Carbon Fibre Hit or Miss

[Kwacky]

Silver. Just having carbon on the mirrors looks like you want a sportier car but can't afford it.

[Blade]

Kwacky as much as I can see where your coming from in fairness it's hardly the base model it's a 50k car with the options fitted.

If it was a Corsa or Nova I could see your point but barring the M3 it's the top line 3 series convertible and the mirror caps are an official factory option not some tack out of Halfords.

[duke63]

Buy a carbon fibre car

[Blade]

Wow what's that Duke it looks mint

[D41]

Looks like the Alfa???

[duke63]

Alfa 4C Spyder comes with a carbon fibre chassis.

[Cav]

I'm a fan of what I call 'OEM+'.. if it's on a performance version of your car I would fit it, if it isn't I wouldn't. Either that or little things like a subtle front splitter but only OEM alloys, mirrors, boot lips, etc..

That's just me though. If you like it then who are we to judge!!

[Kwacky]

I'm not saying you've bought a two grand 5 series and have slapped M3 ebay stickers all over it. What I'm saying is that you've got a nice looking car, but the carbon mirrors look like you're trying to bling it up. It might be BMW carbon and you may have the full sports pack, but people will only see it very briefly. The general public will think you've stuck some Halfords carbon effect caps on your mirrors.

[Blade]

Cav if I'm understanding you correctly I think your suggesting what Kwacky was saying avoid, I. E. fitting parts from another car to mirror the other car and make it look like something you should have bought in the first place. Not 100% sure that is what you were suggesting but that wouldn't be my style tbh, although wouldn't criticise others if that was their thing. Each to their own on that score, but I'm too old to be a boy racer, haha

In fairness my car is already a performance version in its own right. It s a 3 litre straight six, turbo with much more torque and alot faster in gear acceleration times than the m3 which I did consider before buying mine. The m3 beats mine in off the the line acceleration but than at 5.9secs, 0 to 60 my car is hardly slow of the mark and both mine and the m3 are limited to 155 mph.

Neither my car or the m3 has carbon mirrors as standard. On both cars they are sold as a factory accessory from what BMW call their Performance range.

[Blade]

I'm not saying you've bought a two grand 5 series and have slapped M3 ebay stickers all over it. What I'm saying is that you've got a nice looking car, but the carbon mirrors look like you're trying to bling it up. It might be BMW carbon and you may have the full sports pack, but people will only see it very briefly. The general public will think you've stuck some Halfords carbon effect caps on your mirrors.

But wouldn't that be like saying it's wrong to put a carbon hugger on a zx6 as your trying to make it a zx10r ? Or fitting a race can on a 959 Panigale as you couldn't afford a 1299.

It's only my opinion and I appreciate yours but all the above bikes are very nice, high performance vehicles in their own right. We have no issues in modifying our bikes why should performance cars be any different ?

Genuine question mate as I'm not sure tbh.

[Cav]

Cav if I'm understanding you correctly I think your suggesting what Kwacky was saying avoid, I. E. fitting parts from another car to mirror the other car and make it look like something you should have bought in the first place. Not 100% sure that is what you were suggesting but that wouldn't be my style tbh, although wouldn't criticise others if that was their thing. Each to their own on that score, but I'm too old to be a boy racer, haha

In fairness my car is already a performance version in its own right. It s a 3 litre straight six, turbo with much more torque and alot faster in gear acceleration times than the m3 which I did consider before buying mine. The m3 beats mine in off the the line acceleration but than at 5.9secs, 0 to 60 my car is hardly slow of the mark and both mine and the m3 are limited to 155 mph.

Neither my car or the m3 has carbon mirrors as standard. On both cars they are sold as a factory accessory from what BMW call their Performance range.

I'm not meaning go and fit M3 parts to your car, just the stuff off the top model to a lower model car. Thing is, your car is already that top model car so there's not much point in doing anything to it in my opinion, maybe get the wheels powder coated a gunmetal grey (I'm a sucker for grey alloys) although probably wouldn't look great on a silver car.

Essentially, if you had the 330SE I would be suggesting things like the MSport suspension, TOTR MSport alloys and probably a boot spoiler. It still looks like an SE but one that stands out from other SEs. Hope that makes sense

[Kwacky]

Motorcycle riders tend to have more knowledge about mods done to bikes, than car owners have about mods done to cars. I don't think you can compare the two. The general public wouldn't know what is standard and what is aftermarket if they saw our bikes. They certainly wouldn't know the difference between a Harris fuel cap and a £10 Chinese copy.

Bikes are different. You don't have a ZX10R RS, ZX10R ST, ZX10R standard like you get with the Ford Focus. But if you had a standard Ford Focus and put ST alloys on it, people will think along the lines I originally posted.

No one I know has ever looked at a 600cc sportsbike, seen a bit of bling and thought "poor sod wanted a 1000cc sportsbike".

We all have different tastes and do different mods to our vehicles.

[Blade]

You do get a 1299 standard, a 1299s and a 1199R though and nobody has issues with fitting R components to the standard bike.

To be honest I get what your suggesting kwacky just not 100% convinced tbh. I think performance car enthusiasts would notice tasteful mods as bikers would on modified bikes. Vice versa ask Mr BMW beard tourer biker to point out the mods on a s1000rr and he would most likely be at a loss.

If fairness they were just to replace a scuffed item and possibly look better as a bonus.

I'm not wanting to modify the car. This is a one off thing to replace some scuff marks as maybe cheaper than painting. If they look bad I'll sell them on and use the money to pay for painting the oem silver items.

As I say it was always a gamble and bought as a spur of the moment thing as they were too cheap not to take the chance.

If I'm completely honest I'm undecided myself hence the reason asking for opinions from you guys.

[Monty]

I'm with Duke, just buy the Alfa

[Monty]

....... we could do a pole!

[Kwacky]

I think on the car that you've got the silver ones look better. That's my preference. Personally when it comes to cars I prefer the sleeper look, with the mods and performance parts tucked away.

I'm not a big car fan though so that probably doesn't help you

[Kwacky]

....... we could do a pole!

Can I do this one please?

[Blade]

Would be quiet without me

[Kwacky]

Would be quiet without me

?

[duke63]

....... we could do a pole!

Can I do this one please?

You would have to catch her first.