The show “Pimp my Ride” shows that enhancing and customizing your car can have many benefits and make riding your car way more fun. Whether you want it louder, faster, shinier, or you just want to see your name engraved in the steering wheel – anything is possible.
If you are reading this article, that probably means you have neither your own little garage with all the tools and materials to pimp your car yourself, nor the necessary know-how to do so. But don’t worry – if you are looking for a place to enhance your car in Europe, we will tell you where to go.

Authorized dealerships

Your first option is to have your car pimped in an authorized workshop, which is a garage linked to your car’s brand. These authorized shops have all the data of your specific car model at their disposal, which is required in some cases. Furthermore, authorized workshops always use original car parts bought from the manufacturer that definitely will suit your vehicle.

Of course, the benefit of choosing one of these places is that they ensure high quality standards and know-how, and you will not have any problems with your car insurance. The downside is that the car manufacturers dictate the prices for the parts as well as the possibilities of enhancement, which means that the shops can’t make special offers or get the best price for you through group orders or by collaborating with other shops. These shops are also less flexible; if your wishes are a little too specific, they might not be able to give you exactly what you ask for.

Car shops and tuning garages

If you want something rather specific and neither be constrained by the manufacturer’s limitations, nor pay a higher price for original parts, there is another option. General car workshops or car tuning garages work independently from car manufacturers and make sure you get exactly what you were hoping for.

Whether to choose a general shop or one that specializes in car tuning depends on how peculiar your wishes are. For example, if you are planning to pimp your car with a performance exhaust or other standard adjustments, a general garage will be able to help you out. However, if your plans are rather exotic and anything but standard, you will probably be better off with a garage that specializes in car tuning.

How to choose a good shop

How do you know if a car tuning workshop is good? If you are planning to enhance your car, this probably means that you have a special bond with your vehicle and want it to last for many years -- without having to worry about quality issues and always having to fix things. Also, pimping your ride is never a cheap thing to do, so you want a service that is worth your money.

The good news is that there are a few ways to recognise a car workshop with high quality standards. Firstly, it is best to pick a place with a good reputation. Recommendations and a good reputation can be a safe sign of high-quality standards and a reliable indicator for good service. Of course, there is no guarantee, but chances are high that the specialists in a recommended garage do a good job and keep their customers happy.

Secondly, a professional car workshop will always work transparently and discuss all details with you beforehand. After a first check, they will tell you about all adjustments that will be necessary and honestly inform you about any problems that might occur. If you feel like they did not take a proper look or talk to you about potential issues, they might be working less professionally, and you should maybe not rely on them.

After the job is done, a good tuning workshop with high quality standards will also provide you with a detailed report that states all the changes made and parts used. You will need this report to inform your car insurance company about the adjustments, otherwise possible damage will not be covered.

Another indicator for professionality and high-quality standards is the specialization in a certain brand. This usually means that the shop knows everything about the latest updates and possibilities to enhance your specific car model.

Cost

Now that you know where to go if you plan to have your ride pimped, let’s look at the expected cost of such an upgrade. Of course, the total expenditure will always depend on the garage you choose and the type of adjustments you have in mind, but in most cases, tuning a car will cost somewhere between €1,000 and €10,000. While adjustments of your windows, as well as the front and back part of your car are some of the cheaper examples, new rims can raise the price by quite a bit.

Whether you bought it in your region or had it imported, upgrading your car is a rather expensive hobby. If after reading this article you change your mind about installing new rims on your car, consider importing an already customized vehicle with all the features you need.