History Main / RiceBurner

A SubTrope of PimpedOutCar.

** One of these came complete with a lovely double pun when one car had letters pasted on it reading “THE FLAME.” One of the assistants ripped the first letter of the second word off (leaving “THE LAME”) and placed it on the owner's jacket, stating “You get an F.”

The name may derive from the fact the cars so modified tend to be underpowered Japanese imports, especially Honda coupes. They are also called ricers, rice rockets, rice cars or rice cookers, all terms that should be used with caution because they have UnfortunateImplications, especially if the driver is Asian. Similar American cars are sometimes given the appellation of wheat burner. In the UK, these cars are said to have been "chavved up," a term which should also be used with caution, as it is derogatory of teens and adolescents imitating urban culture as presented by rap artists.

These modifications do not necessarily mean the car has any high [[AwesomeButImpractical performance capabilities]]. In fact, lowered suspensions, low-profile tires or poorly applied body kits can even add excessive weight and reduce the performance of these cars. This is because in actual race cars, the excessive outer parts are an extension of what's going on under the hood (which compensates for the added weight); just adding the outer molding won't magically improve the engine. And since race cars don't have to deal with speedbumps or potholes, lowered suspensions and low-profile tires are just asking to be shredded on an average road.

These modifications do not necessarily mean the car has any high [[AwesomeButImpractical performance capabilities]]. In fact, lowered suspensions, low-profile tires or poorly applied body kits can even add excessive weight and reduce the performance of these cars. This is because in actual race cars, the excessive outer parts are an extension of whats going on under the hood (which compensates for the added weight); just adding the outer molding won't magically improve the engine. And since race cars don't have to deal with speedbumps or potholes, lowered suspensions and low-profile tires are just asking to be shredded on an average road.

These modifications do not necessarily mean the car has any high [[AwesomeButImpractical performance capabilities]]. In fact, lowered suspensions, low-profile tires or poorly applied body kits can even add excessive weight and reduce the performance of these cars. This is because in actual racing cars, the excessive outer parts are an extension of whats going on INSIDE the car (which compensates for the added weight); just adding the outer molding won't magically improve the engine. And since race cars don't have to deal with speedbumps or potholes, lowered suspensions and low profile tires are just asking to be shredded on an average road.

These modifications do not necessarily mean the car has any high [[AwesomeButImpractical performance capabilities]]. In fact, lowered suspensions, low-profile tires or poorly applied body kits can even add excessive weight and reduce the performance of these cars.

* Every ''NeedForSpeed'' game from ''Underground'' to ''Undercover'', with the exception of ''[=ProStreet=]''. Especially when you do it without putting any actual performance upgrades into the car first.
** Worst of all, they don't affect performance whatsover - positive or negative.

Aesthetics such as large tailpipes, or "fart cannons," ridiculously huge spoilers, fake hood scoops, big rims, neon lighting strips, imitation badging, fake decals, loud exhaust systems, bright neon paint, and racing stripes ("go faster stripes") are added in an attempt to look fast and emulate professional race cars.

The name may derive from the fact the cars so modified tend to be Japanese imports, especially Hondas. They are also called ricers, rice rockets, rice cars or rice cookers, all terms that should be used with caution because they can have UnfortunateImplications, especially if the driver is Asian. In the UK, these cars are said to have been "chavved up," a term which should also be used with caution, as it is derogatory of teens and adolescents imitating urban culture as presented by rap artists.

Such a vehicle contrasts sharply with a "Sleeper" or "Stealth" (known in the UK as a "Q-car" by extension from the naval "Q-ship"), where the engine, brakes, suspension etc. have high performance modifications, but the outer appearance is of an [[BadassNormal ordinary stock model]], even with [[WhatAPieceOfJunk body damage or rust]].

*** Later on in the series, it does get at least one RiceBurner modification - specifically, a carbon-fiber hood. [[spoiler:Of course, this is after Takumi blows the original engine and his father puts in a ''Group A racing engine'', and he joins Ryosuke Takahashi's super-team "Project D", which is comprised of the best amateur racers in Gunma Prefecture.]]

* Although all the cars in ''{{The Fast and the Furious}}'' are high performance, they helped increase the trend in [[TruthinTelevision real life]].

* A series of T-Mobile To Go commercials made fun of this trope, creating a Poser Mobile with a super low profile, gold/flourescent paint, giant "hood rocket," and roof and rear spoiler.

** Another challenge had a hill-climb between a pimped-out Peugeot 306 and an ''1963 Austin Healey Sprite''. [[spoiler:In keeping with the trope, the Healy won it.]]

* The arcade ''TheFastAndTheFurious'' game and its sequel are ''Cruis'n'' [-[[RecycledInSpace WITH RICE!]]-]

* Volkswagen had an ad campaign for the VW Golf GTI that mocked the Rice Burner phenomenon, where [[strike:a stereotype German engineer]] Peter Stormare would "unpimp ze auto" in a rather destructive fashion, butchering rapper speak the whole time with a [[strike:German]] Swedish accent.
** One of these came complete with a lovely double pun when one car had letters pasted on it reading "THE FLAME". One of the assistants ripped the first letter of the second word off (leaving "THE LAME") and placed it on the owner's jacket, stating "You get an F".

* ''ForzaMotorsport'' has a paint editor that lets you rice up cars. Quite a few people spent more time putting ''LuckyStar'' [[{{Itasha}} characters]] on their cars and selling them in in-game auctions than they did actually racing them. Along with that, many of the less exotic cars have a number of body kit and spoiler options.

** One of these came complete with a lovely double pun when one car had letters pasted on it reading "FLAME". One of the assistants ripped the first letter off (leaving "LAME") and placed it on the owner's jacket, stating "You get an F".

* MTV’s ''PimpMyRide'' is largely based on this trope.

Also called a ricer, rice rocket, rice car or a rice cooker, all terms that should be used with caution because they can have UnfortunateImplications, especially if the driver is Asian. In the UK, these cars are said to have been "chavved up," a term which should also be used with caution, as it is derogatory of teens and adolescents imitating urban culture as presented by rap artists.

Also called a ricer, rice rocket, rice car or a rice cooker, all terms that should be used with caution because they can have UnfortunateImplications, especially if the driver is Asian. In the UK, these cars are said to have been "chavved up", a term which should also be used with caution, as it is derogatory of teens and adolescents imitating urban culture as presented by rap artists.

* Who could forget Volkswagens' "Un-Pimp Ze Auto" ad campaign? It was built on deconstructing this trope.

* Who could forget Volkswagens' "Un-Pimp Ze Auto" ad campaign? It was built on deconstructing this trope.[[AC:TabletopGames]]

* Who cold forget Volkswagens' "Un-Pimp Ze Auto" ad campaign? It was built oon deconstructing this trope. (sometimes with hillarious results.
[[AC:TabletopGames]]

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Rice_rocket_6.jpg
[[caption-width:450:[[IWantMyJetpack You want your flying car?]] Here you go!]]

Any widely available car or motorized vehicle model (usually, but not limited to, a compact Japanese model such as a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla, hence the name "rice burner") that has had its outer body modified (without benefit) to give the impression of a high performance vehicle. Aesthetics such as large tailpipes (or "fart cannons" due to the sound that they make), ridiculously huge spoilers, (fake) hood scoops, big rims, neon lighting strips, imitation badging, fake decals, loud exhaust systems, bright neon paint, and racing stripes ("go faster stripes") are added in an attempt to look fast and emulate professional race cars. [[AwesomeButImpractical These modifications do not necessarily mean the car has any high performance capabilities]]. In fact, lowered suspensions, low-profile tires or poorly applied body kits can even add excessive weight and [[BlessedWithSuck reduce the performance of these cars]].

Also called a ricer, rice rocket, rice car or a rice cooker, all terms that should be used with caution because they can have UnfortunateImplications, especially if the driver is Asian. In the UK, these cars are said to have been "chavved up", a term which should also be used with caution, as it is somewhat impolite - [[AcceptableTargets but refers derogatorily to teens and adolescents imitating urban culture as presented by rap artists]].

Such a vehicle contrasts sharply with a "Sleeper" or "Stealth" (known in the UK as a "Q-car" by extension from the naval "Q-ship"), where the engine, brakes, suspension etc. have high performance modifications, but the [[BadassNormal outer appearance is of an ordinary stock model]], [[WhatAPieceOfJunk or even allowed to acquire damage/body rust]].

* The Honda Civic in ''GranTorino'' is a perfect example of this trope. Fear that this will happen to the title car manages to sneak into [[spoiler: awsome will-reading at the end.]]

* The Honda Civic in ''GranTorino'' is a perfect example of this trope. Fear that this will happen to the title car manages to sneak into [[spoiler: the extra-racist will-reading at the end.]]

'''Examples''':

* ''ForzaMotorsport'' has a paint editor that lets you rice up cars. Quite a few people spent more time putting [[{{Itasha}} ''LuckyStar'' characters]] on their cars and selling them in in-game auctions than they did actually racing them. Along with that, many of the less exotic cars have a number of body kit and spoiler options.

* The ''Midnight Club'' series.
* ''ForzaMotorsport'' has a paint editor that lets you rice up cars. Quite a few people spent more time putting ''LuckyStar'' characters on their cars and selling them in in-game auctions than they did actually racing them.