History

• Rice is a staple food for most Asian countries and is thus associated with Asian culture. The term "ricer," then, refers to the fact that these cars are mostly Japanese-made. According to Car-Forums.com, the term was originally used in a pejorative sense. But it has mostly lost its derogatory connotation and instead describes car enthusiasts, says the author of Rice-Boy Page, a website dedicated to the ricer subculture.
  
  

Features

• The most common ricers are Japanese-made cars such as Honda Civics and Accords or Mitsubishi Eclipses that have received custom modification to look and drive like a race car. Common modifications include a spoiler, a custom paint job, an enhanced exhaust system, interior modification (leather seats, GPS, etc.), custom rims and a body kit.
  
  

Considerations

• According to Rice-Boy Page, to be properly titled a "ricer," the car must be an economy car that is not originally designed for racing. While all ricers are modified to look like race cars, not all ricers perform like race cars; the modifications are purely for show. In addition, though ricers are generally associated with Asians, not all ricer owners are Asian.