The Toyota Prius has never been a particularly stylish car. In fact, its unusual design made sure it stood out from the crowd as the Japanese automaker’s pioneering hybrid, but “beautiful” wasn’t one of the adjectives associated with it.
As it turns out, putting on a plethora of aftermarket components doesn’t make it any easier on the eye – and a Lexus badge is… well, let’s just say totally out of ace.
This image was recently shared online on Reddit and shows the lengths at which one Prius owner in Japan has gone to to make their hybrid unique. Which, sadly, doesn’t always equate to good-looking.
A glance at the rear bumper shows a Liberty Walk sticker, but we don’t think any of the aftermarket components adorning this hybrid come from the famous Japanese tuning house. We could be wrong, but it seems as if the owner acquired parts from various other sources and has thrown them all at the car, perhaps hoping that some of them would stick and look good.
The rear is fitted with a pair of tailpipes and an aggressive diffuser that are totally at odds with the design of the Prius. New taillights have also been installed and there are also some red graphics over the white paintwork. And then there’s the rear wing and, of course, the badge. Yes, Lexus is renown for its hybrids, but it never badge-engineered the Prius, so the badge and logo definitely look out of place.
Sure, it’s not the first car we’ve seen pretending to be something posher than it actually is, nor is it the worst offender, but all those add-ons totally defy its “green” character. Not to mention, of course, attempting (and failing…) to pose as a Lexus.