wheel trend hadn't kicked off giving us access to $3.99 Vork Ravs TP38s.

As all trends change, these wheels eventually fell out of fashion as the JDM style of modifying really took over from Sex Spec. With the fashion moving to TE37s, CE28Ns and the glorious VS-XXs, chromies have by and large been forgotten by many... until the lads brought them back for their $2000 challenge!