There are a wide variety of modifications you can make to your BMW to change its appearance. Some are affordable, others are more expensive. Some are fairly easy to do yourself, but others require a bit more expertise or the services of a professional. You can modify your car to change its look or its performance. We've created a guide to help you find and install modifications for your BMW.
EXTERIOR APPEARANCE
There are several modifications you can make to change the appearance of your vehicle to better suit your style. Both the interior and exterior of your vehicle can be customized to your liking.
The exterior of your BMW
WRAPPING
If you're tired of your car's color or want to give it a fresh look, this modification is for you. Vinyl wraps are a much more economical way to change the color or accents of your vehicle without having to undergo an expensive paint job. You can buy vinyl to cover the entire car, just the roof, or specific parts. Most people hire a professional to install a wrap for a perfect, bubble-free, and crease-free application, but you can also do it yourself with plenty of time and patience. Complete your car's look with matching or contrasting side mirror covers. There are also wraps available for your vehicle's interior trim, which is a great way to create a cohesive look between the inside and outside of your car.
RIMS
One of the most effective ways to improve your car's appearance is by changing the rims and tires. You can choose from a wide variety of styles, designs, and sizes to give your car a sportier look. Check with your parts supplier to ensure the wheels you want are safe and suitable for your vehicle.
If you don't want to spend money on new wheels, a cheaper option is to get some rim paint and change the color of your existing rims. This will give your car a unique new look. To protect your new or freshly painted rims from scratches, add rim protectors. Rim protectors are available in various colors, which can add an even more original touch.
In addition to giving your car a sportier look, installing a spoiler can reduce drag to improve performance and save fuel. A front spoiler reduces the airflow under the car and decreases lift. A rear wing creates downforce and can improve the car's handling at high speeds. There are many different wing designs available, some extremely effective, others more aesthetically pleasing.
At night, your vehicle's lighting can mean the difference between avoiding an obstacle and hitting it head-on. By replacing halogen bulbs with high-intensity discharge (HID) xenon bulbs, you'll not only benefit from improved nighttime visibility but also a more stylish look. Take it a step further by adding headlight covers that give them a cool, smoked appearance without reducing the brightness of the lights.
Adding dark window tint not only gives your car a stylish new look, but also blocks ultraviolet rays and helps keep the interior cooler. Regulations govern the degree of tint, so check the applicable laws in France.
Most modern cars are optimized for aerodynamic performance, but older vehicles can benefit from small aerodynamic improvements such as wind deflectors, also known as rain deflectors. Installing these deflectors around the side windows is an inexpensive modification that can reduce drag on your car.
If your car has a sunroof, adding a wind deflector to the leading edge reduces wind noise and directs air over the car rather than into the interior where it creates resistance. Make sure you get good quality wind deflectors that are securely attached. Even small gains in fuel efficiency can add up to significant savings.
A few simple changes can transform your interior from ordinary to spectacular.
Seat covers are an easy way to spruce up your vehicle's interior and give it a fresh new look, especially if your seats are looking a bit worn. There are so many styles and materials available that you can create a unique look that matches your personal taste. They're inexpensive and can be easily installed yourself.
If you're truly looking to upgrade your interior, bucket seats offer an even more significant improvement. Not only are racing seats and harnesses aesthetically pleasing, but they're also designed to hold you firmly in place through corners and provide optimal support. When you don't need to focus on stabilizing your body against the forces of the turn, you'll be surprised at how much faster and more confidently you can accelerate, brake, and corner.
A really quick, easy, and inexpensive way to update your car's interior is to replace the floor mats. A variety of designs, materials, and colors are available to give you the look you want.
WARNING: It is crucial that your floor mats are securely fastened. Some improperly secured mats can obstruct your brake and accelerator pedals and cause an accident. Ensure your floor mat does not move.
An inexpensive yet effective interior modification is upgrading your car's gear shift knob. You can get leather knobs in different colors with contrasting stitching, or sporty gear shift knobs. It's even possible these days to design your own unique gear shift knob using 3D printing technology.
Typically, only high-end car models offer LED ambient lighting. But you can add LED lights to your BMW relatively easily to enhance the interior features and create a cool ambiance in the footwells. These lights can create a spectacular effect with your choice of color palette.
Most modifications made to a car under the hood are designed to improve performance or fuel efficiency. These modifications allow you to fine-tune your vehicle to run as efficiently as possible.
WARNING: some modifications may not be permitted on public roads (for example, reprogramming), make sure your modifications are legal before driving.
Engine control unit (ECU) reprogramming
The ECU controls the air/fuel ratio your engine uses, which in turn controls torque and power. These parameters are factory-set and are usually conservative with a significant safety margin, meaning the engine can produce more power.
By reprogramming the ECU, you can unlock your engine's potential to achieve better power, and it can also sometimes improve fuel efficiency.
For example, the BMW 114i F20 has the same engines as the BMW 120i, once reprogrammed their power can go from 102 hp to more than 200!
IGNITION CANDLES
Replacing your old spark plugs with new iridium ones can improve combustion in your engine. This enhanced combustion results in more power and better fuel efficiency. Spark plugs are a good place to start because they are inexpensive and easy to install.
POLYURETHANE SILENTBLOCKS
Bushings and rubber mounts are located between the subframe, engine, and chassis and help reduce road and engine vibrations. Factory-installed bushings are made of rubber, which is prone to cracking and wear. For more durable bushings that better dampen vibrations and reduce weight transfer, replace the rubber bushings with polyurethane ones.
While you're at it, replace the steering rack bushings as well to give your steering a more precise feel. It's a more involved job than replacing your spark plugs, but you'll be glad you did.
Your vehicle will lose some comfort, however your vehicle will be much more precise to drive.
DYNAMIC AIR INTAKE
Your engine needs cool, dense air, and installing a dynamic fresh air intake improves airflow to your engine. An engine that breathes more freely will run better.
Automatic transmission fluid cooler
Whether you're chasing lap times on the track or having fun on the road, an automatic transmission fluid cooling system helps keep the transmission temperature low and can help extend its lifespan.
YOUR BMW'S ROAD BEHAVIOR
If you're looking to improve your car's performance, speed, and fuel economy, it's important that the handling matches the performance. There are several modifications you can make to give you the confidence you need and the enjoyment of driving a well-tuned machine.
TIRES
You can spend a lot of money improving your car's handling and performance, but if you don't have the right tires, it's all for nothing. Your tires are your only point of contact with the road, and a good set of high-performance tires can improve every aspect of performance, from acceleration and effective braking to high-speed cornering.
If your region experiences prolonged winters, it's wise to have two sets of wheels and tires for summer and winter, each with the optimal rubber compound to perform effectively in cold or warm temperatures. Tires are one area where you shouldn't compromise.
LIMITED-SLIP DIFFERENTIAL
High-performance cars are often equipped with a limited-slip differential. If your car doesn't have one, most of the engine power will go to the wheel with the least traction. You could spend money making engine modifications to achieve small power gains when you're not even making efficient use of the power you already have.
SHOCK ABSORBERS AND SPRINGS
To help keep your tires firmly planted on the road, shock absorbers help absorb bumps and variations in road level. They also help control the rebound movement of the springs to give your vehicle a stable feel.
By installing a set of lower, stiffer springs combined with good shock absorbers, you'll notice a significant improvement in handling. More sophisticated adjustable shock absorbers are also available, but good standard shock absorbers will suffice for most cars.
Larger anti-roll bar
An anti-roll bar, or stabilizer bar, helps limit body roll (the lean of your car in corners) by connecting each side of the car's suspension. This distributes the car's weight more evenly around the tires. The advantage of a larger anti-roll bar is that your car leans less in corners. Combined with upgrading the shock absorbers and springs, you can drastically improve your vehicle's handling.
BRAKING SYSTEM
The original braking system of your BMW is suitable for the typical driving of a motorist: national roads, motorway, city… However, it is not suitable for intensive use; when you make sudden and repeated braking at high speed, its effectiveness can greatly decrease and even become dangerous with a significant increase in braking distances.
Therefore, it is recommended to perform thorough maintenance on these parts and replace them at the first sign of wear. For sporty driving, we recommend initially installing performance brake pads (Ferrodo DS2500, PAGID, Carbone Lorraine, etc.) and subsequently a complete front and rear brake kit including larger brake discs, calipers, and brake pads for your BMW.
In summary, when you want to improve your vehicle's handling, we recommend the following steps as a priority, in order of importance:
- Fit high-performance tires (Michelin Pilot Sport, Pirelli PZero…)
- Install firmer shock absorbers (such as Bilstein B6 or B8) combined with lowering springs (such as Eibach, H&R…)
- Replace your brake pads with Performance models
