Car tuning services abroad have long been a highly profitable business. There is interest from clients in this service in our country as well. So far, mainly small and medium-sized companies based in garage complexes and close to the car markets are engaged in this business. The demand for these services is growing at a fairly fast pace, and the competition in the market is still insignificant. Experts who are versed in this business and who love cars have a chance to open their own car tuning company. Now this type of small business is quite promising and brings good profit to its owners. Read more about starting your own tuning business below.

First of all, the services for finishing a production car relate to increasing engine power. Basically, it is interesting for drag and street racers, whose army is constantly growing. But in addition to increasing power by making changes to the motor design, there are other popular types of tuning. Engine power can be adjusted upward by tuning the control unit, otherwise it is called chip tuning.

Interior specialists can tune the cabin by installing sophisticated acoustics, DVDs, leather seats, etc. Finally, the production car model can be changed purely externally, providing it with an aerodynamic body kit, fenders, moldings. This will give it a sporty look and will indulge the pride of the owner who is involved in motorsport.

As a rule, each tuning studio has its own specialization, the direction in which they can provide the highest quality services. Firms that undertake complex tuning are still very few on the market.
Car manufacturing companies are quite jealous of changes made to the design of a production model by craftsmen who have no factory equipment, no analysis and control tools. Moreover, from the tuning carried out, even at the level of software changes, the engine of the car wears out quickly, and its operation requires more expensive lubricants and fuel.
An increase in the power of cars in tuning ateliers is not fixed by anyone anywhere, and it is often simply impossible to find traces that the engine has undergone changes.

Not all cars are created equal for tuning. There are models that experts will never undertake to fine-tune or some kind of alteration. And the point is not that these are perfect cars, but quite the opposite. The engines of such cars, after tuning, do not last long and soon simply fail. And the owner can then present a claim for a breakdown to a tuning studio.
Be that as it may, but tuning motors is in demand and it can be expected that over time the demand for these services will only grow.

A simpler business in the field of tuning for companies that are engaged in improving the comfort of the car interior. Experts note that the possibilities for installing modern equipment are approximately the same for almost all machines. Therefore, everything here is limited only by the amount that the owner of the car can pay for car music, leather in the cabin and other "bells and whistles". At the same time, the most modern acoustics can be stuffed with both a modern car and a car of 30 years old. The cost of installing the equipment is about half the cost of the equipment itself.
In order to be able to provide such services, it is necessary to start up about a million rubles. This money will need to be spent on boxing equipment for handling cars, purchasing equipment and hiring craftsmen who will turn the vehicle into a disco on wheels. Although it is possible to start a business of installing music and video in cars almost from scratch, with a garage, a minimum set of equipment and your own skillful hands.

Another segment of the tuning services market is the external transformation of cars and giving them a sporty aggressive look. To organize such a tuning studio, not large costs are required. A salon specializing in exterior tuning may not even have their own production facilities. Such companies may simply be intermediaries between car enthusiasts looking to transform their car and manufacturers of attachment parts. Here it is required to agree with the customer the shape and model of future bumpers, fenders and moldings, place an order with the manufacturer or dealer of such spare parts, install after completion and give the customer a finished product. In this case, the customer pays for the cost of spare parts and installation.

Installation work is the main income of these companies and is calculated as a percentage of the price of the body kit. This is approximately 25% of the cost. Considering the small overhead costs, such a business provides a very good profitability. By tuning several cars a month, you can earn from 20 to 60 thousand rubles a month.

Recently, there has been a tendency when tuning companies are divided depending on the brands and types of cars. Now in the tuning market, there are several main segments. These are companies that are engaged in the finalization of products of the domestic auto industry and firms specializing in the "construction" of jeeps. And finally, tuning ateliers dealing with sports car models.

In the first case, the services are designed for those who have a second car and this car is domestic. The fact is that with the price of the VAZ G8 at $ 8,000, a fully charged car can be sold for $ 15,000. On the other hand, for many, a tuned G8 or 10 is an opportunity to "drive" as much , then crash the car and share your impressions with your comrades and friends. This segment of the market is the most massive, but you can not earn much from one car.

The second, quite developed direction of tuning is tuning off-road vehicles. This industry is for those who are a fan of their jeep. Such tuning is a very capital-intensive event for the client, and for the performers it is a very good and stable income. Stable because those who are serviced in the same tuning studio will do this throughout the life of their jeep.

Tuning sports cars is of interest primarily to street racers and people who want to squeeze more power out of their sports car. Here the main efforts of the craftsmen are applied to increasing the power of the iron horse. In terms of profitability, tuning sports cars is in second place after finishing off-road vehicles.

It is also worth noting that airbrushing of cars is beginning to gain popularity. More and more often, cars can be seen in cities, turned almost into works of art. For the organization of this type of tuning, it is important to have high quality artists. They will have to pay a considerable salary, if a constant flow of customers cannot be ensured, the business may become unprofitable.

The ideal business model of a tuning studio is one that focuses on a specific segment of this market, for example, SUVs and offers the client a full range of services. From trade in car audio, video equipment and other tuning accessories, to the full range of works on fine-tuning cars. It is not cheap to organize such a tuning studio, but in this business model you can count on a constant stream of customers.

Setting up a small tuning studio costs about the same as opening a simple car service. But there is one peculiarity here. Car service services will always be in demand, and the tuning company has yet to find customers. Therefore, before starting such an enterprise, it is advisable to have a few good clients in mind. And if the quality of work is at a decent level, other car owners who want to transform their car will be drawn to your salon.

According to experts, every fifth car on Russian roads passes through the hands of tuning masters. The demand for this service is constantly growing, and the competition in the tuning business is low. And if we talk about business transparency, then only a few work under tax laws. Now is the time for enterprising people to start a hectic activity.

Styles and directions of tuning

There are several styles in tuning, focused on nationality. For example, Americans love the gangster-rapper bias. The Germans are in the first place - comfort, the Japanese gravitate towards the racing genre. The Russians have not yet decided on the style, therefore all varieties are present in the domestic open spaces.

Styling and technical modernization prevail among the tuning directions.

Styling implies a visual transformation of the car. Exterior styling usually begins with the installation of rims. This simple procedure immediately improves the dynamics of the car, and the appearance becomes "catchy" and presentable. Further, bumpers, sills, lights and other body kit elements are subjected to reconstruction.

There are many nice things about interior styling. The leather upholstery has already become "boring". Now many people prefer a sporty design with imported seats and a small steering wheel. They also decorate the interior with special pedal pads, chrome and aluminum frames, stylish rubber mats, paint the interior with special paints, "stuff" with musical components and navigation systems.

Technical or chip tuning most often concerns the "heart" of the car - its engine. It is possible to remake both the manual transmission and the braking system and suspension. "Flight of imagination" completely depends on your desires and wallet, since the revision sometimes turns out to be much more expensive than the cost of the car itself.

Reputable foreign manufacturers have their own set of tuning operations offered by the factory program. It is covered by the manufacturer's warranty, but such an exclusive tuning is not cheap either. Feel the Difference: A factory tuned Audi 4 costs over $ 100,000, while a regular model costs around $ 45,000.

Tuning by car type

Tuning of domestic products can be distinguished as a separate industry. It is noteworthy that mainly two categories of car enthusiasts resort to modernizing VAZs: children of wealthy parents who gave their offspring a car for "road experiments" and obsessed drivers for whom tuning is elevated to the rank of a hobby. Both have the spare money to turn the $ 8,000 model into a 15,000 one.

Finding tuning parts is not a problem. "Underground" conveyors in Togliatti, Lipetsk, Moscow provide parts for all those in need. Moreover, "gray" prices are less than "white" percent by 20. Just keep in mind that no one is responsible for the quality of "gray" products.

Tuning off-road vehicles is also beneficial. Anyone who dreams of making a monster out of his jeep is ready to pay a "round" amount. For example, the most popular operation - a suspension lift - costs from $ 5,000 to $ 7,000, equipping with a pair of electric winches will cost $ 850, installing differential locks - more than $ 1100, installing a snorkel for crossing water barriers - up to $ 900. The average tuning outfit of an SUV will pull 15-20 thousand "green", and the most "fancy" tunings "roll over" for 100 thousand.

Post-tuning service also costs a lot. Even the maintenance of the Russian UAZ will amount to more than $ 1000 per month, and the "lion's share" of the funds goes to the salaries of the craftsmen.

Owners of middle class foreign cars are also not averse to ennobling their car, but their tuning potential is somewhat less than that of SUVs.

Market entry

The entrance to the tuning market costs up to $ 100 thousand. The bulk of the money will go to the purchase of equipment: a guillotine, machine tools, a press and other trifles. You will need your own production site and professional craftsmen.

For knowledgeable people, mastering the wisdom of tuning is not difficult. Many domestic craftsmen use their own know-how in their work, and the efficiency and quality of such new products are sometimes higher than industrial designs. You can also install off-the-shelf equipment supplied by dealers. In any case, the customer, in addition to 100% payment for spare parts, will add another 50% to the final calculation amount for the work itself.

Many cars are tuned according to unique projects known only to direct specialists. Therefore, you are doomed to be engaged in servicing the machines you have handled before sending them to the landfill. This means that you will have work all the time. The annual turnover of a good-quality tuning studio can reach several hundred thousand dollars in dollars. After a year and a half of good work, you will return the money you spent, and then you can spend the profit at your discretion.

Prepared by editors: "Business GiD"
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Such a thing as car tuning has been practiced in the world for many years. And today there are many types and varieties of this "art".

These are airbrushing, LED tuning, widening the wheel arches, boosting the engine and many, many other things. Therefore, the profit from such a business will not be so small. However, in the post-Soviet space, only a few companies are involved in such an industry that are engaged in tuning cars at a professional level. And if you are wondering how to make money on cars, the most profitable solution would be to create your own atelier. However, there are pitfalls here. Which ones? We will tell you about all this and not only in this article.

Tuning as a business: is it profitable?

Firms that deal with the conversion and upgrade of cars have achieved significant success. Moreover, most of them are engaged in tuning the interior of the car, that is, the interior. Today in Russia one can observe a high demand of motorists for leather interiors and various electronic "gadgets".

Moreover, not only owners of old 20-30-year-old cars turn to the atelier, but also new foreign cars. Based on these statistics, we can safely say that tuning applies to absolutely all brands and models of cars, of different ages and prices.

External tuning

Those firms that provide external tuning services are also doing well in the market. The most popular of them are airbrushing and installation of plastic body kits (bumper, fenders, spoiler, and so on). Here you can purchase parts and spare parts in advance, and then install them on cars.

However, the most profitable option will be when you make body kits according to ordered patterns. In this case, the car enthusiast is given the opportunity to purchase parts according to his own design. To do this, it is enough to have your own catalog, according to which the driver can choose the most suitable option and bumper design (or other body kit elements).

The scheme of work of such ateliers is quite simple - first the company accepts the customer's order, and then its employees come to an agreement with companies involved in the production of such products. On average, income from such a business is about 20-30 percent of the total price of the product.

How to make money on cars? Tuning option for SUVs

If earlier we talked about electronics and body kits, which are installed mainly on cars, now we will tell you about tuning off-road cars. In general, there are much more opportunities for the development of this business, even in comparison with the ateliers that upgrade exclusively to "passenger cars".

The fact is that, in addition to airbrushing and interior tuning, an SUV can be equipped with a kenguryatnik, a winch, strengthen the frame, expand the arches, make a suspension lift and much more. However, to start this business, you need to have a lot of capital - all equipment for work, rental of premises and staff will cost you several million rubles. But we will not be silent about the profitability of such a business either - the payback of such companies is no more than 1-2 years of stable work.

In what ways can SUVs and cars be tuned?

Most often, the following range of works is performed in the studio:

• Expansion of wheel arches, installation of power canopies and bumpers (exclusively for all-wheel drive jeeps).
• Airbrushing.
• Protection of such vulnerable elements as the engine crankcase and transmission (especially popular not only among SUV owners, but also among car drivers).
• Car LED tuning. For the most part, this concerns "cars" - this illumination perfectly decorates not only the external, but also the internal appearance of the car.

Considering this entire list of works, we would like to focus on the last category of works.

Business idea: tuning cars with LED strips

LED car tuning has enjoyed great success and popularity among car enthusiasts. Why did he become so popular? The fact is that this is the only type of work that has the most optimal ratio of price and practicality. After all, LEDs do not aggravate the aerodynamic and other characteristics of the car at all, nor do they spoil its appearance.

But with the onset of night, the effect of such tuning will be simply charming. It would seem that several small bulbs glowing at the same time on one ribbon - what could be interesting here? Looking at the photos below, you will understand without explanation how effective this tuning is.

Why exactly LED car tuning? Every car owner wants his car to stand out from the others, to be different from everyone else. However, many people solve this problem by installing plastic body kits. Yes, this is a good tuning option, but if you do not approach this issue correctly (that is, do everything spontaneously), it will only disfigure the look of your car.

But how to make the exterior of the car unique without undertaking airbrushing work and without installing body kits on the body? That's right, with the help of LEDs. But here, too, the issue needs to be approached wisely, which means that the driver cannot do without the help of specialists. This detail is the very gold mine on which many companies enrich themselves. LED car tuning is the future of all tuning studios, and this has already been proven by time.

Where are the LEDs installed?

As practice shows, LED lamps can be mounted almost anywhere in the car, with the exception of the engine compartment. Most often, these lamps are used as a backlight for a radio, other interior elements and, in general, the entire cabin as a whole.

What are some ideas for tuning a car? An interesting idea would be to install LEDs on the underside of the car. If you are planning to create your own tuning studio, your company's business plan should definitely include several such upgrade ideas. The more professional your staff will be with LEDs and optics, the more profit will be.

Disc illumination

By the way, you can offer your customers the installation of LED-lamps on disks. This idea is quite rare and not very popular, but if the driver wants to make his car look unique, this tuning method will be just right. Agree, such a vehicle will definitely stand out among the gray "crowd" of other cars!

The service of re-equipment of the interior lighting of the car will be more in demand. The meaning of this work is to completely replace the standard lighting equipment with LED. Knowing a lot about car electronics, you can make good money on such a service.

Is it worth doing an LED business?

Opening your own illumination tuning studio is a great idea for those who have minimal start-up capital to run their own business. What are the advantages of such a case? The main feature of this type of business is that you do not need to hire a team of employees and rent premises to perform work.

It is enough to have basic skills and your own garage with a minimum amount of equipment. LED strip is a very primitive detail, and absolutely everyone can cope with it. Therefore, you do not need to possess special technical skills and knowledge.

If your start-up capital is measured in several million rubles, then of course, you will not be able to manage with one employee, because the full payback of the enterprise will come by its 10th anniversary. If you have enough money, you should not save on equipment (if you are engaged in a more serious type of upgrade) and the area of \u200b\u200bthe rented premises. Remember that the more cars you serve in a day, the more profit the company will have.

What will be the profit?

It is not difficult to calculate the profitability from the installation of LEDs. On average, such services for installing LED lamps on the bottom, in the cabin or in disks are about 5,000 rubles. Subtract the cost of consumables from this. As a rule, the cost of one LED strip, depending on the length and color, ranges from 200 to 500 rubles.

Plus, the lease of premises and the salary of employees (if any) - up to 20 percent of the proceeds. The net profit from one car will be at least 3,500 rubles. As you can see, the profitability of this business is quite impressive. So, it is understandable why tuning studios pay off so quickly to their owners.

Sooner or later, every car enthusiast begins to think about how to improve something in his four-wheeled friend. For some, the installation of a braid on the gearshift lever and steering wheel is quite enough, while someone decides to carry out a more serious reconstruction. Tuning is of three types: technical, musical and styling. In this article, we'll take a look at each of them. One should start, perhaps, with styling, which implies the process of visual transformation of a car. Styling can be both internal (interior rework) and external (exterior rework).

There are many solutions for interior redesign. The most stylish and expensive change is the installation of sports seats. Although, if you do not chase the brand, that is, do not buy chairs from famous foreign manufacturers (Recaro, Sparco, etc.), but be content with the products of domestic firms, it will not take much money. Sports chairs of our companies (UNP, Pro Sport, etc.) are not inferior in quality to imported counterparts, and in some respects even surpass them. Often, tuning fans resort to replacing the serial steering wheel with a sports bagel with a smaller diameter.

Quite an interesting option for internal tuning - styling film. On sale you can find a film of various colors, it will not be difficult to choose a suitable one for the interior of your car. There are even films that mimic natural carbon, an expensive composite material made of carbon fibers that is popular with fans of total car tuning. Another way to change the interior is painting with special paints, they can be applied to fabric, plastic, etc.
Additional little things worth noting are door sills and pedals, a handbrake and a gearshift knob, chrome and aluminum rims and frames, as well as all kinds of aluminum or rubber mats.

Basically, exterior styling starts with the installation of forged or light alloy wheels. And this is quite understandable, because beautiful alloy wheels instantly transform the appearance of a car, and the price for them is quite acceptable. In addition, correctly selected discs improve dynamics and controllability, and their lower weight leads to a decrease in fuel consumption and load on parts and suspension units.

The next stage of external tuning is. On the shelves you can find ready-made tuning kits for domestic and imported cars. If you want to get an original body kit, but you do not have such money, then you can use the services of a tuning studio. The masters of this business will develop a design and make the body kit you like. A car that has received sports sills and bumpers can no longer do without a suitable spoiler. In addition to the aesthetic function, the spoiler is needed to create downforce at high speeds. There are spoiler models, the tilt angle of which is adjusted directly from the passenger compartment using a special electromechanical device.


Recently, tuned optics have become popular. Depending on the available funds, you can buy not very high-quality optics from Taiwan and Korea, or you can pamper yourself with certified products from well-known manufacturers. The most widespread are lanterns and headlights from two firms - Street Storm and Pro Sport.

This type of tuning is the most difficult and expensive. Some people sometimes invest up to 500% of its cost in finalizing a car. On this, of course, only a few decide, we will consider only the most frequently used options for technical refinement of machines. The direction of technical tuning can be different, it all depends on the desired result and on the amount of money that you have.


Many people start their technical training by refining the heart of the car - the engine. Replaces standard camshafts with shafts with modified cam profiles. At the same time, tuned camshafts are made for both grassroots and horseback riding fans. This means that the engine can change its performance in the region of medium and low revs (from 2500 to 4500 rpm), or, on the contrary, high (from 4500 rpm). The bottom camshaft is right for you if you like to drive in traffic light races, as the motor kicks in instantly. And the overhead camshaft is usually chosen by those who like top speed and more power. Together with the camshaft, the integral pulley is changed. It helps to optimize the valve timing as accurately as possible and ideally tune the engine to the operation of a particular camshaft. In injection engines, in addition to the pulley, the engine control unit (chip tuning) is subject to reprogramming.

It can be used without a camshaft, if you just need to reprogram the car for a specific driving style. For those who like to drive, the "Sport" option is perfect, and for those who like a quiet ride - the "Economy" option.

It is possible to carry out a deeper tuning of the engine, which implies the replacement of the crankshaft, rings, pistons, liners, etc., but this is another story. In this article, we only touch on the initial stages of tuning.
Another technical tuning option is intake and exhaust improvements. To do this, the exhaust and intake manifolds are redesigned, the inlet is equipped with a low resistance filter, and the outlet is equipped with a spider manifold, a flame arrester, a straight-through muffler and a straight-through resonator. These improvements allow the motor to breathe in and out freely, which helps to increase its power by up to 20%.

Available . More precisely, tuning a manual transmission. The owners of the automatic transmission will first have to replace it with a manual transmission. Gearbox tuning involves replacing the main pair and gear ratios. This helps to change the driving characteristics of the car for a particular driving style. In addition to the row and steam, a sintered clutch and a lightweight flywheel are installed. The lighter flywheel allows the engine to reach operating rpm faster, and the clutch provides longer service life in extreme driving conditions.


The car's suspension and braking system are also often tuned. Replacing the factory brakes with new, stronger ones will be needed if the engine power is increased. The standard suspension is also weak and will require intervention. In addition to replacing the shock absorbers and springs themselves, in order to improve the handling of the car, spacers, reinforced shock absorber cups, reinforced anti-roll bars, etc. are often installed.

The process of car audio preparation is also called tuning - musical, and sometimes you can hear such a thing as "acoustic" tuning. The first stage is the choice of a head unit that meets all the necessary requirements. Next comes the turn of car music speakers. It should be noted that component acoustics, in which the tweeter is installed separately from the broadband speaker, provides better sound quality. To get the most out of your music system, an amplifier comes in handy. And for lovers of powerful music, a subwoofer is needed. A quality music system will also require a capacitor and special certified cables. Professional wires transmit sound without distorting it, and a capacitor reduces interference and compensates for voltage drops at high sound volumes.

You can talk about endlessly. You can read a separate article about the installation or replacement of any tuned part, which is full of the Internet. We just wanted to give a small idea of \u200b\u200bhow you can change your car. The expression "there is no limit to perfection" is fully suitable for tuning.

Russian car tuning is represented mainly by medium and small firms that are lost in garages and car markets. You won't earn much here yet, but the prospects for this business are not bad: today every fifth car sold in Russia falls into the hands of tuning masters. The demand for their services is growing, despite the fact that fine-tuning the machine often greatly shortens its life.

Many-sided exclusive

Today, increasing engine power is one of the main types of automotive tuning, in particular, this service is in great demand from the growing army of drag and street racers. In addition to tuning the engine itself, there are, as you know, chip tuning (increasing the engine power by reconfiguring the control unit), as well as tuning the interior (leather trim, installing advanced "music", etc.), external tuning (various body kits - bumpers , winglets, etc.), tuning the exhaust system, etc. One of the main impulses in this matter is the desire of car owners to join motorsport with relatively little blood or simply satisfy driver's ambitions: few can afford to have a device like Ferrari or Brabus - "fancy" in the factory Mercedes. But the "cosmetic" exclusive is able to warm the soul of many motorists.

Alexander Belokopytov, director of the Tuning Point company: In Russia, this market emerged three years ago out of nothing, it did not exist. After the movie "Fast and the Furious" interest in tuning has sharply increased, now this interest has become stable. But tuning is still a spontaneous market.

It is clear that, in theory, you can change anything in the car. And, according to dealers, every fifth car sold in Russia undergoes one or another tuning.

Daria Alekseeva, Development Director of URT-Tuning: The motivation and style of the owners of tuned cars depends on the national characteristics. In the USA, for example, the gangster-rapper style prevails, in Japan - street racing or racing, in Germany the car owner primarily wants to improve comfort. It is interesting that in Russia there is no pronounced definite style, all of the above is present here in approximately equal proportions.

It is impossible to accurately determine the volume of the Russian tuning market, since most of it is in the shadows. According to experts, we are talking about hundreds of millions of dollars. The leaders of this market in terms of sales (specialization is not taken into account) include such companies as "Tuning Point", Pro-sport, "Tuning Territory", Altechno, Sport-mobile, Pit Lane, LD-Turbo, "Promaster", "Lit -design ", 4stars.

Car manufacturers have a wary or indifferent attitude towards third-party tuning. Manufacturers of expensive foreign cars offer customers a full-time, claiming exclusive tuning, provided by the factory program.

Vagif Bikulov, PR-manager of Audi-Russia: The manufacturer has its own model lines with non-standard settings - increased engine power, leather interiors exclusive in color and quality, etc. These are factory cars, they are covered by a warranty. The price of a car with factory tuning is, of course, higher: if, for example, the base model of the "four" Audi costs from $ 30 thousand (on average $ 45 thousand), then the price of the tuned version may exceed $ 100 thousand.

Official dealerships and dealers usually do not welcome the initiative of local tuning companies. What kind of exclusiveness, what kind of technologies can you expect from those brought up in the Russian car industry? Squeaks in the leather-covered interior (factory hauling costs $ 1.5-7 thousand, "garage" - $ 500-700), out-of-order engines, etc.

Local tuning firms do not always warn the car owner that the same chip tuning leads to accelerated wear of the engine, suspension, other components and parts, increased requirements for oil grade and fuel quality. It is clear that an increase in engine power means additional costs for the manufacturer in a number of positions, while the car owner can limit himself only to reconfiguring the control unit, which, with a low quality of performance, will simply ruin the engine. For example, when the Audi engine power is increased by only 20 hp. from. the cost of each connecting rod rises by $ 200, since it already has a different design.

Alexander Belokopytov: It is possible to increase the power of the car by chip tuning by a maximum of 25-30% (in the case of turbo engines). This type of tuning is limited to reconfiguring the control unit; no other changes are made to either the engine or the chassis. Official dealers will not be able to detect the fact of software reconfiguration even if they want to, so the car will remain under warranty.

Interestingly, there is no regulation for "combat" cars. Theoretically, all fundamental changes in the car, affecting the braking system, control, must somehow agree with MADI or US. Help from there is quite inexpensive, but, according to many market participants, it is easier not to contact these institutions, but to solve problems with the traffic police on the spot. Note that the traffic cops still do not have serial devices that measure engine power, which many use.

Alexey Antonenko, General Director of "Super Tuning": Nobody fixes the tuning increase in engine power. If you come from the street to the traffic police and ask - can I do this and that, then they will tell you: "Of course you can't!" Therefore, no one goes there.

However, in some cases, the tuning change in engine power is still recorded (not to be confused with replacing one engine with another). The payment for capacity sometimes becomes too expensive (with a capacity of 300 forces, the tax will be 30 thousand rubles per year), and the owner of the car deliberately underestimates the number of "horses" under the hood, referring to some "ecological" or "economical" tuning, which allowed to reduce the power. Such paper "tuning" costs about 15 thousand rubles.

It should also be noted that the presence of "treadmills" at the traffic police allows car owners not to undergo technical inspection, even though recently MOT should be recorded on a video camera. According to one of the experts, only half of all Moscow cars get into the camera lenses during technical inspection. It is clear that almost all charged "cars" with non-standard engines, brake and exhaust systems, etc. turn out to be among those who undergo MOT only on paper, more precisely on an inspection ticket.

Engine tuning is not yet very cost-effective, and this is one of the reasons why companies are in no hurry to legalize and combine a tuning car service with a regular one in their activities.

Sergei Blagoveshchensky: Today, you can probably earn something on tuning the engine, but this is hemorrhoids. A number of models have low tuning potential. For example, "Italians" are not tuned at all. Of the "Japanese" - the ambitious Toyota owners want speed, the people with Subaru want "everything rich", sometimes Nissan and Mazda are tuned. But you can earn more on a trivial car service than on tuning. Unless, of course, you are engaged in tuning Mercedes.

Of the sedans, the Subaru Impreza and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution have the highest tuning potential; they are often bought as sports cars with an eye to tuning. In particular, the designers of the Lancer Evolution made it possible to boost the engine by increasing the pressure in the turbine. The drivetrain easily tolerates the increase in power to 450 hp. with., therefore only the clutch is replaced. There are a great variety of Evolution engine boost kits produced by well-known companies.

The owners of other foreign cars use tuning less often. Some companies (for example, "Tuning Point") work with all foreign cars up to 10 years old popular in Russia (Ford Focus, Volkswagen Passat, Mazda3, etc.). But this is a car for the middle class, and their tuning potential is small.

Daria Alekseeva:The buyers of Nissan and Citroen are not very solvent, that is, they buy a car either on credit or with their last money, they cannot afford deep tuning.

Not a single motor ...

Car interior companies have significantly fewer problems with determining the tuning potential. Not everyone wants or can become a racer, but very many want to cover the interior with leather and install AV electronics (including high-end ones), a GPS navigation system, improve noise and vibration isolation, etc., and in most cases this can be done without big problems (this is, of course, not about finances).

Sergey Volkov, Managing Director of the Ministry of Sound: The tuning potential of most car brands, in which you need to install speakers, amplifiers, a subwoofer, home theater or office with navigation, is about the same. Cars of various brands come to us for tuning. Both those that are under warranty and those that are already 30 years old come. We buy equipment from dealers, we do not contact directly with manufacturers. The installation cost is about 50% of the price of the equipment itself. Entering the market for such tuning will cost about $ 100,000.

It is possible to improve the dynamic properties of the car somewhat, as is known, by changing the exhaust system, as well as by overlaying its body with a body kit (in particular, the so-called aerodynamic skirt). Homemade exhaust systems were used by 4stars, a company whose employees once participated in races. The know-how of the company is now in serious demand.

Evgeny Saveliev, CFO of 4stars: With our exhaust system tuning technologies, engine power can be increased by 6-7 hp. from. Our workshop is located in the Moscow region. For such a manual production, it is necessary to have a guillotine, a press, a lathe and some small things, but most importantly - good working hands, which are now in acute shortage. All this equipment is not cheap - $ 40-100 thousand.

We do not serve individual racers, we work mainly with legal entities, racing teams, etc. For example, one of the last orders for 10 sets with a silencer, a manifold and a resonator cost our customer - a sports team - $ 10 thousand, taking into account warranty service. Previously, such exhaust systems were purchased in Finland, but the Finns in terms of price-quality ratio turned out to be far from ideal partners, and a similar production in Russia has good prospects. The share of marriage in our country is small - 1.5%. I know one Austrian tuning company - Remus, we cooperate with it from time to time, so their percentage is twice as much.

It should be noted here that the developments of domestic designers, in fact, are not protected in any way in terms of authorship and wander from company to company, and many inventions are blown away by the ubiquitous Chinese.

Daria Alekseeva: Taking into account the peculiarities of the Russian legal culture, it makes no sense to patent your own know-how. Whatever tuning you do - yachts, helicopters, cars - people go to other companies, create their own business and use actually stolen technology. As soon as they make cosmetic changes to the project, you will not prove anything in court.

In addition, it is difficult for specialists from Russian tuning companies to take into account all the nuances of the production of mass brands. Somehow one of these ateliers in Moscow received an order for 50 sets of exhaust systems for the popular Daewoo Lanos model now being produced in Ukraine. The exhaust specialists rented this model for four days and made a tuning exhaust system for it. The manager of the atelier described this process as follows: the engineer puts the Lanos in the box, disassembles it, then stocks up on coffee, sandwiches and for three days does not crawl out of the garage designing the system. The resulting author's product is released in the status of a pilot batch, then small-scale production is established.

One way or another, the order - an exhaust system in the amount of 50 sets - was sent to Ukraine. But it turned out that the Moscow Lanos model did not have air conditioning, and when installing the system on a car with it, problems arise - the air conditioning pump interferes. As a result, I had to look for the owners of "unconditioned" Daewoo Lanos and offer products to them.

To engage in external tuning - bumpers, fenders, sills, you don't even need your own production area. Here the intermediary business is quite profitable.

Kirill Anashkin, general director of Avtomednik + LLC: We sell several body kits per month. We order the body kits at the factory, then we send them for installation along with the car, try on, paint and install (the color, of course, is selected at the request of the customer). That is, we are to a large extent intermediaries: body kits are made according to our templates (this is the company's know-how), our function is to accept an order from a client and negotiate with subcontractors. The factories themselves are not engaged in mass production of body kits, tuning as a business is not of interest to them, dealerships also do not always show interest in it (often due to the fact that they are bound by obligations in relation to manufacturers), so we are in demand. The cost of our services is about 20-25% of the price of the body kit, on average, a full body kit with anti-fenders, bumpers, and a skirt costs the customer $ 4 thousand. This private business can earn about $ 3-5 thousand a month, since the overhead costs with such labor organization is minimal.

If a body kit made of "popular" fiberglass is suitable for the products of the domestic auto industry, then in the case of foreign cars, expensive ABS plastic is usually used. And since most of the "kit" business is underground, homemade fiberglass is often passed off as a branded product. At the same time, stores usually sell body kit items with a 45-50 percent markup. As in many other business areas, tuning firms that initially established themselves as suppliers of quality parts and services may eventually lower the bar - for example, switch to using Chinese components of dubious quality.

Internal division

Many experts segment tuning by car type and brand. So, AvtoVAZ products are usually distinguished into a separate segment.

Evgeny Savelyev: Why do many people buy products of the Russian car industry (sometimes for $ 600), and then do tuning? Or do they buy a VAZ G8 for $ 8 thousand, and then bring its value up to $ 15 thousand as a result of tuning? After all, for this amount they could easily buy some Hyundai Accent or even something better.

The fact is that, as a rule, these people have money for a more serious car, they just want to remember their youth, drive, then crash a car somewhere in their gardens and make a photo session out of this adventure on the topic "How I spent summer".

Yuri Belozerov, manager of the Shcherbakov tuning store: We are engaged in tuning "VAZs", and we have two main categories of buyers. The first one is the "kids" to whom the parents gave the first car (usually the VAZ-2110 and its modifications, the latest Kalina model is not in great demand) so that they break it. Another category is those for whom tuning is a hobby. The tuning parts that are sold in our store, we, at the request of the client, install here, in the auto center with our partners. About half of the spare parts we have are tuning, half are ordinary. The profitability of the business in terms of tuning is about 30%.

It is worth mentioning that the cheapest tuning parts for the VAZ model are produced in the Togliatti, Lipetsk and Moscow underground, they cost 20% less than those offered by the "white" tuning companies. For example, a bumper on a VAZ-2110 from a legal manufacturer costs 5.5-6 thousand rubles, and in the South port an analogue can be bought for 4 thousand. However, most likely, it will be a "licked" bumper and not blown in an aerodynamic pipe.

Tuning SUVs is also considered a separate industry by most experts.

Vladimir Aleksashin, director of business development at Trophy-Garage: A serial car for us is only an intermediate option, raw material for the production of a real car. We build SUVs - this is what real Jeepers say, converting their cars into monsters. Equipment for an SUV tuning workshop costs the same as a set of equipment for a regular service.

At the start of the business, Vladimir and his partners invested about $ 40,000 in it. In particular, the lift cost $ 3,000, the floor leveling and reinforcement for its installation cost $ 2,000, and sets of professional keys and the necessary power tools were also purchased. The company rents the production area - 200 sq. m in the hangar.

Now in Moscow there are about 20 specialized ateliers that tune SUVs. Specialized clubs are also working in this field - "Club 4 x 4", "Nivovody", Off Road Wrangler Club, etc. As a rule, large services do not deal with such exclusive orders - there is too much non-standard work, each car needs an individual an approach.

Most often, they remake "UAZs", 73rd and 80th Land Cruiser, Wrangler, that is, "non-partiers". One of the most common operations is a suspension lift ($ 5-7 thousand), which makes it possible to install wheels of a larger diameter (thus increasing the ground clearance). Expansion of wheel arches, installation of all kinds of protection (steering rods, engine crankcase, transmission units, cardan shafts), installation of a snorkel to overcome water obstacles ($ 650-900), a roof rack for a spare wheel and things, power bumpers and thresholds are also in demand. Full tuning assumes the presence of differentials with locks in the axles (from $ 1100), a pair of electric winches (from $ 850), additional headlights and many other options, small and not so necessary for the driver and passengers on an extreme journey.

As a rule, only work on a serious upgrade of an SUV costs an average of $ 15-20 thousand (there is no upper bar - some invest more than $ 100 thousand). Further maintenance is also not cheap: for example, the monthly maintenance of a tuned "UAZ" will cost about 40 thousand rubles, and most of this money goes to pay tuners.

The turnover of an "off-road" tuning studio can reach several hundred thousand dollars a year (the total turnover of the capital's "jeep construction" market is about $ 20 million), while there is no intense competition in this market.

Vladimir Aleksashin: All cars are built according to an individual project, only we know their features, so we serve cars for their entire life, from construction to disposal, in fact, like family doctors. And even if the owner sells the car, it usually stays with us anyway. The most difficult thing in our business is to earn trust, it takes time. Therefore, it is not easy to enter our business from the street even for an operating car service.

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