PIMP MY RIDE

Pimp My Ride is a TV show produced by MTV. Each episode consists of taking one car in poor condition and restoring it, as well as customizing it. The original American version is hosted by rapper Xzibit. Recently, MTV2 has begun airing episodes from Pimp My Ride UK hosted by DJ Tim Westwood, which features cars being customised in the UK, and Pimp My Ride International, featuring cars in central Europe, hosted by hip hop artists Fat Joe and Lil' Jon as well as the related CMT series Trick My Truck. This year, Pimp My Ride will be produced in Brazil.

The show picks young car owners (requirements limit participants to ages 18–28, according to the recent audition rules on the GAS website — see below) living in Los Angeles or elsewhere in Southern California. An episode of Pimp My Ride generally begins with the participant showing his or her car off, and convincing MTV why it needs to be "pimped". After this segment, the host (normally rapper Xzibit, but there are occasionally guest hosts such as Chamillionaire) shows up at the participant's house, takes a look at the car himself, makes wisecracks about the particular things that are wrong with it, and promises the owner a complete makeover of the vehicle.

After examining the car, Xzibit takes it to a custom body shop (West Coast Customs (WCC) in Seasons 1–4; replaced by Galpin Auto Sports (GAS) starting Season 5), where the shop team generally replaces most of the components and rebuilds the interior and exterior from scratch.

Each car is a custom "pimp", tailored to the personalities and interests of the owners. For example, a Need for Speed: Underground fan had his car painted to look like one specially customized in the Need for Speed: Underground 2 game, while a bowler had a ball washer installed in his trunk, and a surfer got a clothes dryer in the back of his Volkswagen van. Work usually includes new paint, accessories, chrome, tires and rims, and internal electronics (DVD players, video games, large TFT screens, and other cutting-edge accessories). Most changes are only cosmetic, and mechanical work is generally only done to enable the car to run; the show has replaced entire engines with new engines. Both WCC and GAS are well-known for putting their own whimsical touches in their work, such as the aforementioned dryer, or an electric fireplace in the trunk of another vehicle.

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 the owner's hobby.

In 2007, co-creators Beresford-Redman and Hurvitz joined IMG World [1], an international sports and entertainment marketing company based in New York City, to "develop and produce non-scripted television shows, branded programming and other multi-platform entertainment content." They will report to Olivier Gers "IMG's newly appointed Senior Vice President, Global Head New Media and Co-Head IMG Entertainment and London-based Alastair Waddington, Executive Vice President—IMG Media and Co-Head IMG Entertainment."

Seasons 1–4
Much of the appeal of the show comes from the personalities involved. The WCC employees are an eclectic mix of outgoing personalities, such as:

Owner Ryan (who was preceded by the good-natured manager Q)
The appropriately named Big Dane
Electronics (and outrageous engineering) expert Mad Mike
Tough-looking interior and fabric maven Ish
The heavily pierced tire-specialist Alex
Paint and body expert Buck (Earlier episodes feature paint and body work by Aren Fanning)
Both host Xzibit and West Coast Customs have experienced boosts in business due to the show: Xzibit has gained wider attention for his music career (as well as hosting and movie gigs), and WCC had to expand their facilities, due to the international exposure Pimp My Ride gave their work. After the third season however, WCC manager "Q" announced that he would not be willing to take a role in the show anymore. It is also shown that Paint & Body's Buck was replaced by another person named 2Shae. Q cited a desire to expand the company's business with a customs shop in St. Louis, Missouri. Ryan Friedlinghaus, the owner of WCC, was featured in Season 4 as the "lead" for discussions on what customizing will be done on the incoming cars.

Some of the show's pimped rides have found their way onto eBay, including, but not limited to, Ezra's Nissan Maxima Station Wagon,Krissy's Volkswagen Baja Bug,Jake's Buick Century,and Cristi's Chevrolet Panel Van [citation needed].

During most of the television seasons, mostly Season 2, there have been many mistakes added in the television show. Instances where they are easily noticed even to the naked eye. People walking backwards in Chevy Blazer, the Ford Escort/BMW conversion having the skinned hood already done on the headlights and then discussed moments later, Mitsubishi Mirage having XZIBIT's jacket TIBIZX, and many other bloopers.


Seasons 5–7
Beginning with the fifth season, the show moved to another garage, Galpin Auto Sports (GAS), as Ryan, the WCC Owner, moved his shop to Corona, California and has signed a deal with another television production company. However, the show retains Mad Mike (who apparently is a free agent who freelances with other customizers), now dubbed a "car customization specialist". The new cast includes the employees of GAS:

"Owner" Beau Boeckmann (In reality, Vice President of Galpin Auto; the owner of Galpin Auto is his father, Bert Boeckmann)
Electronics Expert And "The Wizard of Wiring" Mad Mike,
The Wheels & Tires Specialist Gyasi,
Paint & Body Luis,
Accessories specialist Diggity Dave,
Interiors Rick.
Fabricator Cabe.

Replacement vehicles
On only three occasions — all season finales — did the show not "pimp" the original automobile. In the first instance,the car to be pimped was actually two halves of Ford Escorts welded together to make one car, a "cut and shut" job, and was considered unsafe. In the second instancethe participant was studying to be an auto mechanic, and WCC decided to let him "pimp" his car as a study project. In the most recent such incident,Xzibit felt the owner's car, a Nissan Pulsar, was not worth fixing, as heat from the car's engine was leaking into the cab. 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 Ride is one of MTV's most popular shows in nearly all of its worldwide subsidiaries (numbering nearly 100), and also in the U.S., where it is second place to The Real World (which is generally much less known outside of the United States). Country Music Television, also owned by MTV parent Viacom, has a show called Trick My Truck that operates on the same principle, but only customizes semi-trailer trucks.

Canada's music network, MuchMusic, also aired the show until MTV Networks signed a deal with CTV, which resulted in MuchMusic losing their rights to MTV programs. MuchMusic's sister station in Quebec, MusiquePlus, airs the show subtitled in French under the title Pimp mon char ("char" is Quebec French slang for "car").

A UK version of the show launched on 26 June 2005, presented by the DJ Tim Westwood. Carisma Automotive are the customisers for the UK version. The employees in Charisma Automotive are:

A legendary boss Jamie Shaw
Old man bald head paint expert Ronnie
Bodywork king Martin
Designer chick Pinky
Accessories brawn Richie
Audio and Multimedia punk Bluey
Wheels and tires prince Junior (Actually, Junior's first name is Stuart)
The German-language MTV Central Europe has three adaptations of the show called Pimp My Fahrrad (English: "Pimp My Bicycle") and Pimp My Whatever. On Pimp My Fahrrad , the bike shop Elbcoast Psycles redoes almost the entire bicycle, usually leaving only the frame intact. While the show could be seen as a parody of 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 actor Oliver Korittke. In Pimp My Whatever ElbCoast Psychos return once more to pimp anything from a bathroom and a doghouse to a Birthday party or even someone's brother. Pimp My Whatever is hosted by MTV presenter Patrice Bouédibéla. Both shows are located in Hamburg.
The original United States Pimp My Ride is shown in English language with German subtitles.

MTV Italy also features a different version of Pimp My Ride, called Pimp My Wheels. Hosted by the Italian hip hop group Gemelli DiVersi, Pimp My Wheels turns old rusty motorscooters or motorcycles into brand-new shiny vehicles.

Pimp My Ride is currently broadcasting in almost all European countries with Pimp My Ride International, 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 Lil' Jon and Fat Joe.

Pimp My Ride broadcasts on weekdays in the Middle East in the channel MBC Action

ِAn Arabic version has started broadcasting on MBC 1 called Dale' Sayaratak (Arabic: دلع سيارتك "Spoil Your Car").

A Maori language version airs in New Zealand.

MTV Brazil have started the Brazilian Pimp My Ride version, presented by the rock singer Jimmy London, from the group Matanza.