Sure, he drives a heavily-modified and decal-decorated Nissan Silvia, and swears in Hokkien.
It does not help that he has a penchant for drifting, a motorsport where drivers manoeuvre their cars into well-executed, controlled sideways slides at speeds of more than 100kmh.
"People generally think drifters are 'Ah Bengs', hooligans and rowdy people, and that the sport is dangerous," said the clean-cut Lim, 26, a sales executive at local tyre distributor Binter & Co.
But, as he would tell you, in fluent and articulate English, they are stereotypes.
Fellow drifter and trainee teacher Colin Teo, 31, said the sport may look dangerous, but is hardly so.
A biology graduate who has worked in kidney research and engineering, he picked up the sport in late 2005 and drives an $85,000 second-hand red Silvia.
"No one I know has ever got hurt doing it," he said. "It's safer than track racing, where you're moving in a straight line at much higher speeds."
Said his wife, teacher Phoebe Loh, 29: "I don't fear for his safety. My only concern is the car bumper. He's changed five since last year."
Lim and Teo will be among 37 local and Malaysian drifters who will compete in next April's inaugural Formula Drift Singapore.
Said Lim, who was among the first to pick up the sport here in early 2005: "I used to do bike trial and track racing, but nothing beats drifting.
"It's about the excitement, thrill and tyre smoke. It's just better moving sideways."
He has built up a repertoire of tricks by watching instructional videos, and training in Japan under top drifter Ken Nomura, 42.
Lim's best result is 14th overall among over 150 drivers in the now-defunct D1 Malaysia series last year.
He and Teo, who have spent about $20,000 each on the sport, feel drifting is a "grassroots sport".
Tyres contribute to the main cost. Each set of four, which cost about $600, lasts for only about an hour of drifting.
"Battlescars", like falling bumpers and scratches from knocks against obstacles, are healed with an annual respray and a new decal design.
Said Teo: "Drifting is open to the general public. It's done in a regular, everyday car that people own."
