Hi-Riser (automobile)

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The cover of a Hi-riser magazine


Hi-Risers are a type of highly customized automobile, typically an inexpensive American-built sedan modified by significantly increasing the ground clearance and adding large-diameter wheels with low-profile tires. Depending on the model and build year, autos customized in this manner can be labeled "donk," "box," or "bubble."
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Hi-risers originally grew out of the Dirty South hip hop subculture but the trend has spread across the United States. Vehicles customized in the hi-riser style are distinguished by their outsized (even disproportionate) rims, ranging from 20" to 30" or more in diameter, as well as fanciful custom paint-jobs and expensive audio hardware. Suspension modifications similar to those employed on lifted pickup trucks are made to give adequate clearance for the large rims. Often the suspension is modified so the front end sits slightly higher than the rear end, giving the car a swaggering appearance. Because of the almost comically exaggerated look gained from installing a lifted suspension and enormous rims, donks are also known as "hi-risers" or "sky-scrapers." You can usually find these automobiles in Miami-Dade county and Broward County

The most popular vehicles for these types of modifications are full-size Chevrolet models, namely the Impala, Caprice and Monte Carlo. There are three main sub-types of hi-riser, although the distinctions are blurred and open to debate. Most hi-riser enthusiasts agree that a "donk" traditional is a 1970s-era car with a sloping rear end. To complement the sloping rear, the suspension of donks are frequently higher in the front end than the rear, resulting in a nose-up stance. Other hi-risers are usually raised evenly, resulting in a more or less level stance. A "box" is a another sub-type of hi-riser, usually a 1980s-era car with a boxy or squared-off front and rear end. Finally, "bubbles" are usually aerodynamically-styled cars from the 1990s or 2000s, most commonly a Chevrolet Caprice or Impala. Other models that are frequently made into hi-risers include, but are not limited to, the Buick Regal, Oldsmobile Cutlass, and Pontiac Grand Prix.
Hi-risers typically start as vehicles valued as low as $800, but end up with upwards of $50,000 or more invested in modifications and personalization . In addition to lifted suspension and large diameter wheels, hi-risers usually receive bright, candy-colored paint jobs, designer fabric interiors, and enhanced audio systems.