Tribal behaviour has always been at the heart of modifying culture. Fans of Japanese tuning, for example, will be well versed in the history of the bōsōzoku; to outsiders, this is a subculture that often takes a lot of explaining. Literally meaning ‘reckless tribe’, the ethos traces its roots back to illegal motorcycle street-racers of the 1950s, their outrageously styled bikes tearing up the streets of suburban Japan with little regard for safety or the law. Similarly, the kanjozoku were 1980s outlaws in Honda Civics whose modus operandi was to go out on the expressways and try to outrun the police for kicks. Fast-forward to Hollywood in the early-2000s and we find Dom Toretto and his cronies telling pizza boys that the street’s closed so they can engage the NOS and tear up the tarmac.
