We all know of That Car you always see in the parking lot. That Car that seems to stand out against all the other generic cars. That Car that seems very luxurious and high tech. That Car people want to take pictures with, or even own one day in the future. For senior Sunny Patel, he owns That Car.

“[My car] makes me different from everyone else because I have done things to my car that to portray my likings and reflect the type of person I am,” Sunny said.

Sunny became interested in car modifications as a child. As a child, he regularly attended car shows with family and friends. At the time, Sunny didn’t know that he would grow up and become someone who would create a car similar to what he saw then.

“I always thought it was pretty cool to see these custom cars that you don’t see every day,” Sunny said. “When I got my first car, I was like “Dang, I should start doing this. It would be a great thing to pass time when I’m bored.a��”

Upon some later thought, Sunny decided to pursue a hobby in car modifications. After looking for a satisfactory car, he ultimately settled on a 2012 Infinity G37 XS.

“I got [a 2012 Infinity G37 XS] because it was affordable to me, and it had all the technology I wanted,” Sunny said.

When making changes to his car, Sunny is often inspired by other cars he enjoys. The process of deciding what car modifications to make is quite a creative process for him.

“I imagine in my head what it would look like if I put different parts from different cars on to mine,” Sunny said. “It’s all imagination.”

However, Sunny has made some large commitments and sacrifices in order to get his dream car. He has a loan taken out under his parents’ name in order to pay for his car. Every month, Sunny owes a car payment of $380. In order to pay off his loan, he works for his parents’ business and also works on other cars. While maintaining and improving his car may require an excessive amount of time and effort, Sunny often is not alone in his tasks. Sunny asks his friends for assistance when he is working on his car. His friends often bring him tools and stay to help him finish his projects.

“It’s good to have a second pair of hands in case something goes wrong,” Sunny said.

Since the start of his journey, Sunny has spent a considerable amount of time and money making modifications to his car. Some of these modifications include $10,000 worth of performance parts, parts for lowering the car, bigger wheels, several different paint jobs, color changing lights underneath the car, and custom color changing headlights.

While there may be many unusual and unique parts on his car, Sunny still has one particular aspect he prefers.

“My exhaust system [is my favorite part on my car],” Sunny said. “I love how loud it is. It’s like music to my ears.”

Sunny is considering selling his car before he goes to college, due to the fact he will not be able to take it with him. But, he is still very proud of what he has created.

“I get a sense of pride when I look at my car every time, especially when I walk away from the car and look back,” Sunny said. “I also feel happy when other people take time to look at my car and take pictures because it just shows me that I am doing something right.”