Elite Design Concepts

A little late for 2016, but finally have some fresh material for all you guys !

First of we here at C3photography want to thank all our readers for your likes, shares, and comments. We really appreciate it and will be having a lot more new content in the coming weeks. So our first blog for 2016 is for one of C3’s supporter, close friend and owner of Elite Design Concepts.

Elite Design Concepts was founded in 2011 with the intention of creating modified cars that deliver personalization and serve complimentary to the manufacturer’s intent with building the car. Experienced with both old and new school cars, Elite Design Concepts is excited for what the future holds. They are not afraid to go all out with mods, including wheels and suspension; however, they do just enough work without overdoing it to make a nice setup that is sure to stand out tastefully. They have also began to recently expand their service offering with the launch of their own wheel line consisting of three-piece forged designs; edc wheels. There is no doubt that EDC is always looking for new ways to expand their product lineup and remain current.

Vinnie Budhram, owner of Elite Design Concepts and a gorgeous blue Audi R8, was kind enough to sit with us for an interview regarding his company. Vin also teased us with a sneak peak of his latest addition, an all-original 1994 red Toyota Supra with only 40k on the odometer. The car is completely stock and in immaculate condition. When asked about his intentions for the purchase, he added “This is the modern day car guy’s dream car. It is an icon and I have it in the purest form.”

Your company seems to do it all, everything from upholstery work and tinting, to engine tuning and suspension mods. Which of these services are your most popular, or would you say you’re best known for?
Our areas of customization run the full gamut from a modification standpoint. Putting parts on a car is easy and almost anyone can do that well, although some people still mess that up. However, building with a purpose and creating a concise finished product is a different story. EDC was built on the principle of enhancing what you already love. If you buy a car and then decide that you want to chop, replace or rebuild the entire car, you bought the wrong car and we aren’t the right outfit for that. Our goal is simply to take what is already good and make it yours.

What sets Elite Design Concepts apart from other companies that offer similar services in the field?
Fit – Finish – Feel. The auto industry is a passionate market. There are always new emerging ideas, products and movements that make it a dynamic segment to be in, especially in NYC. When building a car, it is important for us to understand what the purpose of the build is. Next, it is important to understand what drives you the most. Is it the audio system, wheels or a full all-out show car to win trophies with? When our discovery process is complete, we develop a design and estimated budget for you. Once the customer approves the design, we prepare for implementation and execution. Quality comes first. We are passionate about the network of partners we have built that are in the top of their areas of specialty. We use our expertise and relationships to make the build as painless as possible.

Your portfolio truly demonstrates a wide array of vehicles and phenomenal work. Were there any jobs or cars you’ve worked on that were especially memorable?
Diverse portfolio is an accurate statement. The thing about it is that we love cars, whether it be a ‘99 BMW M3, 2010 Camaro SS or a 2015 Corvette Z06! We are car guys, and can probably sit around all day talking about all ranges of cars and things that make them special. Every project is different, which makes it special in one way or another. We have done some wild stuff that range from a Plymouth Prowler to a 1999 M3 convertible on air with a super stretched setup.

What are your professional goals for the future? Anything new or exciting in store that you can disclose to us?
EDC is a boutique offering. It helps us to focus on quality and really work with a customer base that is passionate about their car and what they want it to be. Being boutique is much more of a strength than weakness. It allows us to focus on the industry and to where it is evolving. Our service lines have changed and grown over the past years. In 2015, we launched our wheel branding initiative, EDC Wheels, with some strong projects including the R8, Lotus Evora GP Edition, Porsche 997tt, and a Corvette C7 Z06. This year we have some cool new projects in the pipeline for that cover a wide landscape including BMW, Maserati, Aston Martin, etc. This season will be fun.

How long has your company been in business? Have you found that certain methods of advertising work better for bringing in customers?
Advertising is interesting and for those that really mastered that, hats off to them. Things are much more different than they were in 2003. Communicating with people requires a personalized touch and at the same time not too personalized. This is because you also need to speak to the masses. It’s a tough mix. One thing I believe in though is that honesty, integrity and quality equal sustainability. My goal is to continue to be impactful with our builds, while providing nothing less than high quality for the customers and people that believe in us.

Any last words to our readers today?
I want to thank C3 for taking the time to feature us. We also worked together very early on in our automotive careers. I also want to thank everyone that supports EDC. It didn’t just happen; there were a lot of folks who really put their time and confidence into helping me move this to where it is today. Some are still very active in the scene, while some don’t come out as much. However as a person, I never forget who did what for me.

I have been in the car game for a while, but EDC has been officially in business for five years. I remember starting out with nothing but ambition to win a trophy at a car show. Lord knows today I couldn’t care less about that. However, it has been nothing short of great growing up in this game, and seeing some of your peers growing and building as well. It is also exciting to meet some of the new faces and see how things are evolving as well. We have a couple of cool things happening this coming year, and plan to continue building ourselves on the basis of quality vs. quantity.

Make sure to visit Elite Design Concepts at their Instagram page.