Pimp My Ride (Courtesy Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Pimp My Ride is a TV show produced by MTV. Each episode consists of taking one automobile in poor condition and restoring and customizing it.

The original United States version was hosted by rapper Xzibit. In 2005, MTV2 began airing episodes from Pimp My Ride UK hosted by DJ Tim Westwood, which features cars being customised in the UK, and Pimp My Ride International, featuring cars in central Europe, hosted by hip hop artists Fat Joe and Lil' Jon, as well as the related CMT series Trick My Truck.

Format

This show picked young car owners living in Los Angeles or elsewhere in Southern California and customized their vehicles at no cost to them. An episode of Pimp My Ride generally began with the participant showing their car off, and convincing MTV why it needed to be "pimped". After this segment, the host (normally rapper Xzibit, but occasionally guest hosts such as Chamillionaire) arrived at the participant's house, inspected the car himself, made wisecracks about the particular things that were wrong with it, and promised the owner a complete makeover of the vehicle.

After examining the car, the host takes it to the custom body shop West Coast Customs (WCC) in Seasons 1"4; (replaced by Galpin Auto Sports (GAS) starting Season 5), where the shop team generally replaced most of the components and rebuilt the interior and exterior from scratch, and in special cases the engine too.

Each car was custom modified, 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: Underground 2 game, while a bowler had a ball spinner installed in his trunk, and a surfer got a clothes dryer in the back of his Volkswagen Bus. Work usually includes new paint and accessories (such as racing car seats, a spoiler, short shifter, Weighted Gear Knob, LED head lights and tail lights, etc.), chrome, tires and wheels, as well as internal electronics (DVD players, video games, and large TFT screens). While most changes were only cosmetic, and mechanical work was generally only done to enable the car to run, the show sometimes replaced engines. Both WCC and GAS are well known for putting their own whimsical touches in their work, such as the aforementioned dryer, or an electric fireplace in the trunk of another vehicle. There was a lot of humor involved from the body shop team and Xzibit himself, much of it self-deprecating. A typical conversion takes about 12 days.

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.

Auto Bild

In 2006 the German Car Magazine "Auto Bild" had the opportunity to interview the WCC team. At first Auto Bild had to wait about three hours to get into the building and during the first interview with "Mad Mike" they were kicked out. After that, according to "Auto Bild", an MTV assistant who took a break talked to them because he thought they were new employees. He told them that the whole show was faked. The ideas for the conversions were dictated by MTV, and WCC just had to make them look real. He also told them that the gadgets just had to function as long as the cameras were recording.

Seasons and episodes

Seasons 1-4

Much of the appeal of the show comes from the personalities involved. The WCC employees are a mix of outgoing personalities, such as:

• Owner Ryan Friedlinghaus
• Manager Q
• The heavily pierced tire-specialist Alex
• Tough-looking interior and fabric maven Ish
• Electronics (and outrageous engineering) expert Mad Mike (real name Mike Martin)
• The appropriately named Big Dane
• Paint Guys Aren, Jimmy, 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, Missouri called Coast 2 Coast Customs. Ryan Friedlinghaus, the owner of WCC, was featured in Season 4 as the "lead" for discussions on what customizing will be done on the incoming cars

Seasons 5"6

Beginning with the fifth season, the show moved to another garage, Galpin Auto Sports (GAS), as Ryan, the WCC Owner, moved his shop to Corona, California and said that he yanked the shop's participation because he thought the show was too gimmicky with its ugly duckling-to-swan TV format. He has signed a deal with another television production company for cable channel TLC, where they made Street Customs, which is now out of production; it is said to have a more realistic portrayal of how a custom car shop really operates. However, the show retains Mad Mike (who has quit at WCC and signed at GAS), now dubbed a "car customization specialist", but he retains himself as an electrician. The new cast includes the employees of GAS:

• Owner " Beau Boeckmann,
• Electronics Expert And "The Wizard of Wiring" Mad Mike' Michael Martin,
• The Wheels & Tires Specialist " Gyasi,
• Paint " Luis,
• Accessories " "Diggity" Dave Aragon
• Fabrication/Car Audio/Security/Motorization " Jason Ewing
• Fabrication/Design " Zee
• Upholstery " Rick

Replacement vehicles

On only three occasions — all season finales "? did the show not "pimp" the original automobile:

• In the first instance, the car to be pimped was actually two halves of two Ford Escorts welded together in a "cut and shut" job; the car was considered unsafe and replaced with a Scion xB.
• In the second instance the participant was studying to be an auto mechanic, and WCC decided to let him "pimp" his car as a study project, giving him a Toyota 4Runner
• In the most recent such incident, Xzibit felt the owner's car, a Nissan Pulsar, was not worth fixing, as heat from the car's engine was leaking into the cab. They had switched it with a Ford Mustang.

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 is one of MTV's most popular shows with nearly all of its worldwide viewers, and also in the US, where it is second place to The Real World (which is generally much less known outside of the United States). Country Music Television, also owned by MTV parent Viacom, has a show called Trick My Truck that operates on the same principle, but only customizes semi-trailer trucks.

In the USA all 7 seasons are currently being shown on Speed TV network with all verbal references to MTV dubbed out and images on all TV monitors installed in "pimped" cars pixilated due to copyright issues.

Canada

Canada's music network, MuchMusic, 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, airs the show subtitled in French under the title Pimp mon char ("char" is Quebec French slang for "car"). However in August 2008 MuchMusic regained their rights to re-air Pimp My Ride, but airing Season 5 and 6.

Europe

A UK version of the show launched on 26 June 2005, presented by the DJ Tim Westwood (famously known only by his last name). Carisma Automotive are the customisers for the UK version. The employees in Carisma Automotive are:

• A legendary boss Jamie Shaw
• Old man bald head paint expert Ronnie
• Bodywork king Martin
• Designer chick Pinky
• Accessories brawn Richie
• Audio and Multimedia punk Bluey
• Wiring and installation guru Matty
• Wheels and tyres prince Junior (Stuart) " who left in 2008

On 1 October 2008 also the Baltic version of the show was first launched. Highway nation was responsible for pimping all cars. Three vehicles were pimped in the Baltic version:

1. Nissan Bluebird in Lithuania
2. Honda Civic in Latvia
3. Fiat Panda in Estonia

The German-language MTV Central has two adaptations of the show called Pimp My Fahrrad (English: "Pimp My Bicycle") and Pimp My Whatever. On Pimp My Fahrrad,] the bike shop Elbcoast Psycles redoes almost the entire bicycle, usually leaving only the frame intact. While the show could be seen as a parody of the US original, it is also a tribute, using all the elements of the US show with a bicycle twist. As Germany's vehicle inspection is among the strictest in the world, 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. In Pimp My Whatever ElbCoast Psychles return once more to pimp anything from a bathroom and a doghouse to a birthday party or even someone's brother. Pimp My Whatever is hosted by MTV presenter Patrice Bouédibéla. Both shows are located in Hamburg. The original US Pimp My Ride is shown in English language with German subtitles.

MTV Italy also features a different version of Pimp My Ride, called Pimp My Wheels. Hosted by the Italian hip hop group Gemelli Diversi, Pimp My Wheels turns old rusty motorscooters or motorcycles into brand-new shiny vehicles.

Pimp My Ride is currently broadcasting in almost all European countries with Pimp My Ride International, 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 Lil' Jon and Fat Joe.

A French version of Pimp My Ride has started broadcasting on MTV France on September 2, 2009. It is hosted by Ramzy Bedia, a French comedian.

MTV Spain created a version of Pimp My Ride, called MTV TUNING in Spain, presented by Spanish rapper Duo Kie, by pimping the most voted car on the list of cars at mtv.es resulting in more than 1400 videos sent to vote for on the website. The winner was a girl from Burgos with a Peugeot 309. The program was so successful that mtv.es has stated that they will do more chapters.

MTV Poland has a Polish version of Pimp My Ride called Pimp My Ride by Coca-Cola Zero. It has started airing on October 23, 2011 and is hosted by Polish rapper Waldemar Kasta.

Middle East

Pimp My Ride is syndicated in Persian language on an Iranian music channel, Persian Music Channel PMC

Pimp My Ride is also broadcasting on MTV Arabia, the new MTV channel for the Arab world, although MTV Arabia didn't start the show from the beginning. Instead they started broadcasting the show from Season

An Arabic version has started broadcasting on MBC 1 called Dale' Sayaratak (). A malt beverage manufacturing company "Barbican" sponsored this show and they also "pimped" the cars and showed them in their commercials.

South America

MTV Brazil have started the Brazilian Pimp My Ride version, hosted by rock singer Jericho Southall, from the group Matanza.

Pakistan

MTV Pakistan aired the show.The Pakistan Reality Series Just Drive is based on the same concept which airs on ARY Musik and is hosted by Ahmed Safdar

Malaysia

MTV Asia airs the show and is hosted by Malaysian rapper Altimet and MTV's very own VJ Rich.

DVD releases

American version

Title	Region 1	Region 2	Extras
The Complete First Season	March 22, 2005	February 6, 2006	TBA
The Complete Second Season	November 26, 2008	May 21, 2007	TBA
The Complete Third Season	November 26, 2008	TBA	TBA
The Complete Fourth Season	November 26, 2008	TBA	TBA
The Complete Fifth Season	November 26, 2008	TBA	TBA

Video games

Pop culture references

Since the show's debut, Pimp My Ride has been referred to numerous times by other television shows and comedic acts; several similar shows have aired on other networks. Other companies, including MTV itself, have spoofed the series on their own shows, acts, or television commercials.

As part of a 2006 advertising campaign, Volkswagen created a series of television commercials called VDub, starring Swedish actor Peter Stormare as an effete German engineer named Wolfgang. The ads were created as a parody of the Pimp My Ride TV Show. The three 30-second spots became something of an Internet phenomenon when popular automotive news website Leftlane News uploaded the ads to the video distribution service, YouTube.

Xzibit appeared as a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and a sketch was shown called "Pimp My Bride". The sketch shows a typical bride forming into a lingerie-bearing bride, with an LCD screen attached to her back (which is very common in the MTV program itself). The sketch was filmed in the same style as the show, most notably the camera angles.

Additionally, due to his association with the show Xzibit has attained popularity as an Internet meme, whereby his picture is juxtaposed with recursive statements beginning with "Yo Dawg" and following the format of "Yo dawg, I heard you like Y-ing so we put an X in your Z so you can Y while you action_with_Z", where Y is an action able to be done with/by X, like X=pool and Y=swim and Z=car. Here are some examples: "Yo Dawg, I heard you like cars so we put a car in your car so you can drive while you drive." or "Yo Dawg, I heard yo and yo dog like yo-yos so we put yo dog in a yo-yo so yo can yo-yo yo dog while yo dog yo-yos, dawg" Xzibit isn't too thrilled with this trend, however, he does find some of the pictures to be quite funny, and even made an attempt at creating a joke himself, which went: "YO DAWG, I hear you can't hear, so I put a hearing aid in yo hearing to listen while you're listening".

Legal action

Viacom, the owner of the Pimp My Ride franchise, has made legal threats against a number of small business owners over the use of the words Pimp My... in business names. Businesses using the names Pimp My Pet and Pimp My Snack have been threatened with legal action for an alleged breach of a trademark owned by Viacom. The website Pimp My Snack is now known as Pimp That Snack.

Similar programs

Thematic variations

• Monster Garage: 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': Like Pimp My Ride, Overhaulin' features automobiles in poor condition being restored to show-quality. However, Overhaulin' places emphasis on performance enhancements, works with a set time limit (usually a week), tricks vehicle owners into parting with their cars, and is aimed for a more mature audience. Although ostensibly a competitor of Pimp My Ride, one episode featured a WCC paint job.
• Ride with Funkmaster Flex: Produced by MTV, reviews interesting cars.
• Trick My Truck: CMT's equivalent to Pimp My Ride features the Chrome Shop Mafia customizing semi-trailer trucks for lucky fans.
• Unique Whips: The East Coast equivalent of West Coast Customs

Foreign versions

• Pimp My Car (MTV Indonesia) a version of Pimp My Ride.
• Pimp My Room (MTV, 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".
• Pimp My Wheels (MTV, Italy) in which mopeds and motorcycles are customized.
• Meke My Waka (New Zealand) A similar program shown on M?ori Television.
• All the Gear No Idea! (British) for Men & Motors, but mainly deal with motorcycles which the bike get shipped to US customiser LA County Choprods for a customisation, unlike other motor-makeover shows, its owner receives a makeover.
• Fire Hjul Og En Overhaling (Danish) for "four wheels and an overhaul" a team pimps the owners car, but has to be inspired by 3 different items from the house of the owner.
• Tuneame la Nave (México) a similar programa broadcasted on TV Azteca and aired on Azteca 7. It's hosted by Daddy Yankee.
• Pimp My Fahrrad (German) where bicycles are pimped by ElbCoast Psycles.
• Pimp My Whatever (German) where anything can be pimped.

Parodies

• Pimp My Kettle (MTV Australia) a series of short mini-documentaries about pimping kitchen kettles (also hosted on the website). The website also includes pictures of real kettles pimped by artists and professional car customizers.
• Chav My Motor (UK) satire, based on the boy racer culture of car modification amongst Chavs.
• Skanger me Banger (Irish), hosted by 'Colin Farrell', who skangers 'Damos' Honda Civic. This is an obvious parody with Irish trance tunes and set in inner city.
• Pimp My Sleigh (Ukraine)
• Pimp My Chair (Canadian) A parody by the Loading Ready Run crew involving pimping out an old chair
• Pimp My Sister (US) Robot Chicken Episode
• PC Tuzing Anniversary (Slovakian) PMR Styled parody about tuning computers, or just turning them to scrap.
• Pimp my PC (Germany) A parody by the German gaming magazine GameStar in their DVD series "Die Redaktion" (translation: editorial department)
• The webcomic Unshelved hosted a Pimp My Bookcart contest from 2006 through 2010.

Other

• Darius Goes West A documentary that has won over 25 international film awards. In the summer of 2005 a group takes their friend who was Duchenne muscular dystrophy on a journey from Athens, Georgia to Los Angeles in hopes to have his wheelchair modified on Pimp my ride. In addition, the journey documents wheelchair accessibility, Darius' first time leaving his home town and the various stops along the journey.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Pimp My Ride". Reality TV World is not responsible for any errors or omissions this article may contain.