Squared off wheel arches

Skilid · 25 Mar 2012 at 16:59

What is with these? A lot of cars seem to be coming out with these now. I think they look crap and ruin the look of a car.

Do they offer benefits? Is there something I am missing? It makes some cars look a little awkward.

I must admit though it does tend to be on VW's. Take the Tiguan for example.

What do you guys think?

Dr Who · 25 Mar 2012 at 17:08

Well you are entitled not to like, I think the arches on the Tiguan look fine.

mjt · 25 Mar 2012 at 17:47

Not something I've thought about really.

[TW]Fox · 25 Mar 2012 at 17:50

Dont care about this but on the subject of annoying styling...

..where did bump strips go? And why?!

Skilid · 25 Mar 2012 at 17:58

I don't like bump strips either...

SpeedFreak · 25 Mar 2012 at 18:03

I guess body coloured bump strips that needed resprayed when chipped were the writing on the wall. They were almost viewed as part of the door. I actually ended up putting rubber mats on the wall of my parking bay to avoid damaging them.

[TW]Fox · 25 Mar 2012 at 19:21

EliotG said:
I don't like bump strips either...

They look way better than horrible plain slab slided doors on almost every car ever now.

I think the Audi A3 is probably one of the last cars still with them - and only because its so ancient. It's one of the nice parts of its design.

Housey · 25 Mar 2012 at 19:25

I was chatting to Yoda about this thread earlier.

His response?

"Wrong you are"

Mind you, he is a bit green on such things.

Housey · 25 Mar 2012 at 19:27

...though I might have read this wrong

MikeHiow · 25 Mar 2012 at 19:33

[TW]Fox;21552101 said:
They look way better than horrible plain slab slided doors on almost every car ever now.

I think the Audi A3 is probably one of the last cars still with them - and only because its so ancient. It's one of the nice parts of its design.

I think they're generally ugly, especially when most manufacturers can't seem to do them properly.

So many seem to get a crap paint job over the top of textured plastic, like it was some kind of boy racer diy job.

[TW]Fox · 25 Mar 2012 at 19:37

Your Focus ST had them - they look fine on that?

Clarkey · 25 Mar 2012 at 19:41

It annoys me that my car has standard bump strips fitted, should have ///M type ones and there is evidence that it previously did have those ones on.

[TW]Fox · 25 Mar 2012 at 19:47

Clarkey said:
It annoys me that my car has standard bump strips fitted, should have ///M type ones and there is evidence that it previously did have those ones on.

What year is yours?

You can buy them cheaply enough.

Clarkey · 25 Mar 2012 at 19:51

96, I'll get round to changing them eventually but it's pretty low on the list of priorities. Just annoys me that it had them on (you can see a line in the paint where they were) but some idiot changed them off :confused:

[TW]Fox · 25 Mar 2012 at 19:53

Clarkey said:
96, I'll get round to changing them eventually but it's pretty low on the list of priorities. Just annoys me that it had them on (you can see a line in the paint where they were) but some idiot changed them off

He may have done it because the entire internet now appears to be crusading against anything saying 'M' on anything that isn't an M3 regardless of whether it was factory fitted or not (as it seems most people don't actually realise it was - given the E39 was the last BMW with exterior M badging other than on the alloys). The number of people who seem convinced anyone driving around in, say, an E36 328i Sport is a 'chav' who 'wants everyone to think he has an M3' is getting quite ridiculous. They seem unable to comprehend the difference between M and M3.

A lot of cars then end up losing the badging for this reason.

Clarkey · 25 Mar 2012 at 19:56

You might be right, the previous owner did harp on about things which are only important to internet people such as the silver vision bulbs he proudly fitted.

[TW]Fox · 25 Mar 2012 at 20:00

The irony of the anti M badge thing is the first normal BMW to be fitted with an M badge was.....

... not an M5. It was the M535i, a car that was pretty much the 5 Series equivilent of your 328i Sport. Regular engine, but M styling tweaks, diff, etc..

NickXX · 25 Mar 2012 at 20:42

Clarkey said:
96, I'll get round to changing them eventually but it's pretty low on the list of priorities. Just annoys me that it had them on (you can see a line in the paint where they were) but some idiot changed them off

Used to get £100 for them, and sets of the standard ones would usually be virtually free.

[TW]Fox · 25 Mar 2012 at 20:51

Crikey they are 47 quid each from BMW!

MikeHiow · 26 Mar 2012 at 00:11

[TW]Fox;21552193 said:
Your Focus ST had them - they look fine on that?

I said mostly.

Plus, I think I much prefer the side profile of the Facelift Focus without them.

Although, I don't dispute that some cars would look weird without them. The Clio for example, has quite prominent rub strips - it would look silly without them.

I think the biggest deal breaker for me is that the larger portion of paint, the larger the reflections, and the cleaner it looks