Autoblog

Where 20-inch rims seemed gigantic just a couple of years ago, the massive surge in 22s, 24s, 26s and the like mean 30s are becoming commonplace. No self-respecting donk would be caught rollin' on anything less than 30s these days, and last week at SEMA we even saw 32s, 34s and a pair of 42s (!) floating around the show floor, as well. We also spotted a few creative solutions to dealing with these new monster rims, like cutting out a car's fenderwells completely and a whole new tire mounting apparatus to handle these behemoths. You've already seen a couple of these megarims in some of our previous SEMA posts, but below is a gallery of some of the most egregious examples we could find. And lest you think size is all that matters, we've also included some colorful and fanciful offerings, as well as random shots of collections, sport rims, retro rollers and even a couple of monster truck tires we spotted that might portend the zenith of the tall tire trend. Enjoy.

Say that you're RIDES Magazine and you want to celebrate the 100th anniversary of taxi cab service in New York City - what to do? Simple - take a 1996 Crown Vic (arguably better looking than Ford's current take on the Panther platform), put a lift on it that shames many custom pickups, and shove a set of Pirelli-shod 30" MHT wheels under it. Not included is the milkcrate you'll need to stand on in order to enter the beast.

Now, we realize that this probably isn't a proper "donk" to most folks (and those that specifically associate the name with mid-70s Caprices are particularly likely to be offended by using the name to describe a Crown Vic), but this thing seems to defy any other name - well, at least any name that's suitable to print. No word yet on whether it'll be whisking us away from the Javits convention center tomorrow night, but such a scenario isn't out of the question - the nine-foot-tall ride is said to wear an official NYC taxi medallion.

[Source: RIDES, Jalopnik]

The Wall Street Journal is reporting on a rather disturbing trend among younger buyers of new and used cars - the tendency to buy outside of the culturally acceptable boundaries of age and generation. Why, there's an absolute epidemic of young adults, some not even yet out of their teens, cruising around in Oldsmobile Cutlass Supremes, Buick Park Avenues, and Chevrolet Caprices! Buick's Lucerne appears to be one of the heirs to the throne currently occupied by Chrysler's 300C, and there are more than a few youngsters roaming around Cadillac, Lexus, and Lincoln dealerships as well.  

We mock the WSJ only because this isn't a new trend (despite the CNW marketing data - specifically, its "stodgy index" - that shows the emergence of this buying habit). The release of the Chevrolet Impala SS in 1994 attracted buyers that were an amazing 10 years younger than typical Caprice owners, and lit off a B-body customization craze that continues today. Older RWD cars, including the large number of retired police cruisers that hit the market every year, are a blank canvas for the custom crowd. Want to throw it on bags and "lay frame"? No problem. Do you have a desire, as misplaced as it may be, to lift your car four feet and throw on a set of monstrous 28s? Go right ahead - it's as easy as lifting a pickup truck. There's also some serious performance potential. And for those going for a more subdued look, a clean set of dubs on an mid-nineties Buick Riv or Ford* Lincoln Continental is an easy and affordable way to stand out from the sport-compact crowd while still giving yourself and three or four friends plenty of room to stretch out during road trips. Of course, there's an ironic tinge to all this, what with so many pensioners going after 'youth brand' cars like the Scion xB.

In the interest of full disclosure, it should be noted that the author of this Autoblog post owns two vehicles with wire-spoke hubcaps and stand-up hood ornaments.

[Source: The Wall Street Journal]

*Thanks to the reader who pointed out my error - apparently, driving old-people cars can also cause slight dementia.