It should be a crime to drill holes in the middle of the front bumper cover on a BMW. But that's just what BMW does to mount the front license plate. It's unthinkable, especially on a sport BMW 1 series! Most BMW owners agree that a BMW looks much better without an ugly font license plate. Unfortunately many states strictly enforce front plate laws, so completely deleting the front plate isn't an option for everyone.
For 1 Series 128i with the standard (not M Sport) front bumper for the model years 2012 and 2013. Not for cars before 2012 and not for cars with the Sport / M Sport front bumper. This kit is for the later style 128i non-Sport facelift models, also known as LCI, short for "life-cycle impulse".
This slick relocation kit allows you to use the factory tow hook eye as a mount point, so you can completely "delete" and remove the ugly stock center-mounted bracket. Now your BMW can look better, while still complying with local front plate laws.
We found this kit to be an easy, cost-effective, and well made solution for mounting your E82 128i LCI front license plate in the tow hook receiver. No modifications are required, and if you are installing this on a fresh/new front bumper, you can avoid drilling the dreaded holes in your bumper.
Easy Installation - Can be removed in Minutes!Installation is quite simple, using simple Allen keys (included) and a 17mm wrench (not included). We love that you can also remove this in minutes. This means you could drive (legally) with a front plate to a car show, remove the plate at the show, and reinstall your tow hook plate bracket for a legal drive home. And still no holes needed in your bumper!
Adjustable for Many Angles & PositionsThe bracket offers multiple adjustable mounting positions, which gives you some aesthetic options if you are picky on how the plate is positioned. You can also move your plate further away from headlights or fog lights, or adjust the angle to more close mimic the body contour of your front bumper.
Works with and without PDC System! Because of the adjustability and special care for the facelift 2012-2013 E82 128i (without M Sport), this kit can be used on cars with the front Park Distance Control (PDC) system, though this wasn't as common on the 1 series as it was on some other models. The plate can be mounted far enough from the parking sensors (between two sensors) to not give a false reading or interfering with your front park system.
High Quality ConstructionIt was important that we carry a solution that was both well-built but also not overly heavy. Who wants to add dead weight to their BMW? This solution is well engineered, with the main plate frame made of T6061 aircraft-grade aluminum, a precision CNC mounting dowel, and quality hardware/fasteners.
For Facelift E82 128i "base" models, with non-M front bumper, as offered in model year 2012 and 2013 (only). This includes the Coupe and Convertibles with the standard bumper for these last two model years.
BMW Fitments:
1 Series
E82 / E88 (08-13) > 128i