xBMWx

Further to what Andy and Iceman wrote, I believe some of our members living in very wet / snowy areas put these on in winter and then remove them in summer again.

I wouldn't do it because of the looks, but can appreciate why those living in areas with very dirty wet areas would do it.

advancedlogic

Damn Mel...im out of popcorn. Anybody wanna share?

GT Premi

Yeah, I think this topic is way over the top. If you're going to rag on mudflaps, why not take it all the way with folks who buy into Angel iBrites (sp?), LCI retrofit light kits, LED light kits, roof spoilers, aftermarket body kits, gargantuan wheels, slammed suspensions, extra bright interior lights, xenon foglights, portable Nav devices slapped on the windshield, etc.? All aftermarket stuff that, if it were done to, say, a Honda/Toyota (which a BMW is not), would instantly be called RICE. Yet a guy puts on a BMW accessory, paint matched no less, and he's somehow a goob?

I have them on my car, and I don't think they look "out of place"; at least, less so than ///M body parts and quad exhaust on a 52X/53X. They do indeed serve a purpose. The road spray on wet roads is significantly reduced and keeps my car from looking like a just drove across the nation just from a little rain shower. Do I think they look like a body kit? Of course not! But I do think they look just fine on the car and, in fact, I don't think anyone has ever even really noticed them on the car. Maybe the M-aero kit tones them down more. Who knows... I know they don't stick out as much as in that picture, and they're not even painted.

Axeman

surprised he didn't have an M badge on his decklid and tried to pass his 5er off as an M5...what a chump.

CWS530

First, I'll take the high road here. The caliper covers I have (photo below) are sold by Bavarian Autosport, a highly respected BMW parts supplier, and cover, in my opinion and theirs, the somewhat "unsightly" utilitarian brake bits. They are simple, non-logo, powder-coated aluminum Cal Covers brand covers that add color to the car, just like when people paint their calipers red, yellow, or whatever. They do not even cover the entire caliper, but do, as their website (Cal-covers.com) says, reduce painting time. Like I said, "you pay a premium for quality, not the name," which is why my logo-less Cal Covers cost $130 and those cheap Brembo knockoffs probably can be had for a fraction of that. There are photos in my gallery had you taken the time to look. I do not have those fake plastic "Brembo" covers you see on e-Bay. If you see mine, you'd know they clearly are not an attempt to fool anyone into thinking I have high end brakes, they just serve the same purpose as painting. If they were black or silver covers, would you have the same response?

I've had many people compliment the covers, including several forum members, for adding some color to an otherwise monochromatic silver car/silver wheel pallet. If you do not find them attractive, feel free to say so. I've never had anyone ask if they are Brembos, as it's clear to anyone who knows Cal Covers brand or who has a modicum of intelligence or automotive knowledge what they are.



How does this "cheapen" the look of my car or make me a hypocrite? I also have red reflector inserts that replaced my painted ones. Does that mean I now have a fake LCI? I installed 124s, so now I'm trying convince people that I have a 550? I put an M5 style spoiler on my car so I'm trying to pass my 530 off as an M5? I installed the Euro turn signal stickers, so now I'm faking European headlights?

If that's the case, then you're attacking a great many forum members beyond me, as just about everyone on this forum has done some sort of mod, including the aforementioned. There have been numerous threads recently about members painting their calipers, even polls, but I don't recall you chiming in to say they were cheapening their cars or trying to pull some kind of fakery. Read the signatures--they're a goldmine of information. Or does that sort of minimal diligence not fit your knee-jerk response model?

You've also demonstrated extremely poor judgement by jumping to conclusions and failing to apply generalized logic. Having an established brand of caliper covers for purely aesthetic reasons and listing them as such in my signature is not quite the same as someone walking around with a cheap, fake Louis Vuitton handbag clearly designed to deceive. We're all entitled to our opinions, but you may want to do a bit more research or fact finding prior to calling someone names or insulting them by accusing them of unsavory behavior.

Furthermore, I did not even criticize the mud flaps. I said they might be useful in some places. All I said is that in my opinion they aren't attractive. That's an opinion, not an insult. As a matter of fact, I did not even criticize the seller of the fake goods, though I guess I could have, just the products with name-brand logos people buy to convince others they are wealthier than they really are.

Sooner79

Sorry if I offended you, however in my opinion, your red caliper covers aren't attractive either. I truly believe that they (at least in their bright red color) are an attempt to fool the untrained eye into believing that you have installed high performance brakes, etc. Otherwise, I believe in all honesty, you would have chosen a less noticeable color. Would you consider adding red pinstripes to match? I hardly think so. Although I'm new to the site, it's exactly the kind of mod that was common on the Japanese (ricer) sites that I've seen. I would be interested to know how many other E60 members have installed the same mod. Anyone? Anyway - to each his own!

DRANGED

mrfva

Care to share?

CWS530

Nice try at an intelligent comeback, but no dice. You can't even keep your own argument on track--it's like you're making it up as you go along. If you (can) read my response, I've explained why I chose the color, among other things you've chosen to disregard. It's the same reason others have chosen to paint their calipers red or yellow or whatever color they want. It's called contrast and personal preference--how else do you get that on a silver car with silver wheels? Why on earth would I want to "fool the untrained eye" when those with this untrained eye (i.e., non-car guys) could care less anyway? What's with the pinstripes comment? That's the best comparison you can come up with? You're grasping at straws my intellectually challenged friend. Frankly, I could care less how many fellow forum members have installed Cal Covers. I don't go through life making decisions based on what others think or do. It's fine that you don't find my red caliper covers attractive; to each his own, right? So what's with calling me a hypocrite and accusing me of trying to fake people a la phony LV products? There's no correlation. Someone should call the registrar's office at OU and have your diploma revoked as you obviously cheated your way through Critical Reasoning 101.

mrfva

Are those de-badged Brembos BBK in red? Haha, ... you almost fooled me