Pimp My Ride

This article is about the TV show. For the video game, seePimp My Ride(video game).For the British adaptation, seePimp My Ride UK.

Pimp My Ride
Created by	Bruce Beresford-Redman Rick Hurvitz
Presented by	Xzibit
Theme music composer	Jeff Cardoni
Country of origin	United States
No.of seasons	6
No.of episodes	73(list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Bruce Beresford-Redman Rick Hurvitz Larry Hochberg
Producers	Jennifer Colbert Tess Gamboa Joel Raatz Mark Ryan Brian York
Cinematography	Scott Sandman
Editors	Brian York Mike Bary Stephen Baumhauer
Running time	27 minutes
Production companies	R-Lab MTV Series Development
Original release
Network	MTV
Release	March 4, 2004(2004-03-04)– June 9, 2007(2007-06-09)

Pimp My Rideis an American television series produced byMTVand hosted by rapperXzibit,which ran for six seasons on MTV from 2004 to 2007. In each episode, a car in poor condition is both restored andcustomized.The work on the show was done byWest Coast Customsuntil season 5 and was done byGalpin Auto Sportsthereafter.

The show had several international adaptations, includingPimp My Ride UK,Pimp My Ride International(in central Europe), and other adaptations in Brazil, Indonesia and the Baltic countries. It also spawned similar spinoffs, including the seriesTrick My Truckon MTV's sister networkCMT.

The show was criticized by several participants for exaggerating or faking several aspects of the restorations and many aspects of the show.

In 2024,Pimp My Rideco-creator Rick Hurvitz brought a re-tooled version of the show toNetflix.Now titledResurrected Rides,Hurvitz is an executive producer.Chris Reddserves as host, with a team of mechanics and customizers from several different California-area auto shops working on the cars.

Format

An episode generally begins with the participant, a youngvehicleowner fromLos Angelesor elsewhere inSouthern California,showing off their vehicle to convince MTV it needs to be "pimped". After this segment, the host, Xzibit (Chamillionairein one episode), takes a look at the participant's car himself and makes wisecracks about the particular things that are wrong with it. He then surprises the participant at their house and the participant shows off their vehicle while Xzibit continues to make wisecracks about the particular things that are wrong with it. After examining the car, Xzibit promises the participant a complete makeover of the vehicle and takes it to a custom body shop (West Coast Customs(WCC), inCorona, California,in Seasons 1–4; replaced byGalpin Auto Sports(GAS) inVan Nuysstarting Season 5).

At the body shop, the shop team generally replaces most of the car's components and rebuilds the interior and exterior from scratch. The cars are "pimped" based on the hobbies and/or occupations of the owners. For example, aNeed for Speed: Undergroundfan had his car painted to look like one specially customized in theNeed for Speedvideo game series, while abowlerhad a ball spinner installed in his trunk, abadminton playerhad a badminton net installed in the back of hisDodge Caravan,and asurfergot a clothes dryer in the back of hisVolkswagen Type 2.Work usually includes new paint, accessories,chrome,tires,rims,and internalelectronics(DVD players, video games, largeTFTscreens, and other accessories). Most changes are only cosmetic, and mechanical work is generally only done to enable the car to run, but the show has occasionally replaced car engines.

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 their hobby.

Episodes

Main article:List of Pimp My Ride episodes

Cast

Seasons 1–4

The West Coast Customs employees shown on the series included:

• Quinton "Q" Dodson - Good-natured manager (seasons 1–3)
• Ryan Friedlinghaus - Owner
• Alex - Heavily-pierced tire specialist
• Ishmael "Ish" Jimenez - Tough-looking interior and fabric maven
• Michael "Mad Mike" Martin - Electronics (and outrageous engineering) expert
• "Big Dane" - Appropriately named accessories specialist
• Aren, Buck, 2Shae, and Luis - Paint. 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 inSt. Louis,Missouri called Coast 2 Coast Customs.Ryan Friedlinghaus,the owner of WCC, was featured in Season 4 as the "lead" for discussions on customizing the cars.

Seasons 5–6

In the fifth season, the show moved to another garage, Galpin Auto Sports (GAS), as Ryan, the WCC Owner, moved his shop toCorona, Californiaand signed a deal with another television production company. However, the show retained Mad Mike (who quit at WCC and signed at GAS), now dubbed a "car customization specialist". The new cast consisted of:

• "Owner" Beau Boeckmann (in reality, Vice President of Galpin Auto; the owner of Galpin Auto was his father, Bert Boeckmann)
• Michael "Mad Mike" Martin - Electronics expert and "The Wizard of Wiring"
• "Jason" Ewing - Wiring and fiberglass fabrication
• Gyasi - Wheels and tires specialist
• Luis - Paint & body
• Diggity Dave - Accessories specialist
• Rick - Interiors
• Cabe Sipes - Fabricator
• Z - Shop crew

Replacement vehicles

On three occasions – all season finales – the show did not "pimp" the original automobile.

• In the final episode of season 1, the car to be pimped was actually two-halves ofFord Escortswelded together to make one car, a"cut and shut" job,and was declared unsafe.
• In the final episode of season 2, the participant was studying to be an auto mechanic, and WCC decided to let him "pimp" his car as a study project.
• In the final episode of season 5, Xzibit felt that the owner's car, aNissan Pulsar,was not worth fixing, as heat from the car's engine and battery fluid was leaking into the cab, creating a fire hazard.

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 Ridewas one of MTV's most popular shows with nearly all of its worldwide viewers, and also in the U.S., where it ranked second only toThe Real World.

Canada's music network,MuchMusic,aired the show until MTV Networks signed a deal withCTV,which resulted in MuchMusic losing their rights to MTV programs. MuchMusic's French-language sister station,MusiquePlus,aired the show subtitled in French under the titlePimp mon char( "char" isQuebec Frenchslang for "car" ). The show would eventually re-air on Much in the Summer of 2008, showing the later seasons.

Pimp My Ridewas broadcast in Arab countries on bothMTV ArabiaandMBC Action.

In 2012,MTV Southeast Asiaaired the first episode ofPimp My Ride Malaysia,which is sponsored by Celcom Axiata under itsXpax’s Whatchuwant? campaign, giving Xpax customers a chance to have their vehicles worked on by MTV, hosted byAltimetand Herrera.

Claims of deception by participants

Several participants who appeared on seasons 4 and 6 ofPimp My Ridelater stated that elements of the show were either exaggerated or faked.The houses where Xzibit would surprise contestants with the news they were selected were often rented by MTV. The initial poor condition of some of the vehicles was staged to look worse, including the removal of paint, trash in the interior, and bumpers loosened to the point of falling off. Some features added during filming were removed immediately afterwards due to potential issues with local and state traffic laws, and the participants noted that multiple takes were needed to film their reactions during the final reveal. Some were coached to express more amazement and enthusiasm between takes. The overhaul process, which appeared on the show to only last a few days or weeks, actually lasted 6–7 months, and the show's participants had to find their own transportation while their cars were being upgraded with no support from the network. In addition, the modifications made to the cars were often purely cosmetic and any problems with how the car ran - wheel alignment, engine, transmission, etc. - was still up to the participants to fix.In an interview with HipHopDX, Xzibit explains about how he was the target of backlash on social media over his involvement in the show, even though he was merely the host and had no input in the actual vehicle modification.

DVD releases

U.S. version

Title	Region 1	Region 2	DVD Extras
The Complete First Season	March 22, 2005	February 6, 2006	TBA
The Complete Second Season	TBA	May 21, 2007	TBA

International adaptations

Official adaptations ofPimp My Ride,produced or co-produced by international MTV affiliates, include:

For cars

• Pimp My Ride International(across Europe), 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 American rappersLil' JonandFat Joe.
• Pimp My Ride UK(United Kingdom, 2005-2007), presented by the DJTim Westwood.Carisma Automotiveare the customizers for the UK version.
• Pimp My Ride Baltic(2008).
• Pimp My Ride Brasil(Brazil, 2007-2008), presented by singerJimmy Londonfrom the rock bandMatanza.
• Pimp My Car(Indonesia), which aired onMTV Indonesia.
• Pimp My Ride France(France, 2009-2011), which aired onMTV France.The show was presented byRamzyand had two seasons.

Others

• Pimp My Fahrrad(Germany), which aired on the German-languageMTV Central.In the show, theHamburg-based bike shop Junior's Club (referred to as "Elbcoast Psycles" on the show) redoes almost an entire bicycle ( "fahrrad" being the German word for bicycle), usually leaving only the frame intact.While the show could be seen as aparodyof the American original, it is also a loving tribute, using all the elements of the American show with a bicycle twist (Germany's safety guidelines are among the strictest in the world, and 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 actorOliver Korittke.
• Pimp My Whatever(Germany). A spin-off ofPimp My Fahrradin which ElbCoast Psychos return to "pimp" anything from a bathroom and a doghouse to abirthday partyor even someone's brother.Pimp My Whateveris hosted by MTV presenter Patrice Bouédibéla. Both shows are located in Hamburg.
• Pimp My Wheels(Italy). Airing onMTV Italy,this show turns old rustymotorscootersormotorcyclesinto brand-new shiny vehicles. Hosted by the Italianhip hopgroupGemelli Diversi.
• Pimp My Room(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".
• Pimpa Meu Feed(Brazil). Airing onMTV Brazilsocial media, the show helps participants to boost theirinstagram,leverage the number of followers and get involved in this (much desired) life ofinfluencer.It is hosted by Leo Picon and Ste Viegas.

Legal action against business that used "Pimp My..."

Viacom, owner of thePimp My Ridefranchise, threatened legal action against a number of small businesses in 2006 over the use of the phrasePimp My...in business names. Pimp My Snack, a recipe-sharing website, received one such warning letter and later renamed the business toPimp That Snack.A British lawyer specializing in copyright concerns criticized the move, stating that trademark infringement cannot apply to companies that are providing different goods and services.

Similar programs

United States

• 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':Car restoration, but with an emphasis on performance enhancements, and focused around Americanmuscle carsandpickup trucks.
• Trick My Truck:CMT's equivalent toPimp My Ridefeatures theChrome Shop Mafiacustomizingsemi-trailer trucksfor lucky fans.
• Unique Whips:The East Coast equivalent of West Coast Customs

Other countries

• Meke My Waka(New Zealand), a similar program shown onMāori Television.
• All the Gear No Idea!(United Kingdom), on theMen & Motorschannel, dealt with motorcycles, with the bike being shipped to US customiser LA County Choprods for work. Unlike other similar shows, the owner of the bike also received a makeover.
• Dale' Sayaratak (Arabic:دلع سيارتك "Spoil Your Car"),which aired onMBC 1.The popularmalt beveragecompany "Barbican" sponsored this show and they also "pimped" the cars and showed them in their commercials.
• Wheeler Dealers,a British television program about car makeover and restoration.
• Lata Velha,a Brazilian television program hosted byLuciano Huck

See also

• Pimpmobile

External links

• Pimp My RideatIMDb