Donks, cars decorated as candy bars, spread in South

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RALEIGH, N.C. - The rims on Antonio Hopkins' 1995 Chevy Caprice shine like a rhinestone pinkie ring -- flamboyant to the point of being ridiculous, cooler than a thin mint.

Inside, the car is decked out in white ostrich leather and purple suede with a sea swirl pattern. But that's not even the most eye-catching feature of Hopkins' ride, known in Dirty South slang, as a "donk." Spread across the side is the perfect replica of a purple Skittles package, detailed down to the UPC bars and invitation for passers-by to "Taste the Rainbow."

Hopkins' motive is a pure love of cars that take tricked-out to new heights. He doesn't get a cent from Skittles. Neither does the driver of Raleigh's Juicy Fruit car, or the blue Klondike Bar Chevy. But Hopkins does get long looks, and that's the idea.

"Sugar Daddies. Mr. Goodbar. Nerds. It's wanting to be different, standing out," said Hopkins, 21, a student at St. Augustine's College. "People have always been hooking up cars, buying hot paint jobs. This is taking it to the next level. It's all about the attention you want."

By loose definition, donks are highly customized American cars characterized by enormous wheels that range from 22 to 30 inches, high enough to slide a skateboard underneath. Hopkins' Chevy sits on a 7-inch suspension kit. Chevy Caprice, Chevy Impala, Chevy Monte Carlo -- all three are popular models to rehab. All are favored for their large rears, giving donks their name from a shortened slang term for a generous posterior: badonka-donk.

The trend has crept north from Atlanta, taking hold in this area over the past year. Not every donk has a consumer product theme, but those tend to be the flashiest. Within a mile of Hopkins, Corey Sanders has spread a giant decal that renders the wrapper of a Klondike Bar. The famous ice-cream question is stenciled over the door -- "What would you do for a Klondike Bar?" -- and the rear bumper promises 24 ounces of chocolaty goodness.

Riding through Raleigh, Sanders gives the appearance of a beautiful, rolling billboard.

"My homeboy, he's got a Frappuccino car," said Sanders, 23. "That thing's pretty."

The donks have won admiration that borders on obsession from a hip late-20s crowd that has built a new game around the spectacle: Donk Hunting.

"We saw these cars roll up with these ridiculously large rims," said Les Stewart, 29, a graphic designer. "Someone else would say, 'I saw one with a Skittles logo,' and then we thought, this is a thing."

Stewart and his friends so enjoyed spotting them on late at night that Stewart decided to invent a donk version of Bingo. The object: collect as many pictures of as many donks as possible.

He crafted "Donko Cards," with squares for Heineken, Coca-Cola, and Skittles donks, several unthemed donks, and a free square.

He collected 24 players, but none could match the enthusiasm of Heather Yandow, 30, a fundraiser for an environmental nonprofit.

"Around Raleigh, I was always on the lookout for a donk," she said. "I'd take the long way home hoping to see one. My friends and I always had our phones in our laps. They're beautiful cars, and it's been fun to have something else on your mind when you're driving."

For her prize, she received a pleather (slang for plastic masquerading as leather) belt with a spinning rim in place of a buckle. But she'd really like to meet a donk driver in person, or better yet (sigh), sit behind the wheel.

For the fans, for the drivers, the world just seems fresher with donks in the streets. They break the monotony of commutes, interrupting the parade of ordinary Fords and Hondas, as if a flock of peacocks grew tired of strutting and decided to buy themselves a suitable ride.

(E-mail Josh Shaffer at josh.Shaffer(at)newsobserver .com)

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)

Must credit The News and Observer of Raleigh, N.C.