Photo by: Alex White
If the growth of LoweredLifestyle.com is any indicator of the growth of the lowered car / stance scene, then lowering cars for looks and performance is a trend that’s here to stay.
Advance Auto Parts first met up with Matt Phillips to talk about the stance scene two years ago. Since then, the Lowered Lifestyle Facebook page has grown in popularity to 100k+ likes with 10k+ people engaging with the page every week.
We reached out to Matt again for an update on the lowered car scene, the outstanding growth of his site and what he sees as the next big trend in lowered cars.
“We owe it all to our fans who’ve embraced the scene and made it what it is today,” says Matt. “There’s not a day that goes by that I’m not super impressed with the creativity of people out there. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, someone comes along and raises the bar.”
Photo by: Kendra Aceto
“Two years ago we were seeing a lot of perfect offsets and stretched tires. Most of what people were doing was fitting wider wheels to stock-bodied cars. Now we’re seeing motorsport-inspired over-fender kits from companies like Liberty Walk and Rocket Bunny.”
One of the most popular methods of lowering a car involves replacing the stock suspension with adjustable coilovers. However, a lowered car on coils can sometimes be a burden for daily drivers.
Photo by: Colton Mantolino
“Air suspension has come a long way,” says Matt. “Three years ago when I installed air on the Volvo, the system was basically set up for a compromise between ride and handling. The new Air Lift system we just installed on our GTI provides the best of both worlds. It’s competent performance suspension that doesn’t sacrifice ride quality.”
Air suspension allows owners to “air out,” which drops the vehicle to near ground level when parked. “The result is perfect fitment every time with instantaneous adjustability.”
photo by: Mike Raffia
When asked about the future of Lowered Lifestyle and the scene in general, Matt says this.
“It’s an exciting time, for sure. There are options for enthusiasts of virtually any make or model and at virtually any budget level. Great builds aren’t just for those with deep pockets.”
Any parting thoughts, Matt?
“Live low.”
Thanks Matt!
Editor's note: If your car is lowered and you love it (or not) let us know in the comments below. And while you're at it, hit up Advance Auto Parts for the best selection in parts and accessories.
