[Andyb93]

Is the premium on the BMW CF parts worth it over the offerings from AutoID, R44 performance and CT Carbon?

I had historic issues with my old F87 M2c with trying aftermarket CF products and wondering if I should just bite the bullet and pay the extra for BMW CF products.

Have people had any issues with fitment/quality and longevity of the aftermarket company products for the G87 M2?

[RW Carbon]

10 years ago I would say that OEM quality is better than most of the aftermarket parts offered but these days most high quality aftermarket items are made using dry carbon which is on par with OEM parts and much cheaper.

[Andyb93]

Just found it very hit and miss in terms of fitment and weave quality in the past but bmw are quoting £770 per mirror cap for the g87 which seems a bit excessive!

[zjldmd]

Got mine from RW Carbon, couldn’t be happier.

[RW Carbon]

Originally Posted by zjldmd

Got mine from RW Carbon, couldn’t be happier.

Looking good

[mrdudley]

Can speak to R44 and the MHC kit. It’s top notch and fitment is perfect.

[JABCAT]

From my experience, bmw mperformance parts aren't any better quality or fitment than most aftermarket parts. They're also really marked up compared to the same oem parts from online dealer websites. Imo, anyone who pays to have these parts port-installed is really getting bent over.

[BroDoze]

I just don’t like the parts - there’s better designs aftermarket. So the choice is easy.

[Bumpinjeep]

Originally Posted by Andyb93

Is the premium on the BMW CF parts worth it over the offerings from AutoID, R44 performance and CT Carbon?

I had historic issues with my old F87 M2c with trying aftermarket CF products and wondering if I should just bite the bullet and pay the extra for BMW CF products.

Have people had any issues with fitment/quality and longevity of the aftermarket company products for the G87 M2?

Honestly, it's going to be hit and miss unfortunately. From my experience, higher end stuff like TRE (AutoID) is just as good quality as BMW OEM, while mid tier ones are not as good. By mid tier I mean resellers that have the same products like you see on ebay (Chinese knock offs) that they inspect prior to sending out as well as companies that that work directly with the Chinese factories and slap their stickers on the box. You typically will have to modify or finagle the parts to make them fit right. If you don't mind a few imperfections and some work, you can save a bit of money.
On the low end, you have ebay parts that may or may not come as described and you sure as shit can't send them back.
If you're looking for the highest quality, I would say OEM and the high end stuff that costs close to OEM prices, other than that, in my experience and well a lot of others here (just search the forums), mid and low tier stuff is crap.

[ScottyRyan2019]

Originally Posted by zjldmd

Got mine from RW Carbon, couldn’t be happier.

This 💯

[mdrobc13]

Originally Posted by ScottyRyan2019

This 💯

Same....and given price delta can use on extra $$ saved on other things. RW Carbon mirrors and IND front grille replacement piece in CF respectively. No issues and looks great IMHO!

[RW Carbon]

Originally Posted by mdrobc13

Same....and given price delta can use on extra $$ saved on other things. RW Carbon mirrors and IND front grille replacement piece in CF respectively. No issues and looks great IMHO!

Thanks for sharing! Mirror caps look great

[2muchgoodkit]

I have just had the OEM CF fitted and can vouch for the high-quality finish (the look is of course a matter of personal taste)

I have a spare kit up for grabs at a price that probably beats using aftermarket parts! Check it here https://g87.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=2148102

Kit in the UK

[dgszweda]

A few things to consider. This may or may not matter to everyone.

Weaves change between manufacturers of the parts. Sometimes it is dramatic, sometimes it is not generally noticeable. I have seen this when people mix CF parts from different vendors. OEM will always be consistent.

OEM will come with the manufacturers warranty. Many vendors do not have a written warranty. Some will have a verbal commitment that they stand behind their products. This may or may not matter to many.

While all of these cosmetic parts will depreciate, the OEM parts will typically have more value to the car than a myriad of parts from different vendors installed on the car.

The OEM parts have been tested on the car. This is especially relevant for aero or structural parts. BMW will test the parts up to the limits of the vehicle and will do things like wind tunnel testing to ensure stability. I have seen poorly designed wings that were “cheap” that ripped apart at excessive speeds.

The fit and finish is typically better on OEM parts. It is a rare time when I install a 3rd party product on the car that doesn’t require some kind of finesse, stretching, pulling… to get on. I will also say that I have a hard time remembering any 3rd party CF part that was exposed to sunlight or heat that didn’t fade. OEM uses fairly expensive epoxy/lacquer and is part of the reason the cost is higher. Many 3rd parties will claim they use UV inhibitors but they may not actually use them or they use lower quality ones.

I am not knocking any 3rd party vendors. I have used products from many that are in this forum for various reasons, and not everything above is true for every vendor. Typically OEM is a better product, but that also comes at a higher cost. And you have to determine if that higher cost is worth it, and/or your trust in a 3rd party vendor.

[ajchoi]

Originally Posted by dgszweda

A few things to consider. This may or may not matter to everyone.

Weaves change between manufacturers of the parts. Sometimes it is dramatic, sometimes it is not generally noticeable. I have seen this when people mix CF parts from different vendors. OEM will always be consistent.

OEM will come with the manufacturers warranty. Many vendors do not have a written warranty. Some will have a verbal commitment that they stand behind their products. This may or may not matter to many.

While all of these cosmetic parts will depreciate, the OEM parts will typically have more value to the car than a myriad of parts from different vendors installed on the car.

The OEM parts have been tested on the car. This is especially relevant for aero or structural parts. BMW will test the parts up to the limits of the vehicle and will do things like wind tunnel testing to ensure stability. I have seen poorly designed wings that were “cheap” that ripped apart at excessive speeds.

The fit and finish is typically better on OEM parts. It is a rare time when I install a 3rd party product on the car that doesn’t require some kind of finesse, stretching, pulling… to get on. I will also say that I have a hard time remembering any 3rd party CF part that was exposed to sunlight or heat that didn’t fade. OEM uses fairly expensive epoxy/lacquer and is part of the reason the cost is higher. Many 3rd parties will claim they use UV inhibitors but they may not actually use them or they use lower quality ones.

I am not knocking any 3rd party vendors. I have used products from many that are in this forum for various reasons, and not everything above is true for every vendor. Typically OEM is a better product, but that also comes at a higher cost. And you have to determine if that higher cost is worth it, and/or your trust in a 3rd party vendor.

I won't name names (Not RW though) unless they don't resolve my issue, but I have a fitment issue with my carbon fiber mirror cap on only on my driver's side mirror. I'll see if they'll replace it, as it has a huge gap between the light housing and the bottom part of the mirror cap.

That said, I went with the official M-Performance carbon fiber diffuser and it fits exactly perfect. So if anything, the OEM carbon fiber guarantees fitment with no issues, at least from my experience so far.

For the M-Performance style rear wing that one feels less necessary to have perfect fitment since it doesn't have a billion plastic clip points like diffuser / mirror caps

[dgszweda]

Usually the cheaper the part the worse the fitment. Some aftermarket parts are a pretty good fit, but sometimes it is a hit and miss. A 3rd party has to scan the current car, make adjustments to that scan, and oftentimes sends it to another 3rd party that makes the part. The quality of the scan, the accuracy of the adjustments that need to be made and the quality control of the part manufacturer all play into the accuracy of the fit. BMW doesn't need to make a scan of the car, has the original OEM measurements, so adjustments to the new part are highly accurate and are using manufacturers that guarantee fit and fitment. In addition, the part is often tested a hundred times for fit and fitment and install. Granted, all of that doesn't come cheap, and some people find a good aftermarket company or are okay with the slight differences because they prefer not to pay for the high cost of the OEM part.

[ajchoi]

Originally Posted by dgszweda

Usually the cheaper the part the worse the fitment. Some aftermarket parts are a pretty good fit, but sometimes it is a hit and miss. A 3rd party has to scan the current car, make adjustments to that scan, and oftentimes sends it to another 3rd party that makes the part. The quality of the scan, the accuracy of the adjustments that need to be made and the quality control of the part manufacturer all play into the accuracy of the fit. BMW doesn't need to make a scan of the car, has the original OEM measurements, so adjustments to the new part are highly accurate and are using manufacturers that guarantee fit and fitment. In addition, the part is often tested a hundred times for fit and fitment and install. Granted, all of that doesn't come cheap, and some people find a good aftermarket company or are okay with the slight differences because they prefer not to pay for the high cost of the OEM part.

This was me for the CF mirror caps because the OEMs are so insanely priced. But you do get what you pay for and ultimately if I can’t get a replacement that fits better, my OCD will result in me possibly buying the OEM ones anyway lol

[ajchoi]

Update: I have a replacement driver's side CF mirror cap coming in the mail from Autotecknic - they had a really solid holiday shopping price a few weeks back that was low enough it was worth a shot. And after this fitment issue and sending a couple different rounds of detailed photos they're sending a replacement they are test fitting first! Very happy with that level of service.

Additionally, my girlfriend got a bonus and bought me the official BMW M Performance CF spoiler (the smaller one not that huge STI style one). This one seems like I could have gotten an aftermarket and been okay, but I won't complain about getting the M Performance one for 0 out of pocket dollars. On sale shipped total for it was $515 on cyber Monday from getBMWparts so it wasn't THAT much more expensive than the nicer CF replicas anyway.