Have you seen sports cars driving down the street with metal rings attached to their bumpers? Or maybe you’ve noticed a short nylon strap attached to the bumper and fluttering in the breeze. These are aftermarket accessories, rarely used for towing. They are usually installed to make these vehicles look more like racing cars. But you may also have one tucked away in the trunk, ready for installation in an emergency.
Why do racing cars have tow bars?
Some racing car classes require competitors to install tow hooks or tow straps on their cars. This is because the cars are low to the ground and difficult to tow when they slide off the track. It would not be safe for track personnel to look for a tow ring.
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It is possible to connect tow hooks with 4×4. And when you’re off-road, there’s a good chance you’ll get stuck and need a trailer. Vehicles such as the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and 4xe are easily recognized by their uniquely colored tow hooks.
But many racing cars also wear tow hooks. If a tow truck has to pull a car out of a ditch or load it onto a trailer, it can often climb under it and find a safe place to dock. But a low-profile racing car is more of a challenge. Track personnel may attempt to tow a malfunctioning race car while other cars are driving. It is important that they can dock and get back into their truck.
Many race car specs include clearly marked tow points. In some classes, these are nylon straps. In others, they are metal rings. They are often painted in a bright color or marked with decals.
Why do JDM sports cars have tow hooks?
To be fair, most road cars don’t need permanently mounted tow rings. If you see sports cars wearing brightly colored tow rings, their owners simply want their vehicle to look more like a racing car.
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Several road legal sports cars arrived from the factory with tow hooks installed. These included several track-ready sports cars built exclusively for the Japanese domestic market (JDM) and only subsequently imported to North America.
For this reason, many fans of cars built by Japanese brands connect bumper-mounted tow bars with high-end sports cars. Many aftermarket tow hooks are actually labeled as JDM tow hooks.
Does your car have tow hooks?
In recent years, automakers have begun tucking in the bumpers of many cars for easy towbar installation, according to Slate.com. These cars have a detachable towbar in the trunk. They also have a removable plastic door the size of a coin built into the bumper.
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Why do automakers include tow bars with new cars? It may be because each generation of cars is a little lower than the ground, and therefore a little harder to find safe towing points for. It’s also possible that JDM sports car enthusiasts installing tow hooks inspired the change. Or it could just be a common sense feature for safety and convenience.
Then, watch the Red Bull F1 car make donuts in Midtown Manhattan or find out how an aftermarket JDM tow bar is installed in the video below:
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