[Lee_in_SC]

I’m itching to add some new bits to my G82. Specifically, I want to swap out the honeycomb air ducts with the M performance style, replace the grille with something similar to vorsteiner, and add a front lip.

My car doesn’t have the carbon package and what I can’t decide is whether I should go with carbon fiber, or gloss black. I love the carbon fiber look, but it’s significantly more expensive than ABS/gloss black. Additionally, I’m not looking to change out everything, side skirts & diffuser will stay gloss black for now. Sure, I’d love to change it all out but just not in the budget at the moment. My other concern, especially with the lip is CF would be more painful to the wallet if there’s an accident (roads in SC are trash!) The lip I posted below is from Amazon and only about $200 so easy enough to replace if necessary.

Looking for your thoughts and opinions. Should I spring for the carbon fiber and just add peices over the next couple years as I go along, or, should I stick with gloss black so everything on the car matches?

I feel like a mix of CF and gloss black would look kind of tacky, but hard to visualize. Anyone have a mix of both on a Dravit car, anyone go gloss black or carbon fiber and regret not getting the other?

I love checking out all the pics on the different front splitter/grille threads here, but please post here if you got one or the other and want to share with your recommendation.

*pic 1 is my car currently, 2 is the grille style I’m looking at and 3 is the front lip style.

[mike@x-ph.com]

Carbon fiber for me, but if you are going to do it, you will need to replace all the gloss back with carbon upgrades.

having both at the same time is a bit tacky in my opinion

[chris s]

Originally Posted by mike@x-ph.com

Carbon fiber for me, but if you are going to do it, you will need to replace all the gloss back with carbon upgrades.

having both at the same time is a bit tacky in my opinion

disagree, even when you option exterior CF from BMW it mixes and matches carbon and gloss black. It's how it comes from the factory. If you're referring to the front ONLY, then I would agree, make it all the same...

[RW Carbon]

One of our project cars is a G80 M3 in dravit. We have CF everything on it because its our car, but plenty of customers mismatch CF and gloss black. If you do a CF front lip, then it would look out of place to do a gloss black diffuser. If you want to do both, then do CF front lip, skirts, diffuser and mirror caps and then you can go with gloss black grilles, fender trims, duct trims, etc.

[kmoto]

I have dravit as well and carbon fiber is near and dear but I wanted to be "different" in the sense with an OEM+ look, so I opted for all black accents, etc.

I'm happy with how it all fits as people ask if it came like that (I wish, would've saved me a few bucks ).

All in all, your car. Great to ask the community but ultimately comes down to what you like and are happy to see.

[Lee_in_SC]

Originally Posted by kmoto

I have dravit as well and carbon fiber is near and dear but I wanted to be "different" in the sense with an OEM+ look, so I opted for all black accents, etc.

I'm happy with how it all fits as people ask if it came like that (I wish, would've saved me a few bucks ).

All in all, your car. Great to ask the community but ultimately comes down to what you like and are happy to see.

Any pictures you wouldn’t mind posting?

[Jhanksm3]

Originally Posted by Lee_in_SC

Any pictures you wouldn’t mind posting?

I went gloss black on everything and im normally a carbon fiber guy, however everyone has carbon so i wanted to be a little different. I also don't prefer the mixing, I'd rather have all or none

[turbojg]

I have found that the gloss black is soft and shows fine scratches easily if you look at it the wrong way. I see fine scratches in most of my gloss black pieces from just washing and drying them. I don't see that with any of the carbon fiber pieces.

[Needsdecaf]

Originally Posted by turbojg

I have found that the gloss black is soft and shows fine scratches easily if you look at it the wrong way. I see fine scratches in most of my gloss black pieces from just washing and drying them. I don't see that with any of the carbon fiber pieces.

That's why they make PPF.

[Needsdecaf]

I opted for gloss black on my car. 1. I'm cheap, lol. 2. I prefer it. There is a LOT of black pieces when you look and swapping them all to carbon....gets a bit much for a (sports) sedan, IMO. So I kept it with black.

BUT.

As Turbojg metioned above, beware the swirls. I had my detailer install PPF on all the gloss black on the car including the upper grill, rockers, lip spoiler, the b pillars and the rear diffuser. I didn't have him do the intakes before I installed them; probably was a dumb move not to, TBH.

But I like the gentlmen's spec. I dropped it off at the dealer yesterday and it was clean and in the service area lights it was POPPING. Like half a dozen service writers were like....dayum, this car looks GOOD.

[Lee_in_SC]

Originally Posted by Needsdecaf

That's why they make PPF.

But does PPF negate the cost savings of gloss black vs CF? I’ve already got full front end PPF and a couple other pieces. Might be worth contacting the place that did it to get an estimate. You mind me asking round about what you paid for the gloss black peices, or was it part of a larger package deal?

turbojg I’m glad you mentioned this. I’m all to familiar with how easy it is to swirl gloss black trim. Even doing proper 3 bucket wash. Cant believe this didn’t come to mind until you said it.

[Lee_in_SC]

Originally Posted by Needsdecaf

I opted for gloss black on my car. 1. I'm cheap, lol. 2. I prefer it. There is a LOT of black pieces when you look and swapping them all to carbon....gets a bit much for a (sports) sedan, IMO. So I kept it with black.

BUT.

As Turbojg metioned above, beware the swirls. I had my detailer install PPF on all the gloss black on the car including the upper grill, rockers, lip spoiler, the b pillars and the rear diffuser. I didn't have him do the intakes before I installed them; probably was a dumb move not to, TBH.

But I like the gentlmen's spec. I dropped it off at the dealer yesterday and it was clean and in the service area lights it was POPPING. Like half a dozen service writers were like....dayum, this car looks GOOD.

Beautiful spec man! Thanks for sharing

[Needsdecaf]

Originally Posted by Lee_in_SC

But does PPF negate the cost savings of gloss black vs CF? I’ve already got full front end PPF and a couple other pieces. Might be worth contacting the place that did it to get an estimate. You mind me asking round about what you paid for the gloss black peices, or was it part of a larger package deal?

turbojg I’m glad you mentioned this. I’m all to familiar with how easy it is to swirl gloss black trim. Even doing proper 3 bucket wash. Cant believe this didn’t come to mind until you said it.

Yes, absolutely it does. I did the whole front end, mirrors, and the aforementioned gloss black pieces. I want to say that doing all the gloss black added like $800? Which is far less than even an aftermarket carbon fiber lip, not to mention the genuine BMW one.

[mirob]

I ordered mine with the CF pack and I like the contrast between CF and gloss black. To me, an overabundance of CF looks tacky. Added CF grill paired with a gloss black lip to match the rest of the gloss black trim surrounding the car. Find that CF lips don't really work aesthetically unless you're doing everything in CF. Just my opinion. The fact that the EBay lip is sub $200 and a throwaway piece if damaged is just a bonus.

FWIW - had I not ordered the CF pack I probably would have gone gloss black all-around.