Unlike the days when pimped Mustangs were the craze, today’s consumer is opting for something a little more tame. The fact is, "The small-car market has really increased in the last two years,” Ernie Bunnell of 3dCarbon notes. The increase in B segment sales has caused a “big market for vehicles such as the Ford Fiesta, Mazda 2, Chevrolet Sonic and other cars within the compact class.” Sean Tito of RKSport, Murrieta, Calif., believes the trend of customizing small cars will continue to grow especially since, he says, “nothing large is hitting the market right now.”

“This (trend) poses a great opportunity for restylers and suppliers,” adds Rick Nauman of ATS Design,Cerritos, Calif. “Most small cars are very affordable, which allows consumers to spend more money on personalizing their vehicles.”

Since smaller car sales have increased, many new-car owners have somehow bought into the idea that aftermarket accessories can increase aerodynamics and miles per gallon. This myth has not only spread, it has become contagious, especially with those who (mainly due to economics) opt for purchasing a Kia instead of a Camaro.

Although some may argue a refined and customized hood or a curvaceous spoiler may achieve a savings of even a few pennies of petrol, restylers unanimously agree this fable is false.

“Manufacturers make cars pretty aerodynamic already,” says Dan Clawson of E&G Classics, in Columbia, Md. “Automakers also have many new OEM features within their vehicle designs to not only provide optimal performance and aerodynamics, but also to help with fuel economy. If someone says a spoiler is going to increase their mpg then they are being misleading. There is no way to measure a vehicle’s drag coefficient unless it is put through a wind tunnel test.”

In Cleveland, Kevin Box of Dawn Enterprises agrees that there is not anything aftermarket which can be added to a vehicle that will make much of a difference. “The only way to increase miles per gallon is to have the vehicle design already implemented or to make the car lighter.”