Z3 M Coupe

Would very much appreciate any help on this. I'm trying to find out how wide the opening is in the US M5 trunk finisher trim piece.

Thinking of using the US trunk finisher rather than the standard Euro for fitting my New Zealand license plates.

Here's the problem:

US license plates are 12 inches wide and 6 inches high (or 305mm x 152mm).

New Zealand license plates are 14.2 inches wide and 5 inches high (or 360mm x 125mm).

So I'd be OK on height, but the New Zealand plate is 2.2 inches or 55mm wider. So NZ plate is too narrow for the Euro finisher, could swap to Euro style plates but the narrower US finisher looks better

Could anyone please measure the width from side to side of the trunk finisher (the opening where the license plate fits)?

Measurement in mm's would be great.

Thanks ...

Z3 M Coupe

On the very slim chance anyone else is ever interested in this topic (maybe Australians wondering if the US part will fit their plates?), have had a go at figuring out the width of the finisher from photos using the dimensions of other features like the 82mm rear BMW roundel badge.

Anyway, from this inexact approach I think the width of the opening is 355mm - close enough to the required 360mm that I'm going to order the US trunk piece and hope for the best.

545felix

it's difficult to measure with a yardstick, which is all I could find, but it's going to be tight- due to the taper from top to bottom and the further taper from rear of car forward in the opening, 14 inches (355.6) is about the widest that would fit. Of course, you could just make two slits in the finisher at the appropriate spots and slide the plate in.

Z3 M Coupe

Thanks Felix - I really appreciate you taking the time to check that out.

Since I will probably only be 4 or 5mm out, think I will go for it. Am sure I can get away with grinding a few mm off either side of the plate to make it fit.

If you're ever in New Zealand, I owe you a beer or two - cheers