Exterior Design Opinions for Valencia Orange 35i

[Z4Enthusiast]

Hi all, after over a year of owning this car with almost no exterior mods other than mini radio aerial, painted black kidney grill, front sides, roof, and rims.

Im finally getting around some exterior modification for my 2014 Valencia Orange 35i with NON-M bumpers and 53k kilometers. Catless Downpipes, VRSF filters, MHD tune


I recently ordered:

-89mm gloss black exhaust tips

-V style FRP lip spoiler which I will paint Valencia Orange



Future upgrades (Definitive):

-Eibach Lowering Springs (reason over H&R: Less lowering, less stiffness according to testers)

-12mm Rear Spacers (Front tyres seem already flush, not rears tho)

-Retinting Windows



Future upgrades (Having second thoughts):

-Aftermarket Chinese Rear Lights (im sure most of you have already seen them)


-Painting Brake Calipers Valencia Orange
I feel like it would give the car a more sporty and modern look but theres so many parts and twists and turns in the caliper so Im not sure


-Gloss black sideskirt extensions
Would definitely enhance the look of the gloss black roof but with no M sport bumpers, I feel the front and back would look unmatched and off looking.
I searched for Non-M front splitters but couldn't find any..


-Aftermarket crystal headlight swap + Diamond Black Grill Combo
Too much maybe?



Many pictures listed below for reference.

Would really appreciate any insight, opinions, and ideas to make this car look sexier and sportier.

[KennyP]

IMO...
please fight the urge to stick on as many exterior mods as you can... Z4 looks nice enough as it is...

maybe add that trunk lip spoiler... even that really depends on the colour of the car if it fits or not... in your case i would paint it to match the roof... Carbon fiber weave is so overdone nowadays that it just isnt special anymore imo.

go do a full paint correction with ceramic coating to make it really shine...

lower it a bit, make it sit on its wheels better... maybe invest in a coilover kit to make it handle better instead of springs... Eibach springs are very day-to-day and dont really add sportiness imo and are mostly for the looks only... Had them on my previous car... was a bit disappointed...

Change wheels maybe...

And instead of flourishing it with tacky tuning lights and grilles, invest in some performance mods... as i said before... suspension... and also power... tbh its a bit of a crime to keep n54 engines stock... you are already in it with all the maintenance n54 needs... then why not taste what makes n54 great... its tuning potential...

And dont paint the calipers... they will look nasty and cheap...have done that on my previous cars aswell.... i just clean my calipers up and replace that spring clip on the front calipers often to keep that looking nice and shiny...
also as this spring clip is removable item on every brake job...and is a servicable item... then theres no point in painting iit... If you want you could upgrade your brakes... and get painted calipers that way... and better braking performance...

thats what i would do...

[Z4Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by KennyP

IMO...
please fight the urge to stick on as many exterior mods as you can... Z4 looks nice enough as it is...

maybe add that trunk lip spoiler... even that really depends on the colour of the car if it fits or not... in your case i would paint it to match the roof... Carbon fiber weave is so overdone nowadays that it just isnt special anymore imo.

go do a full paint correction with ceramic coating to make it really shine...

lower it a bit, make it sit on its wheels better... maybe invest in a coilover kit to make it handle better instead of springs... Eibach springs are very day-to-day and dont really add sportiness imo and are mostly for the looks only... Had them on my previous car... was a bit disappointed...

Change wheels maybe...

And instead of flourishing it with tacky tuning lights and grilles, invest in some performance mods... as i said before... suspension... and also power... tbh its a bit of a crime to keep n54 engines stock... you are already in it with all the maintenance n54 needs... then why not taste what makes n54 great... its tuning potential...

And dont paint the calipers... they will look nasty and cheap...have done that on my previous cars aswell.... i just clean my calipers up and replace that spring clip on the front calipers often to keep that looking nice and shiny...
also as this spring clip is removable item on every brake job...and is a servicable item... then theres no point in painting iit... If you want you could upgrade your brakes... and get painted calipers that way... and better braking performance...

thats what i would do...

Thank you so much for your input Kenny. Since this was an exterior only thread I left out the fact that the car has catless downpipes and MHD tune, the power is there, anymore and i'd probably end up in a coffin. Thread updated with performance mods


Regarding the springs, I actually don't want the car to feel any stiffer than it already is to be honest, our city roads are not the best and are full of speed bumps. I mainly just want the lowered look and less tyre gap, which is why I want to go with Eibach.

I kind of agree with you on everything else, sometimes you need people telling you not to do something so it sticks.

I am with you on the carbon fiber, I hate how some items are ONLY available on Carbon fiber.. its so obvious that its an aftermarket item especially for older cars like the Z4.. the spoiler I got is unpainted primed FRP. So im currently deciding on the color.

I think I will drop the grill and crystal led's for now, as its beautiful as it is now.

Again, thanks for the input, its greatly appreciated.

[Marcoose]

Extra large ///M badges; wings and boot. It's a winner apparently.

[B21]

Tricky offering advice on these matters..beauty is in the eye of the beholder..

I tend to echo Kenny’s comments…

Having said that I’ve done lots of cosmetic mods but..I think…they are the sort of mods the factory possibly would have made..

A lot of cosmetic mods tend to date very quickly.

Brave of you to ask and accept criticism

[Z4Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by B21

Tricky offering advice on these matters..beauty is in the eye of the beholder..

I tend to echo Kenny’s comments…

Having said that I’ve done lots of cosmetic mods but..I think…they are the sort of mods the factory possibly would have made..

A lot of cosmetic mods tend to date very quickly.

Brave of you to ask and accept criticism

Hi B21,

That's how it usually starts! "The factory should have done this! ...AND that!"

I checked out your Atacama Yellow Z4 thread, I really like the color and the matching interior.

Also, turns out I ordered the same spoiler as you have! I like the matching color paint of the car, makes it feel more original and factory added.

Here is a video of the aftermarket tail lights for anyone interested.
I think they give a car a more modern and updated look, but then.. when you see the original halo headlights.. something might feel off.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VB-zq0Nc4qQ

[KennyP]

Even if you dont want more sportiness...coilover kits are also height adjustable... more or less... on z4 ive noticed more at the front and less in the rear...
On lowering springs you take what the manufacturer gives you... and it maybe doesnt sit perfect... back is too high or front is too low... With coilovers you can adjust that exactly how you like it...

maybe there is a speedbump in your daily route... adjust height enough to clear that... some change height when seasons change...

Also if you want to get nerdy on handling... corner balancing is then an option aswell.

These rear taillights do make an impressive light dance, but i feel its just a phase...
Its like lexus style clear tail lights in the 90-s, early 2000-s... they got quite popular... and then went quite quickly out of fashion... now you would instantly take them off the car...
staying original keeps it timeless...

[Marcoose]

OP, one exterior mod is the headlamps. OSSdesigns do a brilliant job.

https://www.ossdesigns.com/z-series-e89-program

I went with something simple. See pic below. I can share more pics.

It will trickier from Bahrain, but he said he has clients from all over the world.

And the ///M badges !

[B21]

Originally Posted by Marcoose

OP, one exterior mod is the headlamps. OSSdesigns do a brilliant job.

https://www.ossdesigns.com/z-series-e89-program

I went with something simple. See pic below. I can share more pics.

It will trickier from Bahrain, but he said he has clients from all over the world.

And the ///M badges !

My friend with another yellow 35is has just done this too with OSS…

I remain unconvinced on the Kenny logic…a set of H9 LEDs in the DRLs did it for me..but I always take the low hanging fruit route!

[Marcoose]

Which OSS option did your friend choose ?

I just had the back of my units painted in OE sapphire to match the car. The car itself is already very flashy, even for this area. No need to be the flashiest.

[B21]

Originally Posted by Marcoose

Which OSS option did your friend choose ?

I just had the back of my units painted in OE sapphire to match the car. The car itself is already very flashy, even for this area. No need to be the flashiest.

I’ll dig them out and post them up

[Steve Jarvis]

Definitely skip the grill and lighting changes. Of course I like the rear spoiler (looks like mine), but you should paint it body color since you don't have the contrasting color on the rear M bumper. I would also black out the side mirrors to emphasize the black roof and area above the belt line. The calipers are a matter of taste, but the process matters. Painted calipers typically don't hold up that well. Have the calipers powder coated instead of painted. This will make it difficult to match the paint, so I would choose a different color. You may want to choose a nice silver that will look clean, contrast the black wheels and be easier to maintain. I also believe the solid black wheels get lost. I do like the black (given the theme of your car), but think they need a contrast. A set of BMW M2/3/4 437M wheels would actually work very well on your car. They keep the black/orange theme, add some contrast, give you wider wheels (9" front and 10" rear), are lighter (1 piece forged) and will be more flush with the fenders. As far as springs, I didn't go with the Eibach because they lower the front 0.8" and the rear 0.4". My car needed to be lowered the same in the front and the rear. Plus if those dimensions were based on the base suspension than you would only lower the car 0.4" front and 0.0" rear since the M Sport suspension is 0.4" lower front and rear. You may want to simply install some stock M Sport springs, which should lower your car 0.4" front and rear and maintain a stock like ride. For the front, I would consider the lip pictured below. You could paint them orange or black. Either way, do what make you happy! We can all appreciate a nicely done car, even if it's not done exactly they way we would have done it.