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The front plate location and mount on most BMW's, and especially ///M cars, is really a design oversight. It really breaks up the clean lines of the front of the car. It is too bad that BMW doesn't find a way to incorporate the plate into their design. Audi has done a great job with their new "shield" front to incorporate the plate. Take a look at the new B7 RS4, the front plate looks natural on the front of that car.
I have been running for the past 4 years or so without a front plate and haven't had a problem, yet. I do know that it's just inevitable to get a ticket, but I live with that understanding and enjoy the fact that my car looks very clean up front.
But, I've decided to make a temporary plate mount that I can zip tie to the grille on the bumper when I need to make runs into Manhattan. The most likely place to get a ticket is at the tollbooth, where there now seem to be 50 cops waiting to write tickets. I made one last night out of thin aluminum sheet and formed it into a bracket that puts the plate at an angle so it fits in that space. I am going to modify it a little to allow more airflow above and below it. Right now, it does block some of the oil cooler, and I've noticed that the oil is running a hair above the normal spec. During normal driving, the needle is exactly at 210 degrees. Before it was just a tick below. Hopefully the new mods tomorrow will allow more air past, we'll see. I'll post pics when I've finished version 2.
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Harold
'07 M5 Silverstone II (RIP )
'03 M3 Titanium Silver
'08 X5 4.8 Space Gray
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