Bob, you are awesome, thanks!! Glad I made the cut

Having spent some time in a design school, I'll try to keep this brief without going into a dissertation:

Tasteful mods are ones that "unify" with each other. Part of this unification means that the mods tie in with the original character lines of the car. Mods that call an extreme amount of attention to themselves as a standalone add-on do more to rob from the overall impact of the car than to enhance it. Remember this line, if nothing else.

When a car is designed, a common theme is employed throughout the body, trim, wheels, etc. to tie it all together and result in an "impact" when the car pulls up to onlookers. It's either a gag (Pontiac Aztek) or an O-face (Ferrari 458 Italia).

Mercedes always employs a classy, muted luxury look with sculpted lines and a sporty feel. Cadillac vehicles are edgy, angular, flashy, and ostentatious. Noting subtle about them. Porsche always keeps it simple, and sticks to an iconic profile with form almost always following function. Infiniti, on the other hand, forces the function to follow form, in all it's swoopiness (yes, that's a made-up word) .

With our Crossfires, we teeter on a thin line. Our cars already arrest attention with very polarizing, "love it or hate it" looks. When modding, you need to look at a car as a canvas... with any/all additions altering the "feel" of the artwork.

The Crossfire employs angular side panels, with a healthy does of curves in the rear profile, and an edgy front-end. So, there's something for everybody. The OEM wheels do such a good job tying this all together because they're flat and angular, yet they curve. The SRT wheels have spokes that tie in with the hood/fender strakes: again, unification.

It's why big, garish wheels look so terrible, and the M-Benz derived designs look so "at home".

Stick-ons of any variety are a no-no, from an aesthetic flow standpoint. Sure, it's the individual's car and you can do as you please, but putting a pineapple on the roof doesn't compliment the lines of the car, no matter how much someone may love it.

Perhaps the best mod in the world is one that, to an enthusiast, is immediately noticed because it has enhanced or even further improved the overall look of the car; yet, to a layman, it would be lost because it flows so well with the rest of the design.

Perhaps the best compliment you can receive is, "Did they come like that from the factory?"

Seamless, confused with being "the real deal", and effective in design -- THOSE are the criteria I employ when making additions to my car.

Some tips:

• Make sure all trim matches. If you go black, go ALL BLACK. If you like carbon fiber, go all carbon. Silver door handles and a gunmetal windshield surround would clash. No unity.
• If the front of the car looks OEM, insure that the rest of the car does, as well. Canards, fairings, and vents sticking out of the back of an otherwise "stock" body give the car a confused look. Are we getting groceries, or race trophies?
• Make sure the mod does not DECREASE the functional ability of the car. If you increase rim size, keep it light and upgrade the brakes. Otherwise, you'll accelerate wear and tear on the chassis.
• Have a theme in mind. A goal, from start to finish, is key in producing a magazine-quality car. Brabus rims combined with Lorinser interior accents combined with a Carlsson front spoiler = confused ride. Each tuner focuses on a different direction in modification... Keep brands together. Mutts never sell for a high price for a reason... they offend all the purists.

Hopefully all of that makes sense. Again, it's your individual car, but if you truly want a crowd pleaser, aesthetic agreement always wins. No matter your theme.

Happy motoring!