People are definitely proud of their cars here, and there is a kind of car culture that resembles that in the U.S. You'll see people with modded up cars, nice rims, loud exhausts and cool paint jobs. It's not surprising to me, given how much people need their cars out here. Another thing is that there are a lot more big old lifted trucks made for off-roading. This is probably because once you leave Brisbane, Queensland turns into a wilderness with a lot of places to go offroading. Mud or desert, all of it is available for recreation.
