00:00So when it comes to luxury, the first thing you're going to think about is probably Mercedes,
00:04BMW, big cars like that.
00:07Well today we're going to take a look at some models that you really haven't thought about.
00:11Let's say Infiniti or Lexus or some models like that.
00:15Well a lot of people get into these cars and they turn these cars into cars that are all
00:20about luxury, all about performance, all about air ride.
00:23These cars are called VIP.
00:31And today we're going to be featuring a car that is just amazing.
00:36The build type of these cars is called VIP.
00:39And unlike Mercedes or BMWs, these guys take cars that are like Infiniti's or Lexus's and
00:47they build them up.
00:48Some of them actually do some of the other vehicles like Mercedes and BMW, but this is
00:54where these guys shine at.
00:55And you can tell already that there is a lot of areas that this car has been done with.
00:59This car has air ride, it has curtains, it actually has a place where you can have drinks
01:05served with you.
01:06This is something that is actually not trying to be Mercedes or BMW.
01:10It's trying to be Rolls Royce and Bentley.
01:12And the thing I have to say right up front is it actually makes it happen.
01:16That's the thing is that when you say VIP, it's VIP.
01:20And this started, a lot of it began over in Japan and it was done by, I believe, the Yakuza
01:26to build up their stuff so they could have something that kind of blended with the populace.
01:30But I am so happy that it's something that migrated over to the States and there's a
01:34little pocket of group of guys that are still doing this and doing it to the quality that
01:39you'd expect from, say, low riders.
01:41And they also have the same kind of communities that build them together.
01:44So what are we going to do today?
01:45Like always, we're going to find out, one, what it's like to drive.
01:48Number two, what are the costs associated with building a car like this?
01:52And number three, what are the pitfalls that you have from having this much work done?
01:57So guys, stay tuned.
01:58We're going to hit with you right now.
02:00Okay, this is my first experience in driving a VIP car.
02:17The first thing I like about it is all the trim pieces.
02:20Unlike most cars that kind of think about minimally on interior, maybe they think a
02:25little bit about it.
02:26These cars actually do a lot more to it for the interior-wise leather.
02:32Things that really people that are thinking luxury are thinking about.
02:36It kind of takes that, I like that low rider feel of it.
02:39It kind of takes that and puts it into something that is a little bit more toned down, a little
02:43bit more pure.
02:45It's the kind of thing that I feel like I can drink wine in.
02:49And it's very comfortable for the seats.
02:51I'm really impressed with the seats, how it's set up and everything.
02:54So, we're putting it in drive right now.
03:07The things I got right into it, I kind of slipped into it like a glove.
03:11The V8 engine spools up really nice.
03:13I like these engines, Infiniti really does well when it comes to how they set up their
03:19engines very smooth, very linear.
03:21I love that stuff about it.
03:24And the other thing is, is this has an air ride system.
03:26Now a lot of the other cars that we tested had hydraulics, they had cool-overs, well
03:32air ride for the ones that saw the C10 video will know that air ride is a dream to drive.
03:39It just feels great, it's something that like I said, I can't tell everybody, you should
03:43experience it.
03:44With the VIP cars, there's a lot of lowering that goes onto these.
03:47So, it's a little bit stiffer than what I'm accustomed to, but in the same respect, air
03:52ride is air ride.
03:53You just can't go wrong with it.
03:55One other cool really thing that I love about this car is the sound of the exhaust.
03:59Love the note sound of it.
04:00And you can tell the V8 has good power, just like a luxury car should.
04:05It has that good, but that's the thing is, is it takes that kind of linear aspect into
04:09it.
04:10So, I don't know if you can hear real quick, oh yeah.
04:14So that's what I'm talking about.
04:15And that's the thing is, is when you drive something like this, it feels really, really
04:19good.
04:20And the other thing is, you can see the little door sills and things like that.
04:23I just, I feel like I'm being pampered right now, not so much as a drive.
04:27So it's one thing to know, like people look at me and say, well, those, those Mercedes
04:32and the BMWs, they do a really good job of interiors.
04:36No, you don't feel like a mega rich Rolls Royce guy until you sit in something like
04:41this.
04:42And then this takes it to another level that I, like I said, I'm not accustomed to per
04:46se.
04:47And this is my first time really driving a good VIP car that I really liked that I can
04:51really appreciate.
04:53So that's the thing is, is I hope you guys can kind of take a little bit out of it right
04:56now, especially the smoothness of it.
04:59It feels really good.
05:00It's definitely something that I would consider in the future for down the road and would
05:04definitely suggest to somebody who's looking to do a build because, and that's the thing
05:08is, it's something we're going to go into is obviously cost effectiveness and things
05:12of that nature.
05:13There, there are ups and downs to cars like this.
05:15So, but in the long run, the end of the journey is usually the best part of the journey and
05:21having sat in an end of a journey right now and having such a good community that backs
05:26these cars, it really is enjoyable to be part of it right now.
05:31And this thing is, I really like it.
05:32I love the sound of it.
05:33Everything about it really feels right.
05:37And it's something, like I said, you should probably consider in the future.
05:58Okay, so what is it like to drive?
06:00Wow.
06:01There's something, so the thing is, is this isn't the first time I've driven a luxury
06:06car.
06:07So you kind of say, okay, on a scale of one to 10 in the luxury, where does this car kind
06:11of fit?
06:12And I'm going to say it fits up there with the Rolls Royces and the Bentleys, just like
06:15I thought it would.
06:17The system is well done.
06:19It's well built.
06:21It doesn't miss any features when it's doing stuff.
06:24So you can tell there's body work done to it.
06:27There's the wheels are done to it.
06:28It is, like I said, a little bit rougher than you would expect.
06:33That's the thing is, is with the weight involved in it, there's going to be a little bit of
06:36a difference there.
06:37But like I said, it was something, and I've said over and over again, if you haven't experienced
06:41air ride, you need to experience air ride because it's something that if you're looking
06:45for comfort, it just nails it.
06:48And so like I said, this actually gets some really high marks for drivability.
06:52It was a really good experience.
06:53It's the kind of car that I really felt I could take on the highway and just go spinning
06:57for a long time and just cruise, man.
06:59It was great.
07:00The other thing is, is this car actually does trips to New Jersey and New York, and I can
07:05see why because it's easy to drive.
07:07All right, so what's it going to cost to own a car like this?
07:10Well, it's time to open your bank account and start spilling money constantly because
07:14this car is going to cost you money.
07:15The rims alone are $8,400.
07:18They're a special vehicle rim made by Luxury Abstract.
07:22They work perfectly with this vehicle.
07:24They're bigger than normal wheels.
07:27Of course, the air ride is going to run you a lot of money.
07:29The paint alone with the flaking is probably going to be $12,000 to put all the love into
07:34it.
07:35But the thing that really gets it is that there's a lot of things in this that you're
07:38not seeing.
07:39So if you want to stretch the outside fenders to fit the new longer wheels, that's another
07:45expense you're going to have to do.
07:47And there's little things like that all over the car.
07:50They're made specifically to fit this car and make it perfect.
07:53So it's something that's going to be a labor of love.
07:56So it's something if you want to get into it, yes, the original vehicle, you can probably
08:00pick them up pretty cheap, but then of course it's time to work on that budget.
08:04Okay, so what is the upkeep on this car?
08:07Well, what you're going to be looking at is usually a lot of the upkeep has to do with
08:10the rims.
08:11With the three-piece rims, they're going to need a little bit more love than what you're
08:14probably accustomed to with typical rims.
08:17But for the engine, the engine is a stock engine.
08:20The air ride system is going to take a little maintenance, but you just got to keep up with
08:24it.
08:25Make sure everything is good with it.
08:26And the other thing that I have to say, which is a big deal, is obviously buy a detail kit
08:31because you want this car to look perfect.
08:33So one of the biggest things and probably where you're going to spend your most amount
08:36of time, especially if you do shows, is when you do the detailing to this.
08:40You want this car to look perfect all the time to match exactly what it is.
08:45It's a VIP car.
08:46So if you think that upkeep on a Rolls Royce or a Bentley is too much for you, then this
08:52is probably not your car.
08:54If you are the kind of person that spends a lot of time with toothbrushes cleaning out
08:58the interior, then this car might actually work for you and you should consider it.
09:03So one thing that I do want to add to this is this vehicle is actually dedicated to Brendan
09:08Kennedy.
09:09He was somebody that was, he built this car, put a lot of the stuff, his heart into it.
09:16And I don't think he actually got to drive the vehicle after it was wholly completed.
09:19I think he got to use it once.
09:21And in 2011, yeah, this car has been around for a while, he got in a motorcycle accident
09:27and he lost his life.
09:29So this vehicle has been dedicated to him.
09:31So that's the one thing.
09:32It was really an honor to get to drive something from somebody that we knew that was a really
09:36great person and somebody that we miss a lot.
09:39Okay, so that's it for what it's like to drive.
09:41I got to say, I really love this car.
09:44I love how it handles.
09:45I might actually switch over to thinking about air ride in the future because every time
09:49I drive air ride, I have a blast doing it.
09:52So I want to thank the owner for bringing this out for me.
09:55I want to thank everybody involved in it.
09:56I want to thank this Q45 for taking me on a great experience.
10:00I hope you guys had the same experience that I had.
10:03Don't forget to hit one of these videos over here because we love giving you more stuff
10:07and there's a subscribe button over there too.
10:09So thank you guys for paying attention and I hope you learned what it's like to drive.
Comments