How Much Aero Is Too Much Aero? This Much.

When it comes to modifying cars, aerodynamic components are often subject to mockery and criticism. Slapping on a big wing has always been popular with those desperate for the race car look, and it’s easy to overdo things by tacking on silly canards and extraneous vents. Still, few go quite as far as this West Coast Honda owner.

What you’re looking at is an eighth-generation Honda Accord. Based on the tail lights, it looks to be a post-facelift model, built for the 2011 or 2012 model years. All in all, a comfortable, capable commuter car that wouldn’t normally draw the slightest bit of attention. That is, except, for the many jagged adornments decorating every surface of the vehicle.

This vehicle came to our attention thanks to @skeletonyuth on Twitter. They first posted about the eye-catching Accord back in October last year. Given the striking “aerodynamic” elements, you can see why they saw fit to take a photo.

so i see this crazy looking honda near work sometimes pic.twitter.com/7I4g0gI6ni

— 2014 HONDA CIVIC (@skeletonyuth) October 30, 2024

The Accord, as first spotted by @skeletonyuth.

The Accord has only gotten crazier since then. It wasn’t long before more random parts were added, particularly to the rear doors. Fast forward to today, and the front doors have gained similar levels of complication. You almost have to hunt for the door handle amidst the plastic and (possibly) carbon fiber jungle.

The parts applied to the car are a total mishmash of the functional and the functionally insane. The wheel arches, rear wing, and front splitter are typical tuner mods; you could say the same for the front fender vents, too. However, it’s a little more unconventional to stick random canards all over the body, including in places where they’ll do precisely nothing to aid downforce. Similarly, there appear to be sideskirts affixed to the roof. Quite creative.

The doors themselves are perhaps the biggest standout, though. Beyond the second set of mirrors, it’s hard to even figure out what the owner has stuck on there. It’s just a mess of black protrusions stacked one on top of the other. It appears that various lips, flares, and trim pieces have been stuck on to create the overwhelmingly chaotic sculpture that this car has become.

As you might imagine, a car this crazy doesn’t go unnoticed. The car is routinely spotted out in the world and captured by astounded enthusiasts. It started appearing on Reddit in August last year, most commonly posted by people trying to figure out just exactly what they were looking at.

Based on photos online, the car appears to live on the West Coast. It’s been captured in Arizona and the neighboring state of California.

I might have a degree in Aerospace Engineering, but I don’t need it to tell you that this isn’t an effective way to improve your car’s performance. With so many jagged protrusions sticking out into the air stream, this Accord is carrying a lot more drag than stock, for no downforce benefit. With so many random parts hanging off the body, it’s unlikely even the functional parts are having a positive effect on grip at speed.

It’s worth noting that the drag penalty from all these mods would certainly be having a negative impact on fuel economy. The weight doesn’t help, either. It would be great fun to throw this thing in a wind tunnel. Mostly just to see the thick clouds of turbulence pouring off the thick forest of tacked-on hardware.

Obviously, though, performance isn’t the point of this build. It’s a unique car with an outrageous aesthetic, and it’s certainly good at pulling eyes. It also has a side benefit—it would be pretty hard for anyone to dent the car in a parking lot given there’s so much random stuff hanging off the sides.

All in all, I hope to track this owner down one day for a chat about their beautifully unique build. My first question is already burning, because they’ve left one panel untouched. When are they going to start decorating the hood?!

Image credits: @skeletonyuth via Twitter (permission provided)