Millie Presland
Digital Marketing Executive
What are replica cars?
A replica car, also known as a kit car, is when you take a vehicle and transform it into a different model. They’re designed in a way to resemble the appearance as closely as possible so you cant tell it’s a fake, meaning you’ve probably already drove past many cool cars without realising they’re not genuine. The replica doesn’t have to be two different versions of the same model, it can quite literally be a Toyota made into a Ferrari – insane, right?! 🤯
So how does it work?
The process of replicating a car can range from being pretty simple to being very expensive, depending on the model you’re trying to recreate. Simply speaking you have to get the components and parts of the model that you’d like to copy, and fit them onto yours. There are many manufacturers that sell the parts for you to buy and then assemble into a working car, however for the more major mechanical systems, they will usually need to be bought from a donor vehicle. 🚘
About one of our replicas
As seen on the Calvin’s Car Diary YouTube channel on the “We transformed the fake Golf R” video, we previously gave away a boring old VW Golf GT TDI that’d had it’s own makeover to turn into something way cooler! 😎
To start off with, we replaced the original features with actual Golf R features. We did this on things such as the steering wheel, gearstick, seats and wheels to help make it more similar to a Golf R inside. We also gave the wing mirror a matte silver finish which is a common Golf trademark. Then the main factor we changed on the car was the colour: it went from a basic black to being wrapped in a gorgeous grey colour to complete the look.
Replica car pros and cons
So let’s weigh up the pros and cons here and see if replicating a car is worth it.
| Pros😀 | Cons🙁 |
|---|---|
| Can offer everything the genuine car has for cheaper. | Difficult to remain problem-free. |
| Can be customised to your preference. | May not be practical for everyday use. |
| The value of them always grows. | They don’t hold up well in the winter/cold. |
So are they really worth it?
Ultimately whether they’re worth it or not is down to you. If you have an expensive taste in cars and would love one for the fraction of the price, then a replica is definitely your best bet to give you what you want. If however you are looking for an original primarily due to its history or performance, then a replica is unlikely to satisfy your thirst. Replica’s have noticeably become more and more popular over the years since so many people love them, meaning they must be worth it right?
The list goes on with them as there are endless opportunities to how you can create your car, it can be vintage, modern, sporty or unique and exactly how you want them. Overall it’s a personal decision but as always, whatever puts a smile on your face is all that matters: replica or not! 😁
Millie Presland
Digital Marketing Executive
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