![Stanced MK4 R32 Golf](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Stanced_MK4_R32_Golf.jpg)
The stance of a vehicle is determined by its
suspension
Suspension or suspended may refer to:
Science and engineering
* Suspension (topology), in mathematics
* Suspension (dynamical systems), in mathematics
* Suspension of a ring, in mathematics
* Suspension (chemistry), small solid particles suspend ...
height and the fitment of the wheels in the fender arches. It may refer to any vehicle, including sports cars,
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 and
off-road vehicle
An off-road vehicle, sometimes referred to as an overland or adventure vehicle, is considered to be any type of vehicle which is capable of driving on and off paved or gravel surface. It is generally characterized by having large tires with dee ...
s, however it is mostly associated with lowered
sports cars
A sports car is a car designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by ...
, sedans, hatchbacks, vans and other body styles of passenger cars. The term stance is most commonly associated with the stanced car subculture, a style of modifying cars which emphasizes lowering cars, typically with either coilovers or air suspension, and often adding negative camber to the wheels to achieve the "stanced" look. The main parameters of the vehicle's stance are suspension height and position of the wheels. Suspension height usually depends on the suspension components while wheel position usually depends on the rim size and offset. Tire fitment also plays a big role from both visual and functional perspective.
Customization Style
![Bo Huff Car Show 2018](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/Bo_Huff_Car_Show_2018.jpg)
The term "stance" or "stanced" is often used to describe a car customization style. The term "stance" is often used in conjunction with "slammed" or "lowered". Key elements of the stance style are: lowered suspension (lowering springs, coilovers or air suspension), stretched tires and negative camber. Oftentimes, the main purpose of a stanced car project is to achieve an improved visual appeal rather than improved performance characteristics or handling, however some cars combine both. Stance is related to other modification styles such as JDM (Japanese Domestic Market), Euro style and
VIP style.
A popular lowered stance customization that first emerged in the 1940s was the taildragger car, described by
Motor Trend
''MotorTrend'' is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, and designated the first Car of the Year, also in 1949.
Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles published ''MotorTrend'' until 19 ...
as follows:
Negative Camber
![Cambe angle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/Cambe_angle.svg)
Camber is a measurement from the centerline of the wheel/tire relative to the road's surface. Negative camber is when the top of the wheel/tire angles inward toward the center of the vehicle. When done sparingly, negative camber greatly improves the handling characteristics of a vehicle. It does this by keeping the center of the tire perpendicular to the road when the car is turning. Therefore, allowing the optimum amount of tire tread to contact the road.
![Osaka Auto Messe 2016 (395) - euromagic voomeran GOLF5 R32](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Osaka_Auto_Messe_2016_%28395%29_-_euromagic_voomeran_GOLF5_R32.jpg)
Conversely, negative camber will decrease tire grip in straight line acceleration and braking. This is due to the same reasoning, when the vehicle is not turning less tread will be in contact with the road or track, resulting in less grip and lost performance. Many drift cars, however, use negative camber on their front wheels for better handling characteristics as the negative camber keeps the contact patch of the tire perpendicular to the road when going through turns with much steering angle.
While most normal vehicles maintain about 0.5° - 1° of camber, in the stance community, some owners run up to 45° of negative camber to achieve the stance they are looking for.
Origin
Some sources credit the origin of the "stance" style to motorsport, stating that enthusiasts started seeking to modify their cars to replicate the low to the ground look of race cars, as typically, most racecars designed for race tracks feature low and stiff suspension along with light and wide sport wheels for better handling and cornering on the race tracks.
If the original approach was based on the functional standpoint, modern modification style is often based on the visual standpoint. Extremely lowered cars tend to be show cars and typically do not play the role of daily driver or race car. Extreme body work, suspension and wheel setups often make them less comfortable to drive on public roads and sometimes unsafe.
Culture and Events
The origin of many of the key elements of modern "stance" style is typically credited to Japan, however, other countries previously have also had similar subcultures of car modification that developed largely independently of Japan, and as such, the true origins of "stance" is hard to pinpoint as the style has spread to many countries. Stance centric car shows are hosted around the world on most continents. Events happen yearly that host many stanced cars, such as Stancenation, Wörthersee Treffen, FittedUK, Wekfest, Raceism and H2Oi. There is also a significant stanced car presence at larger events such as
SEMA
Sama ( tr, Sema, Persian, Urdu and ar, سَمَاع - ''samā‘un'') is a Sufi ceremony performed as part of the meditation and prayer practice dhikr. Sama means "listening", while dhikr means "remembrance".During, J., and R. Sellheim. "Sama ...
,
Tokyo Auto Salon
The is an annual auto show held in January at the Makuhari Messe, Chiba City, Japan for Performance and custom aftermarket parts and technology displays. Hosted by thNippon Auto Parts Aftermarket Committee (NAPAC)
The Tokyo Auto Salon is one of ...
and
Osaka Auto Messe The Osaka Auto Messe (''大阪オートメッセ'') is an annual auto show that is held at Intex Osaka in Osaka, Japan since 1997. It focuses on modified car and car after parts.
It is one of the biggest auto shows in Japan. Usually, it is held fo ...
.
References
{{commons category, Stanced cars
Vehicle design