Installing a widebody kit is one of the loudest and most obvious ways to modify your JDM vehicle. These add-ons make your car wider, so you can install wider tires for better grip and traction and improve your aerodynamics, increasing your car’s stability at higher speeds.
Some recommend installing a widebody kit after upgrades like improved suspension, wider tires and tracks, and a more powerful engine. However, the visual effect of widebody kits is irresistible for some tuner owners, who prioritize installing them over mechanical upgrades. Furthermore, many iconic vehicles in movies, TV shows, and games also feature widebody kits, making more people want to install them on their similar cars without adding other modifications.
Whether you’re adding it to maximize your car’s current modifications or you just want your car to look cool, a widebody kit is a great addition to make your vehicle unique. These are some of the coolest widebody kits you can get for your JDM car.
Rocket Bunny 86 / FR-S / BRZ (ZN6/ZC6)
Rocket Bunny is one of the first names to come to mind when you talk about widebody kits. However, Rocket Bunny isn’t a company — instead, it’s the name of the body kit that Kei Miura makes in his shop called Tops Racing Arts or TRA Kyoto.
Although you can find Rocket Bunny widebody kits for older cars like the Nissan Silvia S13 drift car, it wasn’t until the Rocket Bunny FR-S debuted at the 2012 SEMA Show in Las Vegas that the brand gained traction in the wider car tuning community.
Today, you can find Rocket Bunny body kits at many car shows and for different old and new cars — even American and European ones, like the Corvette C8 and Porsche Cayman. You’ll also see them featured in many video game franchises like Forza Horizon and Need for Speed. If you’re looking to buy a widebody kit for your car in the U.S., the brand goes by Pandem to avoid copyright issues.
Liberty Walk R34 Skyline GT-R Super Silhouette
Liberty Walk is one of the coolest companies when it comes to widebody kits. That’s because it doesn’t discriminate which car models it will make kits for, so both cheap kei cars and expensive supercars like the Lamborghini Aventador can have a Liberty Walk mod.
Although the company made headlines with the divisive decision to modify the Ferrari F40, it was in 2009 that it gained global exposure when it brought a Lamborghini Murcielago with a widebody kit to SEMA. And since this happened before Rocket Bunny or even RWB joined the show, people weren’t used to seeing modified exotic cars, whether on the showroom floor or in the streets.
Nevertheless, if done right, widebody kits can look great on both current and classic cars, such as with Liberty Walk’s take on the legendary R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R. The Liberty Walk body kit makes it stand out, especially with its massive front splitter. And since the R34 is one of the most awesome cars you can now legally import into the U.S. as of 2023, we’ll probably continue seeing an influx of these models in the tuner scene. If you want your R34 to stand out from the crowd, consider getting a Liberty Walk body kit.
Veilside RX-7 Fortune
“The Fast and the Furious” introduced many kids to the car scene in the early 2000s, and the third movie in the franchise, “Tokyo Drift,” eventually became a cult classic that introduced drifting to the masses. It was also in this movie that we saw Han Lue’s Veilside RX-7, one of the most iconic Fast and Furious cars, which now resides with an Australian car collector.
Built on the Mazda RX-7 (FD3S), the Veilside RX-7 Fortune gives it a much wider stance, new headlights, massive ducts, and a large rear wing. This changed the car’s look so much back in 2006 that most average “Tokyo Drift” viewers may not have even recognized where the car came from.
Because of the model’s iconic status as one of the most memorable cars in the Fast and Furious franchise, the Veilside RX-7 Fortune makes it into our list of the coolest widebody JDM kits. If you have one in your garage, people in the know will see it as a star.
M&M Hyper Wide Civic EK9 Type-R
The Honda Civic is one of the most popular tuner cars, especially the sixth-generation EK9. That’s because it’s affordable and parts and mods are readily available. If you want to go all-out on your first project car, consider getting a widebody kit.
What makes the M&M Hyper Wide one of the coolest kits you can buy is that it makes the EK9 Civic look aggressive and more powerful. It also adds functional aero, like the front diffuser, which fits the Type-R bumper, allowing you to reach a higher top speed on your current setup. When you combine this kit with the right upgrades, your modified Honda Civic will win in both races and looks.
One of the best things about the M&M Hyper Wide is that it won’t break your budget. It’s one of the most affordable widebody kits you can buy, coming in at $3,500 or less — just a fraction of most widebody kits, which often cost over $15,000 when all is said and done. This is fitting, as the kit is designed for one of the most affordable tuner cars you get.
Varis WRX STI (VAB/VAG)
Although the Subaru WRX STI isn’t quite as popular as other tuner models like the Civic, it has its own dedicated following driven by its rally racing heritage. That’s because the WRX STI made a name in the World Rally Championship after it won four manufacturer’s and driver’s titles between 1995 and 1997, making it one of the most legendary rally cars ever produced. This performance made the model very popular among car enthusiasts. Knowing its rally racing pedigree, some have modified it to squeeze more power from the boxer engine and all-wheel drivetrain.
The Varis Widebody Full Kit C is the perfect addition to a souped-up Subaru WRX STI. This kit is also called the Circuit Version, meaning it prioritizes performance over aesthetics. Any WRX STI that rocks this Varis widebody kit means serious business on the track.
Widebody kits are great for high-performance cars, so seeing a tuner kitted out with one lets you know it will deliver speed. But whether it’s installed for aerodynamics or just to make a car look cool, we can all agree that seeing a widebody kit on a nice JDM ride is a feast for the eyes.
