THE EMBARRASSING TRUTH ABOUT UK CAR CULTURE 

Getting old but I’m still a petrolhead and can appreciate nicely built and modified cars. Unfortunately lately the trend is to have a car with pop&bang map and call it ‘tuning’. It’s cringe as F.

Uk car scene. Financed car, pop and bang map, set of coilovers and some wheels, then the obligatory matching track suits and man bags. The epitomy of shit. 😶

Mid 90s car meets we’re just the best times cosworths r/s turbos everywehere .max power days 🤘

This stuff always happened, only diffrence is everybody didnt gave a camera phone in there pockets and uploading it to social media.

The problem is, in the old days cars were different and modded properly..and a lot of people just liked to view them. Nowadays the scene is POWER and the only way to show it off is by ragging it everywhere

Financed ST's and Golfs already make our shows awful.

Interesting take on it all and hard agree with the obsession with pop and bang maps. If your car pops a bit on the overrun when it’s warmed up that’s lovely, if it sounds like a firework display on the way to Maccies you’re an embarrassment to your family.

Yep, we have the same issues in the US. I built my car for autocross and trackdays but I also like to go to local car meets and shows to talk to people and encourage them to try the safer autocross and trackdays rather than doing 'stupid' stuff on the streets. We have lost several spots for meets due to people being disrespectful to the owners or the group putting on the event. Not sure what the solution is but I keep trying to talk to as many people as I can.

I think it’s always been a thing to be honest. The only difference is that in the 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s, it wasn’t recorded and put on social media. Ask your dads or uncles what they used to get up to and they will be able to tell you personal stories or stories of others doing insane stuff. We all did silly stuff in cars and some of us can say we can got away with it. The law nowadays doesn’t want anyone to get away with it because it’s a great way of making money because the people driving nice cars are the only ones that will pay.

Gutted this wasn’t a build vid but a really interesting alternative and well put together 👌🏻

I blame it all on 'pops and bangs bruv' 🙄

Great video. Definitely think a small number of people let it down for the majority such as leaving places at speed and making as much noise as possible. Who knows how it can be resolved in the future as can’t please everybody. Keep up the epic videos. Just subscribed.

People only care about the “instagram clout” and street racing in “mexico” because they’re a “certi driver”

Great alternative video on how the car scene is changing and I agree with you every way, if this carries on will we have shows to go to must have to clamp down on the attitude of these people who ruin other people's passion

Really enjoyed this little switch up from the usual video style! Keep up the good work!

Correct Chris, I think this is also the reason it’s getting a lot more costly to insure certain cars. I have an m140i and since gaining 3 years extra no claims - 9 years total. My insurance has risen 50%. The company has said this is due to horrendous claims coming from m140i drivers in the last few years I.e drivers coming out of a 1L eco boost into a 300+ brake m140 tuned to the moon

Mad the fact how Ethan still turns up to the airport strip in his m3 every Sunday. Yet it’s “not your scene”🤣 💩

Great video Chris. The street scene has changed so much since the late 70s early 80s when we were cruising the streets.

Good topic. Cheaper track days is what's needed. Take the danger off the street!

When I was younger, my dad used to take me to many car meets. They were usually well organised and they used abandoned airstrips for racing, car sound system, loudest exhaust etc. That’s the way forward if anyone can get a permission.

Best fun I ever had with My R33 GTR VSpec RB30/26 was down at Ace's Cafe. Was quite a while ago now, but awesome day out.

If you own any of these cars and go to any car park meets, youre car is not a sports car, you cant drive fast, stop accelerating hard and you should never rev bomb anyone ever, grow up: Any Pre 2020: VW Golf anything less than an R BMW 1 Series anything less than a 135 Ford Fiesta All of them are slow Honda Civic anything less than an Type -R VW Polo all of them are slow A-Class anything less than an AMG Ford Focus anything less than an RS Audi A1 and A3 anything less than a RS Vauxhall Corsa and Astra all of them are rubbish If there are any other rude boy cars youre sick of seeing, just comment below. I am so glad this video highlights the council estate car guy warriors.

I’m 62 and still love cars. Nothing new here as I remember going to Southend car cruises where similar things would happen at pier hill and the kursal roundabout with all the custom cars with chromed up exposed rear axles. People would try to get back ends of cars out round at each roundabout with police just watching.As soon as it’s shut down in one place it will just start up at another. The cars get more powerful and unfortunately minor errors can be fatal .

Great vid, nice to get out of the garage, do some road trips this summer to obscure locations

Nice to see my car in a youtube vid - the Cupra Estate on track at 0:12... The other problem with track days is not just how expensive they are (e.g. Gassed on Track shown at the beginning of the vid was £250 for half a day, then there's fuel, brake pads and tyres, track day insurance etc. to think about on top of that), but the fact that there's only a single track (Blyton Park) in the entire country that regularly does weekend track days. What else are people who like driving their cars and watching/meeting other people driving supposed to do on a weekend. Whenever I go to a race or show on a weekend, I get bored and want to go drive my car - I'm very fortunate to be able to do regular track days and don't have to worry too much if I have a problem since I work from home. There are even fewer organised Rallys than there are trackdays, and the ones that there are, are very difficult to find out about, or prohibitively exclusive/expensive as track days for most people, especially well organised ones if you want to avoid the same kind of yobbish behaviour at supermarket/industrial estate meets and being stuck in a jam of dozens of noisy boy racers with dangerous driving habits, and even if you manage that, you're on public roads where you can't drive anywhere near the full capability of pretty much any car, and could still just spend hours in traffic and having to avoid farm vehicles and white van drivers on the wrong side of the road while you're trying to enjoy a nice scenic route in the countryside.

Really like this style video Chris, shows how car culture has shifted (some good, some bad) - who knows where it will end up!

There used to be a car show on an industrial estate which was practically Burger King's car park in the evenings after all the other businesses had closed. It was usually a good showing of classics and Americana. It got so popular that often celebs turned up either to show off a classic or walk round looking at them. It was really popular for many years. Until the Boom box and underlighter bozs turned up in straight piped civics and fiestas It wasn't long before the classics disappeared along with the Americana and were replaced with the EVO squad pretty soon the only people that went to see them was the Police!

Good to meet you at caffine and machine Chris M3 looking good

Every night I hear the revving and the squeals of tires. The police sirens between 10 PM and 1 AM as I live beside a long stretch of 4 lanes "highway". There is a culvert median and almost each morning there are fresh tracks of kids that spun out. They're doing 1/2 mile "races" and have their cars all pulled into a public parking lot. Cops do try to get them off the road, but it is 30 minutes later and they are back. The road has a max speed of 55 miles but most go 80 or more. I love seeing souped up cars and see them on the track (we have two tracks nearby) and just wondering why they do not open the tracks, but that has to do with insurance and such I assume.

Good work calling out the street racing Chris. The more RU-vidrs do this the better! Re performance did a great bit on it the other month

LOVE THIS VIDEO - Thanks for making it Chris.

The car scene has been like this for absolute years now I can’t see it improving apart from places like caffeine and machine and dubclub, these days “car time” is spent just sat at home going through insta 🤦🏻😂

It's really sad being a petrol head nowadays

I go to wheels on Wednesday. Worcestershire. Nice variation of motors and no stupid driving. Nice video btw

I used to run some of the car meets and its meant to be static. The issue we had was that they are public and hard to regulate with a handfull of people. Sometime we would see 100+ cars in a tesco car park for example and the same as caffeine and machines issue, the minority will always ruin it for the majority. There are a selection of people out there who just dont care about the car culture. They only care about being centre of attention at the time 🙈

Good video chris very interesting different from your usual but I enjoyed. Maybe future video on insurance costs for younger drivers also mods people do to their cars at car meets . Why on earth you dont have more subscribers is beyond me.. Same for evil gt used to love watching Ben All the best and keep me real and you will get to mats league 😊

Your face says it all! Glad I'm not the only one that feels the same way.

Great informative and opinion-filled video. Sadly I feel like it's a two-sided affair where there isn't any helping legislation so the people make up their own rules outside of it and gives car culture a bad image to the public eye.

Great video this! Also purchased obd11 with your link too thanks

Used to go to car park meets and I found them as pointless then as I do now. Organised events and sites that specifically cater for the community like caffeine and machine is the only way forward

There are two different groups of nobheads here. Some with expensive cars revving the nuts off with no front plates and some with chaved up cheap cars revving the nuts off in a B&M car park.

When Chris was lack luster enthused I totally agreed. It’s was when you were first licensed that may be fun. But 6 weeks later it’s lame

Fair play chris there's so many issues regarding driving in the UK as it is with poor/terrible drivers. The last thing we need is to lose our car scene because of anti-social behaviour and people who don't care about how they behaviour and how its affecting other people, businesses and daily life for everyone with unnecessary traffic. As cafe and machine say "DON'T BE A DICK"

What ls your price list for valeting and detailing Chris ?

Love these kind of videos we need more like this on the channel 🤟🏻

I like you, have been to many car events over the years and have given up on the modern shows, full of finance bagged fiestas. I enjoy taking my 309 to little local shows and feel it’s a more inclusive environment, and good spot to socialise. I still do motorsport based activities too, but have a different car for that. If you fancy going to a rally or some advice I’d be happy to help ? Thanks for the coverage of my 309 in the video, I know you didn’t have much choice 🤣

Can’t believe you were at the bowl and I wasn’t 😞

Nope, not for me either, got caught up in something like that in Birmingham leaving the NEC, just idiots racing around causing havoc, nothing wrong with a good old car show, a leisurely walk around and a chat with a few owners never harmed anyone, no need for all this reving and racing.

Until it's deemed "uncool" to drive erratically on public roads like a dribbling fool then this problem will persist. I'm all for inclusivity but on this occasion I want to suggest that car enthusiasts begin to be exclusive and disassociate from anyone who drives like a 🔔🔚. If you want to be taken seriously about cars, don't attend "those" types of meets, ignore the videos across social media and spend you attention wisely by commenting on the genuinely impressive car enthusiasts efforts by attending proper events and subscribe to people like Chris' content. Drive safe, have fun and drive spirited in a controlled environment👍

I spotted you was in my manor from the scenery the classic car show was in Tansley Matlock

Been going in for at least 50 years. When the motorway network opened up ability for racing

There needs to be facilitates where people can go. They could make places for car meets. As it’s such a big thing and could generate money. But everything gets banned in the uk that invokes fun! So many rules!

That's the problem. There is still people wanting to do things illegally. The whole "certi" drivers thing. Chavs and Yobbos that choose to still meet at Tescos at 11pm rather than do something legit. If you're in the south, you're literally at least an hour away from a Caffeine and Machine and there are loads of other businesses doing "cars and coffee" more local elsewhere. Yeah I get track days are expensive, going to the nurburgring is expensive. That is one thing that needs to be addressed.

Great video and what not to do. Well done. 👍👍👍👍

Hams hall street racing was epic back in the day! 🏁

great video Chris and well done for speaking your what may come across as an unpopular opinion. Cruises back in the day late 90s/early 2000s were bad to sometimes but back them the average 20 year old had a fiesta, corsa or nova etc. These days I see guys who like barely like they are through puberty driving m2s financed up to the eyeballs cars a lot quicker these days and with that talent runs out a lot quicker. Maybe some kind of subsidy or way of making track days cheaper might cost government and police less in policing or dealing with the aftermath i like adam c but really think he should try and distance himself from this kind of behaviour, to so,e extent because it's become a thing people show off even more when they see him, don't want to see him getting hassled by the police as a result. unfortunately young men (mostly) won't be told and will be a dick no matter what anyone says because they won't be told and don't think it affects anyone and they will kill the scene.

Government should let us use old run down air strips there's loads about that ain't being used

i like you even more with this realization. respect!

Great vlog Chris.. I think the street stuff is just too dangerous to the public. More coffee and car meets would be the job…

Excellent video Chris and we need more informative videos like this.

I’ve been on both sides of the coin. So at no point would I criticise people for something that I have done my self. Being a tad older these days, I could think of nothing worse than turning up to a super market car park or car meet with the pop and bang crew. I’m not a fan of pop and bang maps, and think they will kill the modified car scene. Racing on the road happens, and it can be fun to have a little tussle. But in all fairness there is a time and a place, and it should not really happen on the public roads. Like speeding, it’s something everyone has done, it’s easy to get caught up in the moment, only this evening driving home from work I hit the brakes hard while slightly ahead of an Alfa Romeo Giulia then tucked behind him, simply because we were both heading towards a small island in a built up area after making progress from the lights. Something that worried me was that this guys bumper was all taped up from previous crash damage. Experience told me fun’s over, time to chill, heading into that sort of road at speed was not a good idea. Thats the big problem of going out and meeting big groups of modified cars on an evening, it just turns into racing on public roads. Not everyone has the common sense to concede, which just leads to crashes with others or a member of the public. It can be fun when you’re doing it, and bloody scary if you’re not involved and just driving to get somewhere. It’s hard because any modified car with a loud exhaust gets put in the same stereotypic box. With the sterile electric cars being shoved down our throats. I do see the modified petrol cars being banned 😮

stopped going to meets over 4 years ago... would rather go to the track

The problem is social media

Re pops & bangs. I love nice sounding cars & a nice burble on over run is great. But these pops & bangs just sound like the car is misfiring 😂

Well documented my brother 🇿🇦

As an a nearly 50 year old bloke surely part of having a car is its where to hang out away from your parents when you're young

Uk car meets died for me a while back when the garage that's adjacent to the biggest car club in my area basically chopped shopped my car and then threatened my life when I said I was going to police and going to release the video I got of them doing it. So now I just work on my shit at home and go out on my ones. Less hassle and I won't get stabbed that way

How grumpy were you with the street meets… 😂

The best and proper Uk car scean died way before you tube was even a thing....

The MVP of this video is that bench at 2.51 😂

Me and my dad got pulled over in Kidderminster just because we were driving together me in my wrx sti and dad in a golf gti, and neither is crazy but we went for a nice drive and a pub lunch but we didnt do anything asbo but they got 4 cops to box us in and accused us of racing. They sat and watched our dash cams then let us go.

As long as the car enthusiast is enjoying their own car build, that's all that matters really, shouldn't give hate to some one enjoying their fiesta or their aventador.

I can’t say it’s even I’m getting old but the whole go to a carpark and just rev the shit out your car and then do stupid drags down the bypass has never been a thing for me. Track days and organised events like C&M or ford fair is what it is for me.

We used to meet ups in Ally Pally, fun times

I think you hit the nail on the head Chris: it's not necessarily an age/ maturity thing, but perhaps a combination of these. The evolution of man (and car meets) 😊.

Didn’t realise that was you in the X3, I was in the blue GTR at gassed on track at the start of the video

Our regional accents, you have to love it. "Loadsa cars here int'they"

What’s with that dash cover Chris?

Same issues in New Zealand Chris. Have been for years.

To be honest, this video says a lot about how much you and other true gear heads appreciate the car scene. Some appreciate the scene while others want to be seen by acting like fuck knuckles. I am American and loved in the UK for about 11 years with the US military. I went to Snetterton, Silverstone, Nurburgring and many other tracks. Your track days drives are wayyyy cheaper than ours. And you have more tracks than we do. I love in Georgia and there’s some of the biggest illegal street racing in Atlanta. Even though they have Road Atlanta track to use. Problem is that it’s not cheap to race on compared to your costs. At the end of the day, you’re not going to stop illegal street racing. How I see it is, the more you make it illegal, the more they wanna do it. Why don’t cities, councils, towns etc make a race night every other weekend where they close down certain roads (which are safe to use) and allow motorists to race on them at their own risk? Let them race while maintaining safety and security. If the city, council etc shut down the road, you can’t access it. But if you close it, and allow street racing while allowing citizens to get around to shops, homes etc, all while allowing some racing to happen, it might help. But at some point, there will be danger and injuries/death occurring. Either way, you’re never gonna stop racing. But if the government, city, councils etc pitch in, they might get better involvement rather than banning it and trying to stop it. When you do that, people find ways around it and mistakes happen. Just ,y 2 cents. Love your channel brother and wish you nothing but the best in the future. Keep the videos coming. I watch them all the time.

I think the proper type of car meet u were trying to find at the end is like an mpire meet

Just been to a dinner at a nice pub with the Jaguar Drivers Club. Great evening and no one got arrested. I actually don’t have a problem with street racing but it will lead to draconian restrictions. Remember when Shelby drove a Cobra down the M1 at high speed - it wasn’t any where near 200mph the press claimed, but they made such a huge fuss and the thick politician’s knee jerk reaction was to bring in the dreadful and stupid 70 limit which blights our life to this day.

I love fast cars and cycling. Good drivers look after others on the road. enjoy your cars, I love mine.

I dont think trackdays are too expensive. A trackday at bedford autodrome is around 100-150 all day. I have a golf gti and brakes are cheap. The kind of people at car meets usually cant drive and would be dangerous at a track day anyway.

Just got to pick the right events and miss out the ones with nippers there is the only way for me

The government should let people like us use derelict air strips for this purpose. It's on private land and away from everyone towns etc. I think this would be a good thing for the car scene

Ive a stock i20N with odd crackle and thats enough fir me.

The 2nd and 3rd were good to see top end super cars, well managed and organised, car meets for Astra Golf Corsa etc making a pop and bang etc should not be in/on public car parks or roads, that’s where all the trouble and bad press comes from, and the drivers not as clever as they think !!!

Street meets never used to be an issue until all of the certi drivers started crashing and wronguns started bringing underagers with them who were 10 steps into the path of traffic to record a 1.0 fiesta pass by at 30mph popping

Bit sad giving these young guys grief. We were all young once and when we got our first car a little tear up was so much fun. Yeah I’m older now but a little run on a duel carriage if someone pulls up is still fun although being very rare. I remember being 17 in my Clio at purely cruise in city limits car park and driving down there in a convoy of ten or so was a lot of fun.

7:42 oh no, you can see me, me (the one with the beanie) and my friend (next to me) wanted a pic together but you was looking busy so we didnt want to make a fuss lol, thank you for coming though, got some nice pics of your car, if you would like to see them, let me know :)

No denying that you had the biggest grins when you rocked up at the supermarket and heard the pops and bangs 😂🤦🏻‍♂️

I agree witchoo mate.....100%!

Mark inspired content. Love to see it!

there will always be one that spoils it chris, just how it is....the scene died around 20 yrs ago to be honest...

Just choosing the right car meet can change your mind on the scene, “the drivers collection” car meets/shows are done right. No fucking about just a nice vibe!

Oh investigative journalism now parts must be thin on ground and we have to do something around the sponsor 😅

Not sure I get this video…. Illegal meets and street racing has been going on forever! Only difference is now you got all the kids financing golf R’s and m140’s who don’t have a clue how to drive and getting a pops and bang tune. That’s the issue.

Find your own location. & set up your own meet & make it to how you think a meet should be?

The dark side of the scene could be stopped overnight , there needs to be legal drag-strips built in most major cities. People can go there and get there adrenaline out then go home safe 🙏