Hey guys, finally drove my car home from Long Island to VT this weekend. I had the dealership install a BMW factory bra for the M3 before I picked it up. I was surprised that it actually looked good.

So, in my vanity to keep the front pristine in the rain I drove home( 4 hr drive ). Feeling rather bulletproof because of my front bra I had no problems navigating the Taconic in rain doing 60-80 the whole way home.

When I arrived at my house, the sun came out and I did what was told to me at the dealer, I took the bra off. I almost dropped when I found large amounts of sand underneath the bra. I immediately took it off and hosed down my Carbon Black '04 M3. Too my surprise there was not one scratch.

My guess is that the dealer put the bra on so tight that there was little shifting during the drive to cause scratching. In any event this is the last time I ever put the bra on..

Honestly its not worth it. Even if it did not rain. All it takes is one grain of sand to wreak havoc on your paint job. I will have so much wax on the front, it should provide enough protection. As for chips....if its gonna happen, its gonna happen. All we can do as owners is be as careful as possible.

Im happy to be on the board.

I agree. Dont use those heavy black bras.. I used one on my alpine white '99 M3 when it was brand new. What happened is that it wound up leaving a mark where the vinyl and the fuzzy stuff joined. And it was very hard to get out. In so doing i reduced the clearcoat depth more than I would have wanted. ITs just not worth it. It IS possible to love these things to death, you know!

Amen. You can get crazy. So, I blew 250 bucks. Not the end of the world.

This will save you if you want a bra. Clear Bra, Ultra Shield, Rock Guard, all pretty much the same running from $450-$700 dependant upon how well you can do research for your area. Get the deluxe kit (Hood, mirrors, fender fronts, air dam) I paid $440 installed and love the look and the protection.

Woo. You got lucky! Dodged the bullet.

no offense guys..but you obviously do not know how to use the bra.....its like this..do you think a woman leaves her bra when shes in the shower?...NO, do you think that leaving the bra on for days is recommended, NO, do women leave their bras on all day and all night..NO..comon guys..after each run..you take off the bra.....never leave it on for more than one day....and never leave it on..when raining....but its still the BEST protection out there...the problem is that i covers the beauty of the M3...

Given the fact that my M is a lease I have opted to leave the bra off. I am a fanatic about detailing. Did it for a living when I was younger. Where I live there is a lot of sand and dirt on the roads. Even in dry weather all it takes is one pebble or grain of sand for that matter to get lodged under the bra. A recipe for disaster. I will try and return the removeable bra and do research on the clear ( applied ) one.