Popping up over social media lately is the trend “born to live in the 2000s UK car scene, forced to live in the current one” with images of cars popular in each era. The car meets around the UK have been hit with negativity as they mainly consist of the same three models of car with very little or cheap mods.
Looking back to some of the cars from the 2000s – such as the Honda Civic Type R (EP3), the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR FQ-360, the Mazda MX-5 (NB), and any older version of popular car models – more often than not the current car scene cannot compete. 2000s cars felt a lot more unique – boxy styles and innovative ideas showed the soul that went into these cars. Now, most brands are making electric vehicles which all have a similar, futuristic look to them.
That is not to say all modern cars are bad. Performance and reliability-wise, they can be much better than older cars due to the age factor. Sometimes, when modded nicely, they come out looking unique and clean.
Unfortunately, most “modded” cars seen on the roads of the UK today consist of cheap-to-do and cheap-to-insure mods. This gives them all a similar look. But, why?
Well, it’s no secret that car insurance in the UK for new and young drivers is often the better part of £1,000. Add mods to that, and it quickly skyrockets. People don’t have the money to be able to buy extortionate car parts. Or pay for the insurance that comes with upgrades.
Availability is another big problem. If you want a specific car from the 2000s, sometimes you’ll have to ship it over from America or Japan. Which, again, is pricey. The same goes for mods and parts, a problem I have faced. Sometimes, companies don’t make certain mods or parts for your model, which leaves you with the custom-made option. Again, pricey.
Money aside, another factor killing the car scene is the number of critics. Commonly while scrolling through the car side of TikTok I’ll come across someone modding their first car. They are happy with what they’ve done and want to share it with the car community. However, usually, they’ll be faced with comments bringing them down and slagging off their work.
However, the car scene in the UK isn’t all bad. At meets and shows there will be a few gems to be seen, either passed down through the family or project cars that have been restored from the 2000s and before.
Sadly, it’s unlikely that we will ever get back to the sought-after 2000s car scene. This is due to the reasons mentioned above but also the number of restrictions in place that older cars violate.
Even those that can’t afford expensive cars or mods still have a deep love for the community – which is all that matters really.
Featured Image Credit: Emma Christie
Fourth year student journalist studying Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Journalism Studies.
Words at Brig, The Daily Evergreen, Alloa Advertiser, Discovery Music Scotland, and The Mourning Paper.
