Certain cars are considered excellent tuner material because not only are they decent cars to begin with, but a lot of aftermarket parts have been produced for them, too. They also tend to be easy to work on and modify. Some cars are coveted by tuners because they are rare or because they offer high performance straight from the dealer.

Here are a few of the most popular tuner models.
Honda Civic - This is the most common tuner. The vast number of Civics in the United States means replacement parts are easy to come by. Manufacturers have also realized that there is a huge market for Civic upgrades, and they now produce thousands of aftermarket parts, from turbochargers to seat covers. It might be possible to build an entire Civic from the ground up using only aftermarket parts.





Photo courtesy Street Tuners Inc.
Tuned Civic




Mazda RX-7 - The RX-7 is one of the few production cars to use a rotary engine. Although Mazda has released the RX-8, the RX-7 is much more common. In its stock configuration, the RX-7 boasts more speed and better handling than virtually any production car in its price range. Its flashy looks and ability to be customized have made it very popular with the tuner crowd. The RX-7's biggest drawbacks are high maintenance costs and difficulty getting parts for the relatively rare rotary engine.





Photo courtesy Tuned-Cars.net
Tuned RX-7




Acura Integra - The Integra is popular for the same reasons as the Civic, although some feel it is more of a luxury car. For several years, Acura produced the Integra Type-R, considered by many to be the first high-performance tuner straight from the factory. The Type-R is a rare breed that many tuner enthusiasts can only dream of. Some tuners have taken to putting "Type-R" stickers on just about anything they drive, but true Type-Rs are hard to come by.





Photo courtesy Tuned-Cars.net
Tuned Integra




Nissan Skyline - Nissan has never sold the Skyline in the United States. However, its reputation as an amazing performance machine combined with particularly stunning looks has lead some people to purchase Skylines in Japan and ship them to the United States themselves. The Skyline must then undergo a conversion to relocate the driver's side to the left side of the car (technically, the conversion isn't required, but most North American drivers find sitting on the right too awkward, especially for high-performance driving).





Photo courtesy Tuned-Cars.net
Tuned Skyline




Ford Focus - Many American-made cars now fit the description of a light, low-displacement car that's easy to obtain and easy to modify. The Ford Focus shows that the tuner scene isn't for imports only. With a host of aftermarket parts and a healthy dose of stylish looks, the Focus is growing in popularity. In fact, a heavily modified Focus has dominated the NHRA's Sport Compact Pro division, and Ford even produced a factory tuner concept based on the Focus -- the FR200.





Photo courtesy Tuned-Cars.net
Tuned Focus



Scion, a new division of Toyota, is the first marque that is focused specifically on satisfying the demands of the tuner market. Or, as the Scion mission statement puts it, they were formed "to satisfy a trend setting youthful buyer through distinctive products and an innovative, consumer-driven process." The three available Scion models are made to be stylish, distinctive and easy to work on and modify, offering a wide range of performance and style options.




Photo courtesy Tuned-Cars.net
Scion tC at NAIAS 2005


In addition, dozens of other cars are popular with the tuner crowd, including the Mazda Miata and Toyota's Supra and Celica.

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