Revvpedia
The Automotive Encyclopedia
New to car culture? You're in the right place. Whether you're wondering what "stance" means or why everyone's obsessed with the R34, we've got you covered.
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brakes
1 terms
culture
13 terms
Bosozoku
Japanese biker gang culture that influenced an extreme style of car modification featuring exaggerated body kits, massive exhausts, and wild paint.
Daily Driver
A vehicle used as primary transportation, typically prioritizing reliability and practicality over outright performance.
Hellaflush
An aggressive stance style where wheels sit perfectly flush with the fenders, often with stretched tires and negative camber.
Itasha
Japanese car decoration style featuring large anime, manga, or video game character graphics, wrapping the vehicle in colorful fictional imagery.
JDM
Japanese Domestic Market - cars and parts originally made for sale in Japan.
JDM
Japanese Domestic Market—vehicles, parts, or specifications sold only in Japan, often differing from export versions.
Kyusha
Japanese term for "old car," referring specifically to vintage Japanese vehicles from the 1960s-1980s and the culture surrounding their preservation and modification.
OEM
Original Equipment Manufacturer - factory parts or the original appearance of a vehicle.
OEM+
A modification philosophy using factory parts from higher trim levels or related models to upgrade a vehicle while maintaining a stock appearance.
Shakotan
Japanese term for extremely lowered cars, originating from the bosozoku and kyusha scenes.
Show Car
A vehicle built specifically for display at automotive events, prioritizing visual perfection and craftsmanship.
Stance
An aesthetic-focused modification style emphasizing aggressive wheel fitment, lowered suspension, and visual impact over performance.
Stance
A car culture focused on aggressive wheel fitment and lowered suspension aesthetics.
engine
13 terms
Boost
Positive pressure created by a turbocharger or supercharger, measured in PSI or bar.
Boost
Positive air pressure created by a turbocharger or supercharger to increase engine power.
Catch Can
A device that captures oil vapor and moisture from crankcase ventilation before it can enter the intake system.
Downpipe
The exhaust section directly after the turbocharger, critical for exhaust flow and often containing a catalytic converter.
ECU
Engine Control Unit - the computer that manages engine functions including fuel injection, ignition timing, and emissions controls.
Headers
Performance exhaust manifolds designed to improve exhaust flow by giving each cylinder its own tube that merges into a collector.
Intake Manifold
The component that distributes air (or air-fuel mixture in carbureted engines) from the throttle body to the engine's cylinders.
Intercooler
A heat exchanger that cools compressed air from a turbo or supercharger before it enters the engine, increasing air density and power.
LS Swap
Installing a GM LS-series V8 engine into a vehicle it was not originally designed for.
Piggyback
An auxiliary ECU that intercepts and modifies signals between sensors and the factory ECU to alter engine performance.
Throttle Body
Engine component that regulates airflow by opening and closing a butterfly valve in response to throttle input.
Tune
Electronic calibration of engine parameters to optimize performance.
VTEC
Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control - Hondas variable valve timing system.
maintenance
3 terms
Preventive Maintenance
Regular scheduled maintenance performed before failures occur, intended to keep a vehicle reliable and prevent costly repairs.
Track Prep
Modifications and maintenance performed to prepare a vehicle for track day events or racing.
Weight Reduction
The practice of removing or replacing heavy components to reduce a vehicle's overall mass for improved performance.
suspension
15 terms
Air Ride
A suspension system using air-filled bags instead of traditional springs, allowing adjustable ride height at the press of a button.
Air Suspension
A suspension system using air bags instead of traditional springs, allowing adjustable ride height.
Bags
Slang for air suspension—specifically the air spring bags that replace traditional coil springs.
Camber
The angle of the wheel relative to vertical when viewed from the front or rear.
Camber
The angle of wheel tilt when viewed from the front of the vehicle, measured in degrees.
Camber Plates
Adjustable top mounts that allow fine-tuning of camber angle, essential for lowered vehicles and track alignment.
Coilover
A suspension component combining coil spring and shock absorber, typically with adjustable height and damping.
Coilovers
An adjustable suspension assembly combining the shock absorber and coil spring in a single, height-adjustable unit.
Control Arms
Suspension links that connect the wheel hub/knuckle to the chassis, controlling wheel movement and maintaining alignment geometry.
Demon Camber
Extreme negative camber, typically exceeding -10 degrees, creating a dramatic visual stance where wheels tilt severely inward at the top.
Onikyan
Japanese term meaning "demon camber" - extreme negative wheel camber creating a dramatically aggressive stance.
Roll Center
An imaginary point around which the car body rolls during cornering, determined by suspension geometry.
Static
A fixed-height suspension setup using coilovers or lowering springs—no adjustability once installed.
Struts
A structural suspension component that combines the shock absorber and spring mount in a single unit, typically used on MacPherson strut suspensions.
Subframe
A structural framework that mounts major components like the engine, transmission, or rear suspension to the vehicle's body.
wheels
8 terms
Backspacing
The distance from a wheel's back mounting surface to its back lip, measured in inches.
Hub-Centric
A wheel mounting system where the center bore of the wheel is sized to fit precisely over the hub, ensuring perfect centering.
Lug Pattern
The arrangement of wheel bolts or studs on a hub, specified by the number of lugs and the diameter of the circle they form.
Meaty
Describing tires with substantial sidewall height that fill the wheel wells, creating an aggressive, purposeful appearance.
Offset
The distance from a wheel's mounting surface to its centerline, measured in millimeters. Positive offset pushes the wheel inward; negative pushes it outward.
Poke
When wheels and tires extend beyond the fender line, creating a wider, more aggressive appearance.
Stretch
Mounting a tire on a wider-than-recommended wheel, creating an angled sidewall appearance.
Tuck
Wheel fitment where the tire sits tucked inside the fender well rather than flush with or extending past the body.
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