[dtg]

My space gray metallic is bone stock now except for the sport package.

It has the coral red interior and gray poplar. I've checked out alot of pics here and I'm torn between the "aggresive" vs. "elegant" look.

What I think is aggresive:
- black or gunmetal wheels
- blacked out window trim
- black tint
- blacked out grille
- debadged (maybe) or black "335i" trunk emblem

What I think is elegant:
- silver/polished wheels
- reflective tint

I just love this car but I'm affraid that if I go for the look that I really want (aggresive) that I'd be taking away from the car's elegance and luxury and turning it into just another street rod.

I don't want anyone to make a decision for me here... just looking for what thought process you went through when deciding on a look. Thanks.

[JSpira]

Originally Posted by dtg

My space gray metallic is bone stock now except for the sport package.

Unless you added the sport package after you got the car, even with the SP it's still stock.

Originally Posted by dtg

It has the coral red interior and gray poplar. I've checked out alot of pics here and I'm torn between the "aggresive" vs. "elegant" look.

What I think is aggresive:
- black or gunmetal wheels
- blacked out window trim
- black tint
- blacked out grille
- debadged (maybe) or black "335i" trunk emblem

What I think is elegant:
- silver/polished wheels
- reflective tint

I just love this car but I'm affraid that if I go for the look that I really want (aggresive) that I'd be taking away from the car's elegance and luxury and turning it into just another street rod.

I don't want anyone to make a decision for me here... just looking for what thought process you went through when deciding on a look. Thanks.

Black or gunmetal wheels look dirty, not hot. You are correct in that if you go overly aggressive, you would go exactly in the direction you fear.

You can still make the car look more aggressive without doing everything on your list. Blacked out window trim, debadging, different and more aggressive wheels (but not dark ones), will all keep the overall elegance yet add more than a little bit of the aggressive to the car.

[Year's_End]

Originally Posted by dtg

My space gray metallic is bone stock now except for the sport package.

It has the coral red interior and gray poplar. I've checked out alot of pics here and I'm torn between the "aggresive" vs. "elegant" look.

What I think is aggresive:
- black or gunmetal wheels
- blacked out window trim
- black tint
- blacked out grille
- debadged (maybe) or black "335i" trunk emblem

What I think is elegant:
- silver/polished wheels
- reflective tint

I just love this car but I'm affraid that if I go for the look that I really want (aggresive) that I'd be taking away from the car's elegance and luxury and turning it into just another street rod.

I don't want anyone to make a decision for me here... just looking for what thought process you went through when deciding on a look. Thanks.

Like JSpira said, gunmetal wheels just look dirty. I actually like black wheels (only on JB, BS, or AW), but they're definitely not elegant. If you're gonna go for the classy-yet-sporty look, go for some 19" silver wheels, blacked-out window trim, tint (reflective is actually ghetto imo), and some small add-ons like an aero lip and an M3 spoiler lip.

[jlstyle]

I agree ^

Black wheels aren't elegant.
Especially not on SG.
I would go for elegant 18" silver wheels (classic CSL perhaps?) and black out the window trim and slight black tint on the windows. Reflective tints are rice.
And maybe burnt exhaust tip?

Usually good amount of drop sets up the car with agressive look.

[BMW335icDDS]

Most of the modded cars I've seen on this forum have not been tastefully "upgraded." Instead they turn their cars looking more like wanna be ricers. Hope you make your car better looking instead of using money to make yours look cheaper.

[Year's_End]

Originally Posted by BMW335icDDS

Most of the modded cars I've seen on this forum have not been tastefully "upgraded." Instead they turn their cars looking more like wanna be ricers. Hope you make your car better looking instead of using money to make yours look cheaper.

You might be referring to many of the SoCal cars which are modded up the ass. I think they look good, but I can see how they could easily be overdone to many.

[Van[ForTheTired]]

IMO I would go toward the less aggressive.

and btw black rims are fugly no matter what.

[cn555ic]

Black is agressive and cannot be looked at as elegant as far as the wheels go!

[3lusive]

whatever you do, don't get chrome wheels!

[slipperman]

imo i think the coral red interior leans a bit more toward the aggressive side as well. not overly aggressive but just ever so slightly aggressive

[SLCGoonski]

m tech front, sides, rear
debadge (or black emblem...I'm partial to black ones...)
19" cls (or similar) in silver
window tint (35-50%)
m3 lip on the trunk
shadowline trim and blacked out or body color w/black grill (optional)

Fin

[Aurora Bearialis]

Originally Posted by dtg

My space gray metallic is bone stock now except for the sport package.

It has the coral red interior and gray poplar. I've checked out alot of pics here and I'm torn between the "aggresive" vs. "elegant" look.

What I think is aggresive:
- black or gunmetal wheels
- blacked out window trim
- black tint
- blacked out grille
- debadged (maybe) or black "335i" trunk emblem

What I think is elegant:
- silver/polished wheels
- reflective tint

I just love this car but I'm affraid that if I go for the look that I really want (aggresive) that I'd be taking away from the car's elegance and luxury and turning it into just another street rod.

I don't want anyone to make a decision for me here... just looking for what thought process you went through when deciding on a look. Thanks.

Those two bolded in the quote are What I think is RICER!!!!

[Aurora Bearialis]

Originally Posted by BMW335icDDS

Most of the modded cars I've seen on this forum have not been tastefully "upgraded." Instead they turn their cars looking more like wanna be ricers. Hope you make your car better looking instead of using money to make yours look cheaper.

what would be "ricer" to you? I got a CF Kidney Grille and H8 GP Thunders 8500 which I think looks better than the regular yellowish stock angel eyes. I took a drive today and ran across 3 new M3s all which gave me heads up looks except the 4dr Black one on PCH who was driving on my tail like an asshole, "I know you car is faster A-hole if you're on these forums"

[abcommercial]

To be completely honest, black wheels look like something a 20-yr old kid does to his tuner-mobile. Almost cheap. As un-classy as chrome wheels. That kind of thing looks appropriate (or at least expected) on a Civic or other tuner, but not on a Beemer. Machined or cast (i.e. satin finish, not polished) wheels are the only way to go on a car like a Beemer, IMO. You can achieve more aggressive and elegant looks by upsizing (larger BMW wheels with corresponding lower-profile tires), within reason (not over 18", and in most cases 17").

Now, I'm sure some of you have killer-looking rides with black wheels, so please don't get upset -- just expressing my opinion, as requested.

[rroof]

I agree and understand your "dilemma" 100%.

I also do not like the black wheels, but to each their own ... I most certainly dislike the red stripe type wheels.

I tried to do both aggressive and elegant as well and ended up with:

Alpine white e92 335 xi with coral red and gray popular, moderately tinted windows, stock 18" sport wheels, debadged, OEM aero kit (front and rear), BMW short shift kit, stupid clutch delay (or is it divertor) valve delete, and JB3 on the way My previous E46 M3 was jet black on black and was almost too aggressive for me just bone stock!

The white appears more "elegant" with the aero package, red interior, windows debadging all I care to do on the exterior. I'm debating those nice 3.5 inch Dimisa tips though, but that might be just a bit much for me. Same with the "hot" bulbs.

[dtg]

thanks all for the feedback... it's very insightful and actually quite surprising given how many members here have black or gunmetal wheels... i was expecting everyone to say black or gm ftmfw!!!

however i'm also surprised that so many said to black out the window trim. i think it looks very nice and actually subtle (i.e. it's brushed and not chrome).

here's what i'm thinking:
- bbs or asa ar2 wheels in silver/polished lip
- black grille
- oem mtech front lip
- oem m3 trunk lip spoiler
- light gray/black tint
- modest drop on h&r or eibach
- debadged trunk
- keep stock brushed alum. window trim... i think it looks nice and will match the wheels

thoughts?

[Lassaxi]

Originally Posted by BMW335icDDS

Most of the modded cars I've seen on this forum have not been tastefully "upgraded." Instead they turn their cars looking more like wanna be ricers. Hope you make your car better looking instead of using money to make yours look cheaper.

+1

90-95% of the cars in the photo forum look like garbage. For some reason, a lot of people think that all they have to do to have a *hawt* car is drop it, put on some fugly 19" rims, tint the windows as black as can be, and put carbon fiber trim on everything. Very few people make any effort to make coordinated changes that actually create a more pleasing looking car. A few people have done a great job, but not many.

[dxb335d]

On the grey, i would go with the elegant look.

[Perpetrator]

I always feel that the look of the car should match the performance level. There's nothing wrong with an aggressive look (black wheels etc), except when the engine itself is stock. if you are planning on doing major engine/performance mods, then you can satisfy your aggressive mod bug. if not, then just go with a "clean" exterior, which would be classy wheels, moderate tint, and clean up some chrome accents to black. if you drop, then go moderate on that as well. personally, i always like to go with a subtle clean look regardless of the amount of engine mods.

good luck and just enjoy the options!

[Proper Motion LLC]

Aggressive > Elegant

Polished or Chrome Wheels are fugly on a 3 series BMW

[dtg]

Still don't understand why everyone hates the brushed aluminum window trim? Why black it out... I think it is not out of place at all.

Also, following the "elegant" look... what do you all think of 18" wheels instead of 19"?

Personally, I love the ride as it is now on the stock sport suspension and I'm affraid that going with 19s and lower profile tires will make the ride more jarring and not to mention add more rattles to an otherwise relatively quiet car.

Anyone have experience with this?

[Payroll]

Originally Posted by dtg

Still don't understand why everyone hates the brushed aluminum window trim? Why black it out... I think it is not out of place at all.

Also, following the "elegant" look... what do you all think of 18" wheels instead of 19"?

Personally, I love the ride as it is now on the stock sport suspension and I'm affraid that going with 19s and lower profile tires will make the ride more jarring and not to mention add more rattles to an otherwise relatively quiet car.

Anyone have experience with this?

Agreed on the aluminum trim. I think the key to preserving the elegance of the car is to make only a few visual modifications (i.e. wheels, painted reflectors, and perhaps a few understated things like an m3 trunk lip, etc.).

As for 19" wheels, I think that's the ideal size for the 335. I put snows on my 18's and bought 19's for the summer. Switching from 18" RFT's to 19" non-RFT's was somewhat surprising - they ride much smoother. Believe it or not, my 18" non-RFT snow tires don't ride quite as smooth as my 19" Michelin PS2's.