Pimp My Ride

In the name of spreading peace, tolerance and gangsta-style rollin' rapper Xzibit visits the unfortunate majority of us who have clapped out cars and selects those worthy enough for help. The cars he selects he takes to West Coast Customs to get them "pimped" – by which I mean they get fixed up, jazzed up and made to be eye-catching and stylish beyond practical use.

Having spent some time in America last year, I was able to see quite a few programmes in this series before seeing it on MTV in the UK. The concept of the show will be nothing new to those of us lucky enough to live in the UK and have been bombarded by reality makeover shows on rooms, gardens, homes, diets, bodies etc, the only thing that is strange is why it took them so long to turn to vehicles as the subject of the show. Of course this is not a make over show in the traditional sense because it goes to silly extremes, making it a process with less value perhaps but making it quite engaging viewing. Each show I see I am amazed at the junk they manage to put into these cars and can't help wonder if it will last ten minutes parked outside the homes of some of the subjects – my car has been broken into several times and I don't even have a PS2 and flat TV screens in there! For some of them I think that once one of their new, fat tyres need replacing then they are going to have to sell a kidney to afford it.

Nonetheless I watch it; maybe it is the fact that I myself "roll" in an 18 year old Nissan but it is fun to watch them trashing the cars and rebuilding them. Of course the actual design of the cars themselves is the least enjoyable bit because the process is silly – mostly all that remains of the original car is an element of the body and it may have been easier to buy them a new one. Also, the guys in the shop are so OTT and take themselves so seriously that it is a bit off putting and I wished they would mock themselves more given just how silly their work is. A major downside to the show (on top of the silliness) is that it does encourage dissatisfaction and materialism by making fun of those with basic cars and promoting the idea that you're nobody with a flashy/big/noisy ride – as an introvert and an environmentalist, this is not a view I support, nor would I like to think that some people will go deeper into dept just to "pimp" their ride.

Of course this is reading too much into the show and I never really worried about this too much while watching thanks to one massive factor in the show being fun – Xzibit. As well as being a solid, if unoriginal voice in hip-hop, he is a natural presenter and never takes it seriously at any point. He is great at laughing at the old cars and delivers some hilarious lines, for example (my favourite) when a guy exclaims he has never had rims before, X grabs the camera and shouts "hey – he's a first time rimmer" – I'm pretty sure he meant it in "that" way and I was rolling on the floor! He is a breath of fresh air in a world full of rapper/actors who puff themselves up and talk a lot of fighting – he is simply a really natural guy and he makes for a great host.

Overall this is just a trashy reality makeover show no matter how you dress it up but the excesses, silliness and novelty value make it entertaining nevertheless. The promotion of the materialistic dream of money, cars, brand names etc is a bit of a put off but thankfully this is put out of the mind by great presentation from Xzibit, who is as funny and charismatic as he is OTT!

"Pimp my Ride" shows the best of the worst of today's awful cars. Rapper Xzibit will take someone's terrible rundown car to the incredible "West Coast Customs" shop and 'pimp' the car up with the most up-to-date electronics, interiors, rims, and paint jobs.

The transformation of these cars is jaw-dropping. At the beginning, the car are literally held together with duct tape and bungie cords. In the end, the car looks brand new with sound systems so loud they make dogs howl in a 5 mile radius.

Normally, I don't for MTV shows but this is an awesome surprise. This show is highly recommended.

10/10

You know it by heart: Xzibit goes to view one of the worst wreck of a car ever, and makes jokes about it. Xzibit drives the disaster to the West Coast Customs, to have even more jokes bout it. A brainstorming session with suggestions to make a bling bling of a ride out of that wreck. Then the car transforms from rags to riches, the car's owner goes bananas, and takes his "ride" to his, or her, friends to go bananas too!

It never changes; being like The A-Team of the 2000s, whereas "formulaic" is the only fate. Some points assure that it isn't a coincidence; like how the cars' owners are always a 20 something girl or boy. But why would I complain?

Actually, the formulism of the show is compensated by some elements. Firstly, the forever golden one: the idea of changing to better, or advancement, which we all desire to see. Not for our cars alone, but for selves and lives. Doing this, every episode, for free, in no time, diligently and richly, has to affect you directly and yet deeply, to feel good, about something ruined gone fixed, or feel that every finished thing can get another, very lucky, chance; which is the ultimate feel good of all!

Secondly, the clever hosting. Xzibit is the perfect host for such a show. Despite his swearing, which I hate, he has lovely presence and forever fresh jokes. Let alone Mad Mike; who sometimes "performs" himself as a character, which works highly.

Thirdly, the "pimping" of the car. The creative ideas of the show's team do impress. Maybe so excessive at times, but all along different. It's just the matter of many screens in the car's truck which I have never loved or understood!

So, "formulaic" isn't wholly bad, if only filled with the right elements. This show will live long, as much as it doesn't apply to "seen one episode, you've seen them all"!

It's amazing that a body shop named West Coast Customs can turn a near junkyard material vehicle into a play house on wheels. The show is hosted by rapper Xihibit,and his garage pal decorators at West Coast Customs. This show is fun to watch and give people ideas on encouraging them to fix up their hoopties(An old beat up car). From installing a photo booth in one of the cars to installing a shoe rack,these guys can do it all at West Coast Customs. These guys will find out what you enjoy and put it in your vehicle. They need to have something like that on the east coast but it'll probably be very expensive,and if I want all those accessories in my vehicle I'll just get a new one. But it's exciting to see the guest faces after their vehicles been remodeled. Never in a million years these guest think their vehicles could ever be made over into the road of luxury. Xihibit is charming and funny with the guests. Just another way to keep the checks rolling in his pocket.

This is a fun reality show. The basic plot is about someone who has got a rundown car and this guy called Xzibit and his car crew turn these rundown cars into exotic cars.

The best thing about this show is that everyone can enjoy it - no bad language, nudity or violence.

The atmosphere during the show is friendly as everyone who is watching it are amazed by the wizardry of these cars being customized.

Not only are men getting their cars "pimped up", there are more women having their cars decked out in shiny new paint jobs, thumping stereos, smooth interiors, flash mag wheels, and sweet exhaust notes.

One car is pimped up over the 30 minutes of every show. There is the background of the vehicle and the owner, the pimping crew go over how to pimp up the car.

The car doesn't take itself too seriously, as it's all about creativity and imagination (for the automated mind).

No one loses in this show, everyone's a winner. All we need is a pimping crew in Australia........