History

VIP Style modifications and history have often been linked to the yakuza. It is claimed that VIP Style came to be due to the risk of gangsters riding around in high-profile European sedans like the Mercedes S-Class or BMW M-Series. The attention could either bring about police action or retaliation from rival gangs. By using Japan domestic market cars with modifications associated with the creation of limousines, gangsters could avoid detection by the police and rival gangs.

Both Osaka street racers and Kanto area Bosozoku (motorcycle and moped gangs in Japan) adopted styles in different ways. Osaka street racers, after suffering numerous police crackdowns on the Hanshin Expressway in the early 1990's, turned to sedans after police targeted sport compacts as a way to cruise while remaining incognito. Many design cues were taken from Mercedes-AMG cars. Kanto area bosozoku gangs took a somewhat different approach, by modifying sedans with cut coils and mufflers and were often bold and loud known as "Yankee Style". Their styling cues were actually taken from the Super Silhouette race cars of the 70's and 80's. They also drove recklessly, such as causing traffic jams and avoiding paying tolls. To mimic their yakuza counterparts, they used large black sedans.

Automotive enthusiasts adapted beyond luxury sedans, utilizing minivans and Kei cars. One advantage presented to enthusiasts is that such modifications can make a car luxurious without being expensive.


Characteristics
Cars associated with VIP Style usually have common characteristics; usually large diameter rims (usually broad faced designs) with low offsets that sit flush with the fender, exhausts that stick out past the rear bumper (although not so much emphasized these days), a full bodykit or lip kit, glossy paint and a lowered ride height (usually with coilovers in USA or air ride in the Australia). In Japan, cars use primarily gas. It is not uncommon to see extreme negative camber on many vip cars. Traditional colors of VIP Style cars are usually black, white, grey and silver (although more recently almost any color goes as long as the style characteristics stay true).


Cars
Most VIP Styled cars are Japanese luxury cars such as the Nissan President, Nissan Cima, Nissan Cedric, Nissan Gloria, Nissan Fuga, the Toyota Celsior, Toyota Century, Toyota Crown , Toyota Majesta and the Toyota Aristo, many high end flag-ship European cars are also known to be modified in such ways (most of them German luxury sedans such as the Mercedes S-Class and the Jaguar XJ sedans from the UK). As automotive enthusiasts began to do their own versions of VIP, everything from minivans like the Toyota Estima and Honda Odyssey, to keicars like the Suzuki Cappucino and Toyota bB have received similar modifications.

United States enthusiasts use USDM equivalents, such as the Lexus GS and LS series and Infiniti Q45.

~QUOTED FROM WIKIPEDIA~