You hit on a very debatable point here in the U.S. There are whole forums where people argue about this.

Ricer refers either to something on the order of either:

1) A small car, nominally a four cylinder Japanese coupe, but possibly any small four cylinder car. It may or may not be modified so it is fast (or at least faster than it was originally) but it is garishly festooned with big rear wings, aero kits, tape-on scoops and louvers, neon light kits, dazzle tailights, extreme lowering, chrome wheels, wide fender additions, lighting kits, decals, etc., etc., and a "chrome "Fart Muffler" (a single four inch wide ltailpipe and low restriction muffler which makes the engine sound like -- well, hence the name), all of this far exceeding the limits of even bad taste. It might actually have some mods to make it go faster, but most are posers - they make styrofoam intercooler look-alikes the guys mount below their radiator, and people actually sell a little underhood gadget that makes a sound like a pop off valve whenever you let off the gas, and some of these people mount a cluster of guages up on top of the dash but they don't measure anything (I saw a clock - useful at least).

2) The owner of such a vehicle, usually young, stupid, and broke.

Owners of American muscle cars look down on both as sub-species barely deserving of notice, much less respect. It is considered bad form, when driving any type of DECENT car, to even take notice of them, obnoxious and garrish as they may be.

There is debate about the precise interpretation of the finer points here. Is a "Ricer" only a four cylinder car? No, V6 Mitsubish Eclipses are often turned into ricer by their owners. Is in only a Japanese car? No, not any more: American manufacturers also make the material for Ricers - the worst example I've seen on the street, actually, actually, was a Ford Focus, but Dodge makes the Neon and Chrovlet makes a thing called the Cobalt (probably sold in the UK as a Vauxhall). A few people say that ricers include modified VWs (A hotted up GTI, say) but generally VW owners have good taste (plus, some of them are respectable fast).

A few people unfamiliar with the correct intepretation of the term also apply it to any really modified Japanese car. In my opinion, a Suburu STi or Mitsubish Evo, either of which can do the standing quarter mile in the low 13 second range, stock, is not a ricer. An owner that adds bigger tubos, etc., to make them faster, is not a ricer -- that car is worthy or respect and the owner of congratulations for avoiding the temptation to "rice" it. But some owners make them a ricer by tacking on wings, etc., but . . .

There is also the phrase "to be riced" which does not mean to be beaten by a ricer in a street race (God forbid!), but to actually lose your cool when some snivelly little ricer pulls up along size you and buzzes and makes rude finger gestures and wants you to race, and instead of ignoring them totally, momentarily unleash the 400 Hp lurking under the hood of your good old American V8 to put them in their place. Considered very bad form.

 

Thanks for that Lee,
yes, I think I know the sort of car/person you mean. In the U.K. we call them "Boy Racers" and they even have specialist magazines for them, the most popular being "Max Power Magazine."
I don't know about them having no money though, alot of them spend stupid amounts of money on their euroboxes adding whole discotecs to the interior, a small fortune on fiber-glass, expensive wheels, etc, etc. If they do add any horse-power to the car, it usualy just counter-acts all the extra weight they've added with above mentioned mod's! At the end of the day, they could've bought a proper sports car for less money, but you know what it's like when you're that age, they know everything and we know nothing!

The problem with youth, it's wasted on the young!

 

Usually if you hear them rev the engine, you can tell in a hot nanosecond if the car is actually making power, or if it's just a fart can...
Cars modified to make power usually rev deeper into the RPM range, and there's a distinct difference in the sound, it's tighter somehow. If you get one sounding like that, and a distinct lack of stickers, it's probably someone who actually knows what he's doing under the hood. I go to local car shows, and the one mod I see that'll make me laugh faster than anything else, is the chrome "cold air" intake tube...that draws in thru a K&N filter...under the hood. ("Woah! Dude!! Good for 30 horsepower!!!) Where's the cold air? I built my Fiero (Caddy V-8) for the sole purpose of messing with the their minds. Can't wait to get my 944 up on it's feet. (Sorry for the late commentary on the subject.)

 

Yea its all fun and great to mock Honda drivers and ricers until you run into one with 500+whp in a small gutted car. Ask me how I know