i just purchased the 135i convertible and it is killer! im so happy with it but i would like to put a german license plate on the front. the problem is that there doesnt appear to be any way to attach it and i don't want to damage the front of the car in any way. is there a way to do this or do they make the automobiles destined for north america without this feature? any help or advice will be appreciated.
Most license plates are screwed directly into the bumper. That's why the car comes with those colored screw caps incidentally (to match the white and blue of the plate). You can also order a plate holder (which then gets screwed into the bumper) from a dealership, possibly even a U.S. dealership if you get the part number.
Look online or get a catalog from Bavarian Motorsports. They have plates and mounting brackets - along with a lot of other BMW stuff.
The standard mode of mounting is to drill holes directly through the front of the bumper cover and just screw the plate down. That's why I opted to not have my front plate mounted, I don't want anybody putting holes in the front of my brand new car!! A couple of 1 series owners have mounted their plates with the bracket that screws into the tow hook mounting hole. It's offset to one side but it's legal and there are no permanent holes! Here's a link for it... http://gominigo.com/NHLPB-BMW.html
Here's the solution: Go to Bimmian.com , click the 1 series, then scroll down to accessories. You'll see a Euro tag plate attachment for your Euro tag. If you have problems finding it, let me know. email me at incognito335i@yahoo.com
I used the double sided foam tape that you can find at CVS or WalGreen's pharmacy or any other general retailer even Lowe's or Home Depot has it. Clean the paint with isoprophyl alcohol as well as the back of the tag. You only have one chance to place it once you apply the tape to the back of the tag so measure twice, cut once as they say. I have Europlates on several of my cars, I didn't want to drill holes either. If you ever want to remove them, get some heavy duty dental floss and pull the floss between the tape and the plate and it will come off with a little mild sawing back and forth. If you try to pull it off of the car for some reason, it will bend the plate.
Congratulations on your new car. I hope to order a 1 Series next year and do ED and have it shipped to the Performance Center for pick up. Can't wait! I have a 2005 ED 330ci. When looking to purchase a holder for the license plate, I found them to be too long as the Euro Delivery plate is only 18 inches, and the holders that vendors had were a couple of inches longer to fit the standard european plate which includes the "D" inside the European Union circle of stars. I ended up purchasing the larger holder and then cut about 2 inches out of it and then glued it together so it would fit the plate I had. Unfortunately, there were already holes in the bumper in Munich, so I painted the screws. Good luck, and enjoy.
There are also options out there that use the place where the tow hook screws in. Here are a couple links. http://gominigo.com/NHLPB-main.html http://new.minimania.com/web/Item/NMA2500/InvDetail.cfm
Thanks for the great information for a no holes license plate. I have a MINI as well. I put both websites in my favorites so I am prepared for the next new car.
I have euro plates and plate holders.... I got them from my dealer in germany I picked my car up from
