''Pimp My Ride'' is an American television series produced by

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

and hosted by rapper

Xzibit Alvin Nathaniel Joiner (born September 18, 1974), better known by his stage name Xzibit (pronounced "exhibit"), is an American rapper, actor, television presenter, and radio personality. Xzibit began his musical career after the release of his ...

, which ran for six seasons on MTV from 2004 to 2007. In each episode, a car in poor condition is both restored and customized. The work on the show was done by

West Coast Customs West Coast Customs (abbreviated by the company as WCC) is an automobile repair shop focusing on the customization of vehicles. It was started by co-founders Ryan Friedlinghaus and Quinton Dodson in 1993. According to Friedlinghaus, he began the ...

until season 5 when Galpin Auto Sports took over. The show had several international adaptations, including ''

Pimp My Ride UK ''Pimp My Ride UK'' is a British reality TV show which is presented by rapper Lady Leshurr. The programme initially ran on MTV UK from 2005 to 2007 and was revived as a show for MTV's YouTube channel in 2022. The show is an adaption of the Ameri ...

'', ''Pimp My Ride International'' (in central Europe), and other adaptations in Brazil, Indonesia and the Baltic countries. It also spawned similar spinoffs, including the series ''

Trick My Truck ''Trick My Truck'' is an American reality television program that premiered on February 3, 2006, on CMT. Created by Varuna Films, the series features a group of vehicle hackers known as the "Chrome Shop Mafia" who renovate the trucks of "deservin ...

'' on MTV's sister network CMT.

Format

This show picks young

vehicle A vehicle (from la, vehiculum) is a machine that transports people or cargo. Vehicles include wagons, bicycles, motor vehicles (motorcycles, cars, trucks, buses, mobility scooters for disabled people), railed vehicles (trains, trams), wa ...

owners and drivers from

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

or elsewhere in

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...

. An episode of ''Pimp My Ride'' generally begins with the participant showing his or her vehicle, and convincing MTV that it needs to be "pimped". After this segment, the host (normally rapper Xzibit, but there are occasionally guest hosts such as Chamillionaire) shows up at the participant's house, takes a look at the car himself, makes wisecracks about the particular things that are wrong with it, and promises the owner a complete makeover of the vehicle. After examining the car, Xzibit takes it to a custom body shop (

(WCC), in

Corona, California Corona (Spanish for "Crown") is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 157,136, up from 152,374 at the 2010 census. The cities of Norco and Riverside lie to the north and north ...

, in Seasons 1–4; replaced by Galpin Auto Sports (GAS) starting Season 5), where the shop team generally replaces most of the components and rebuilds the interior and exterior from scratch. Each car is a custom "pimp", tailored to the personalities and interests of the owners. For example, a '' Need for Speed: Underground'' fan had his car painted to look like one specially customized in the ''

Need for Speed ''Need for Speed'' (''NFS'') is a racing game franchise published by Electronic Arts and currently developed by Criterion Games, the developers of ''Burnout''. The series generally centers around illicit street racing and tasks players to com ...

'' video game series, while a bowler had a ball spinner installed in his trunk, a badminton player had a badminton net installed in the back of his

Dodge Caravan The Dodge Caravan (and the long-wheelbase Dodge Grand Caravan) is a series of minivans that was manufactured by Chrysler from the 1984 to 2020 model years. The Dodge version of the Chrysler minivans, the Caravan was marketed as both a passenger v ...

, and a surfer got a clothes dryer in the back of his

Volkswagen Type 2 The Volkswagen Type 2, known officially (depending on body type) as the Transporter, Kombi or Microbus, or, informally, as the Bus (US), Camper (UK) or Bulli (Germany), is a forward control light commercial vehicle introduced in 1950 by the Ge ...

. Work usually includes new paint, accessories, chrome,

tires A tire (American English) or tyre (British English) is a ring-shaped component that surrounds a Rim (wheel), wheel's rim to transfer a vehicle's load from the axle through the wheel to the ground and to provide Traction (engineering), t ...

, and rims, and internal

electronics The field of electronics is a branch of physics and electrical engineering that deals with the emission, behaviour and effects of electrons using electronic devices. Electronics uses active devices to control electron flow by amplification ...

(DVD players, video games, large TFT screens, and other cutting-edge accessories). Most changes are only cosmetic, and mechanical work is generally only done to enable the car to run; the show has replaced entire engines with new engines. Both WCC and GAS are well known for putting their own whimsical touches in their work, such as the aforementioned

tumble-dryer A clothes dryer, also known as tumble dryer or simply dryer, is a powered household appliance that is used to remove moisture from a load of clothing, bedding and other textiles, usually shortly after they are washed in a washing machine. Many dry ...

, or an

electrical Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by ...

fireplace A fireplace or hearth is a structure made of brick, stone or metal designed to contain a fire. Fireplaces are used for the relaxing ambiance they create and for heating a room. Modern fireplaces vary in heat efficiency, depending on the design. ...

in this trunk of another vehicle. At the end of the show, the car is revealed to its owner, as well as all the details of the renovation and the custom features; in addition, the participant is usually given a gift somehow related to the car or the owner's hobby.

Episodes

Cast

Seasons 1–4

The West Coast Customs employees shown on the series included: * Good-natured manager Quinton "Q" Dodson (seasons 1–3) * Owner Ryan Friedlinghaus * The heavily pierced tire-specialist Alex * Tough-looking interior and fabric maven Ishmael "Ish" Jimenez * Electronics (and outrageous engineering) expert Michael "Mad Mike" Martin * Accessories specialist, the appropriately named "Big Dane" * Paint guys Aren, Buck, 2Shae, and Luis. The latter carried on into the following seasons. After the third season, WCC manager "Q" announced that he would not be willing to take a role in the show anymore. Q cited a desire to expand the company's business with a customs shop in

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

, Missouri called Coast 2 Coast Customs.

Ryan Friedlinghaus West Coast Customs (abbreviated by the company as WCC) is an automobile repair shop focusing on the customization of vehicles. It was started by co-founders Ryan Friedlinghaus and Quinton Dodson in 1993. According to Friedlinghaus, he began the ...

, the owner of WCC, was featured in Season 4 as the "lead" for discussions on customizing the cars.

Seasons 5–6

In the fifth season, the show moved to another garage, Galpin Auto Sports (GAS), as Ryan, the WCC Owner, moved his shop to

and signed a deal with another television production company. However, the show retained Mad Mike (who quit at WCC and signed at GAS), now dubbed a "car customization specialist". The new cast consisted of: * "Owner" Beau Boeckmann (in reality, Vice President of Galpin Auto; the owner of Galpin Auto was his father, Bert Boeckmann) * Electronics expert and "The Wizard of Wiring" Michael "Mad Mike" Martin * Wiring and fiberglass fabrication "Jason" Ewing * The wheels & tires specialist Gyasi * Paint & body Luis * Accessories specialist Diggity Dave * Interiors Rick * Fabricator Cabe Sipes * Shop crew Z

Replacement vehicles

On three occasions – all season finales – the show did not "pimp" the original automobile. *In the final episode of season 1, the car to be pimped was actually two-halves of Ford Escorts welded together to make one car, a "cut and shut" job, and was declared unsafe. *In the final episode of season 2, the participant was studying to be an auto mechanic, and WCC decided to let him "pimp" his car as a study project. *In the final episode of season 5, Xzibit felt that the owner's car, a

Nissan Pulsar The is a line of automobiles produced by the Japanese automaker Nissan from 1978 until 2000, when it was replaced by the Nissan Bluebird Sylphy in the Japanese market. Between 2000 and 2005, the name "Pulsar" has been used in Australia and New ...

, was not worth fixing, as heat from the car's engine and battery fluid was leaking into the cab, creating a fire hazard. In all these instances, the vehicles of the participants were replaced with brand new cars, with extensive modifications made to customize each new car for the owner.

Worldwide popularity

''Pimp My Ride'' was one of MTV's most popular shows with nearly all of its worldwide viewers, and also in the U.S., where it ranked second only to ''

The Real World Real World or The Real World may also refer to: * Real life, a phrase to distinguish between the real world and fictional, virtual or idealized worlds Television * ''The Real World'' (TV series), 1992–2017 * "The Real World" (''Stargate Atla ...

''. Canada's music network,

MuchMusic Much (an abbreviation for its full name MuchMusic) is a Canadian English language specialty channel owned by BCE Inc. through its Bell Media subsidiary that airs programming aimed at teenagers and young adults. MuchMusic launched on August 31 ...

, aired the show until MTV Networks signed a deal with CTV, which resulted in MuchMusic losing their rights to MTV programs. MuchMusic's French-language sister station,

MusiquePlus Elle Fictions (stylized ELLE Fictions) is a Canadian French language specialty channel owned by Remstar Media Group. The channel broadcasts general entertainment programming targeting young adult women. It was first established in 1986 as the mu ...

, aired the show subtitled in French under the title ''Pimp mon char'' ("char" is

Quebec French Quebec French (french: français québécois ), also known as Québécois French, is the predominant variety of the French language spoken in Canada. It is the dominant language of the province of Quebec, used in everyday communication, in educa ...

slang for "car"). The show would eventually re-air on Much in the Summer of 2008, showing the later seasons. ''Pimp My Ride'' was broadcast in Arab countries on both

MTV Arabia MTV Middle East, formerly MTV Arabia, was a free-to-air music television channel, and the Middle Eastern incarnation of MTV. As an addition to the MTV network, it was a joint venture between MTV Networks International and Arabian Television Net ...

and

MBC Action MBC Action (stylized as ''MBC'ACTION'') is a free-to-air television channel that MBC Group’s action-packed channel that targets young Arabic males. It delivers the best in high-octane Western series, movies and action. shows and sports and ...

. In 2012,

MTV Southeast Asia MTV was a pan-Asian music pay-television channel which launched on 3 May 1995 as a standalone pay television channel. It was owned by Paramount Networks EMEAA. History MTV Asia was officially launched on 3 May 1995 as a 24-hour English-languag ...

aired the very first episode of Pimp My Ride Malaysia, which is sponsored by Celcom Axiata under its ''Xpax''’s Whatchuwant? campaign, giving Xpax customers a chance to have their vehicles worked on by MTV, hosted by

Altimet Syed Ahmad Syed Abdul Rahman Alhadad or better known as Altimet (born 27 November 1978) is a Malaysian politician, composer, lyricist, actor and former singer. He is a member of the People's Justice Party (PKR), a component party of the Pakata ...

and Herrera.

Accusations of fakery

Several participants who appeared on seasons 4 and 6 of ''Pimp My Ride'' later stated that elements of the show were either exaggerated or faked. The houses where Xzibit would surprise contestants with the news they were selected were often rented by MTV. The initial poor condition of some of the vehicles was staged to look worse, including the removal of paint, trash in the interior, and bumpers loosened to the point of falling off. Some features added during filming were removed immediately afterwards due to potential issues with local and state traffic laws, and the participants interviewed by ''

The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

'' recalled multiple takes were needed to film their reactions during the final reveal. Some were coached to express more amazement and enthusiasm between takes. The overhaul process, which appeared on the show to only last a few days or weeks, actually lasted 6–7 months.

Taxation Issues

Many, if not all, of the participants were hit with tax bills, ranging from several hundred to thousands of dollars by the

IRS The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting U.S. federal taxes and administering the Internal Revenue Code, the main body of the federal statutory tax ...

and the

California Franchise Tax Board The California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) administers and collects state personal income tax and corporate franchise and income tax of California. It is part of the California Government Operations Agency. The board is composed of the Californi ...

. Reason being, the goods provided to customize the cars were legally classified as game show winnings, and thus subject to taxation as income for their fair market value. This came as a surprise to most, who had assumed the upgraded hardware was completely free. As a result, many were forced to pay for the hefty tax bills over time, and several participants were left with no choice but to sell the vehicle to cover the tax bill. A handful of the participants who used their vehicles officially for their small businesses or travelled extensively due to their jobs were able to avoid or otherwise mitigate large tax bills by claiming the modifications as business/work expenses.

DVD releases

U.S. version

International adaptations

Official adaptations of ''Pimp My Ride'', produced or co-produced by international MTV affiliates, include:

For cars

* ''Pimp My Ride International'' (across Europe), a European version of the show where cars are pimped from all over Europe in the Netherlands at All Stoff. The show is hosted by American rappers

Lil' Jon Jonathan H. Smith (born January 17, 1971) better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, producer and former frontman of the rap group Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz. He was instrumental in the emergence of the hip hop subgenre cru ...

and

Fat Joe Joseph Antonio Cartagena (born August 19, 1970), better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper from New York City. He began his music career as a member of hip hop group Diggin' in the Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.), then forged a sol ...

. * ''

'' (United Kingdom, 2005-2007), presented by the DJ

Tim Westwood Timothy Westwood (born 3 October 1957) is a British DJ and presenter. He is often referred to by other DJs and artists appearing on his shows simply as Westwood. He was described by ''The Guardian'' in 2022 as "a veteran of the hip-hop scene ...

. Carisma Automotive are the customizers for the UK version. * ''Pimp My Ride Baltic'' (2008). * ' (Brazil, 2007-2008), presented by singer Jimmy London from the rock band Matanza. * ''Pimp My Car'' (Indonesia), which aired on

MTV Indonesia MTV Indonesia was an Indonesian free-to-air television network, part of MTV. The network was launched on 5 May 1995, It was the fifth MTV version launched in the world, and first to broadcast via free-to-air television. MTV Indonesia later beca ...

. * ''Pimp My Ride France'' (France, 2009-2011), which aired on

MTV France MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a ...

. The show was presented by Ramzy ^(fr) and had two seasons.

Others

* ''Pimp My Fahrrad'' (Germany), which aired on the German-language

MTV Central MTV Germany is a German language free-to-air television channel operated by Paramount Global. The channel launched on 7 March 1997 as MTV Central, as part of a regionalisation strategy by Paramount Global, then MTV Networks Europe. Availabi ...

. In the show, the

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

-based bike shop Junior's Club (referred to as "Elbcoast Psycles" on the show) redoes almost an entire bicycle ("fahrrad" being the German word for bicycle), usually leaving only the frame intact. While the show could be seen as a

parody A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its subj ...

of the American original, it is also a loving tribute, using all the elements of the American show with a bicycle twist (Germany's safety guidelines are among the strictest in the world, and getting a road permit for thoroughly customized vehicles borders on the impossible. Similar rules apply in most of continental Europe). It is hosted by German actor

Oliver Korittke Oliver Korittke (born 6 April 1968) is a German actor. He appeared in more than one hundred films since 1972. In ''Wilsberg ''Wilsberg'' is a German TV series based on novels about the fictional private detective Georg Wilsberg. A first TV episo ...

. * ''Pimp My Whatever'' (Germany). A spin-off of ''Pimp My Fahrrad'' in which ElbCoast Psychos return to "pimp" anything from a bathroom and a doghouse to a

birthday party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature f ...

or even someone's brother. ''Pimp My Whatever'' is hosted by MTV presenter Patrice Bouédibéla. Both shows are located in

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

* ''Pimp My Wheels'' (Italy). Airing on

MTV Italy MTV is an Italian pay television network, owned by Paramount Networks EMEAA and operated by Sky Italia. History Prior to the launch of a 24-hour Italian speaking MTV, MTV viewers in Italy received the pan-European version of MTV. Regionalization ...

, this show turns old rusty

motorscooters A scooter (motor scooter) is a motorcycle with an underbone or step-through frame, a seat, and a platform for the rider's feet, emphasizing comfort and fuel economy in automobiles, fuel economy. Elements of scooter design were present in some ...

motorcycles A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

into brand-new shiny vehicles. Hosted by the Italian hip hop group

Gemelli Diversi Gemelli DiVersi is an Italian hip hop group, best known for their hit single "Mary". Biography Gemelli DiVersi formed in 1997 in Milan when two Italian rap crews, La Cricca and Rima Nel Cuore, merged. Their first single was 1998's "Un attimo anc ...

. * ''Pimp My Room'' (The Netherlands) features some friendly competition between three students to see who will win the university student bedroom or apartment overhaul. Subsequently, the room is "pimped". * ''Pimpa Meu Feed'' (Brazil). Airing on MTV Brazil social media, the show helps participants to boost their

instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...

, leverage the number of followers and get involved in this (much desired) life of

influencer An Internet celebrity (also known as a social media influencer, social media personality, internet personality, or simply influencer) is a celebrity who has acquired or developed their fame and notability through the Internet. The rise of social m ...

. It is hosted by Leo Picon and Ste Viegas.

Legal action

Viacom, owner of the ''Pimp My Ride'' franchise, threatened legal action against a number of small businesses in 2006 over the use of the phrase ''Pimp My...'' in business names. Pimp My Snack, a recipe-sharing website, received one such warning letter and later renamed the business to

Pimp That Snack Pimp That Snack is a website which received media attention during April 2006. The website features guides on creating giant versions of everyday snacks. Articles are submitted by members of the public and a voting system allows people to ra ...

. A British lawyer specializing in copyright concerns criticized the move, stating that trademark infringement cannot apply to companies that are providing different goods and services.

Similar programs

United States

* ''

Monster Garage ''Monster Garage'' is an American television series aired on the Discovery Channel and hosted by Jesse James. Each episode was an hour in length and was conceived and produced (along with James) by Thom Beers. The show premiered on June 23, 2002 ...

'': Also features outrageous custom engineering of vehicles, albeit within an entirely different program format. * ''NASCAR Angels'': Rebuilds cars (cosmetic, and mechanical) for needy, or deserving fans. * ''

Overhaulin' ''Overhaulin'' is an American automotive reality television series. The show originally ran for five seasons between 2004 and 2008 on TLC. After a four-year hiatus, sixth season premiered on October 2, 2012 on Velocity and Discovery (Cablevision ...

'': Car restoration, but with an emphasis on performance enhancements, and focused around American

muscle car Muscle car is a description according to '' Merriam-Webster Dictionary'' that came to use in 1966 for "a group of American-made two-door sports coupes with powerful engines designed for high-performance driving." The '' Britannica Dictionary'' ...

s and

pickup truck A pickup truck or pickup is a light-duty truck that has an enclosed cabin, and a back end made up of a cargo bed that is enclosed by three low walls with no roof (this cargo bed back end sometimes consists of a tailgate and removable covering) ...

s. * ''

'': CMT's equivalent to ''Pimp My Ride'' features the Chrome Shop Mafia customizing

semi-trailer truck A semi-trailer truck, also known as a semitruck, (or semi, eighteen-wheeler, big rig, tractor-trailer or, by synecdoche, a semitrailer) is the combination of a tractor unit and one or more semi-trailers to carry freight. A semi-trailer ...

s for lucky fans. * ''

Unique Whips ''Unique Whips'' is an American reality television show that aired on the now-defunct Speed network from 2005 to 2008. It premiered on February 8, 2005, The show follows the work of Unique Autosports, based in Long Island, New York, as they customi ...

'': The East Coast equivalent of West Coast Customs

Other countries

* ''Meke My Waka'' (New Zealand) A similar program shown on

Māori Television Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

. * ''All the Gear No Idea!'' (United Kingdom), on the

Men & Motors Men & Motors was a men's lifestyle television channel in the UK. It was the last remaining station operated by the former Granada Sky Broadcasting joint venture, set up by Granada Television (now part of ITV plc) and satellite broadcaster Briti ...

channel, dealt with motorcycles, with the bike being shipped to US customiser LA County Choprods for work. Unlike other similar shows, the owner of the bike also received a makeover. * ''Dale' Sayaratak ( ar, دلع سيارتك "Spoil Your Car")'', which aired on

MBC 1 MBC 1 may refer to: * MBC 1 (Mauritian TV channel), a TV channel in Mauritius by the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation * MBC1 (Middle Eastern and North African TV channel) MBC 1 is a free-to-air pan-Arab general television channel. Satel ...

. The popular

malt beverage A malt drink is a fermented drink in which the primary ingredient is the grain, or seed, of the barley plant, which has been allowed to sprout slightly in a traditional way called " malting" before it is processed. By far the most predominant ...

company "Barbican" sponsored this show and they also "pimped" the cars and showed them in their commercials. * ''

Wheeler Dealers Wheeler Dealers is a British TV series originally produced by Attaboy TV for the Discovery Channel in the UK and for Motor Trend in the U.S. The programme is fronted by car enthusiast and former dealer Mike Brewer with mechanics Edd China (Seri ...

'', a British television program about car makeover and restoration.

References

External links

* {{MTV Network programs 2000s American reality television series 2004 American television series debuts 2007 American television series endings Automotive television series MTV reality television series