The term “rice burner” has been around for longer than you think… Unless you think it’s been around since the Korean War, in which case you’re spot on. The term was coined by Canadian soldiers, who called their Korean support unit G-Company (the G stands for a racial term, something I’m not going to get into), but then began referring to them as rice burners because of their machine-like ability and diet of rice. Another source of the term stems from the idea that the Japanese use rice ethanol in their fuel. East Asian cars were therefore referred to as rice burners, a name which stuck (partially because of the veteran car guys) when they started showing up at the track. So originally it was a targeted and harmless slur for an "import". The only insulting part was the implied lack of performance… Not really a big deal to be honest. It wasn’t until the 21st century rolled around that rice burner became a legitimate insult with varied implications and definitions. More specifically, it was the year 2001. *coughtoofasttoofuriouscough* It began the trend of teenagers with money bolting wings onto their Honda’s and hand-me-down economy cars, and the mindset that doing so made for a faster vehicle. Naturally, this led to the decline of the import image. The term “rice burner” was shortened into “ricer.” Pretty soon, looking fast was more important than actually being able to go fast, and this is where the first of the modern ricers emerged. The wheel and body kit industry exploded. Aftermarket companies were able to charge $400 for an intake pipe. Need for Speed became a religion. NOS was thought to be the proper term for nitrous oxide. JDM became an obsession. There is no doubt that the import scene at the beginning of the 21st century revolutionized the industry and influenced the market’s direction, but I can’t say that was a good thing. Pretty soon calling someone a ricer could mean just about anything. It could be an accusation that driving an import was demeaning, it could be accusing somebody of being more show than go, it could be implying that the car with bolt-ons wasn’t worth modifying in the first place, or it could just be used as a way of insulting someone for having anything but the stock look. Some people also believe that only Asian vehicles can be ricers, but others argue that any make or model is fair game. People tend to be stubborn on this sort of thing. The simple fact is this: if you want any major performance increase over stock, the parts you are putting on have to be designed for the purpose better than your stock components. Contrary to popular belief there are no magic spark plugs, no 25hp air filters, and there are certainly no shortcuts when it comes to engine tuning. A good definition is that a ricer is either the person who doesn’t know what they’re doing (but claims an increase in performance), or the product of their ignorance. That is the reason purpose built show cars are not ricers, even if they have more show than go. When in doubt of whether or not a part is rice, just remember the acronym: Race Inspired Car Enhancements If it is more functional in appearance than its intended task, odds are the general population will consider it rice. In the end "There is no definition. Its a point of view."
I call bullshit. It began with teenagers with their parent's money bolting on garbage parts to their garbage cars. also, i dare you to say there's no such thing to my MAGICAL platinum gold plutonium +16 spark plugs and my 75 horsepower air filter, and the ten second shortcut I took when I megatuned my car computers.
