"In this entry, I unbox the pre-production unit of the new 1:1 Carbon Mirror Replacement Caps made in Germany. I take a deep dive into the little things that matter and compare them to the originals."
- Matt

Deciphering specs.

The new 1:1 Carbon Mirror Replacement Caps made in Germany are available in a myriad of weave and finish options to suit your preferred aesthetics goal. 

The original M performance units were exclusively made in 2x2 weave pattern and finished in high gloss clear coat.

Some E92 M3 owners may prefer to match the original BMW M carbon roof and its 1x1 weave pattern. As 1x1 is best used on flat surfaces, the curvature of the mirror caps will introduce slight weave distortion. 

Additionally, forged carbon and the M2CS's checkered carbon weave can be specified. 

Ultimately, this is about what you want and how it matches with your current aesthetic modifications. I opted for M Performance matching specs personal preference and creating content: 2x2 in high gloss clear. 

Notes on continuous weave pattern.

A specific advantage of the 2x2 weave pattern is the ability to lay the carbon in a continuous weave pattern. The original M Performance caps were designed in this manner and is part of its signature aesthetic.

In plain terms, the weave is oriented diagonally across the mirror, even across the mirror's center line. This requires an experienced carbon craftsman to avoid weave misalignment and distortion. 

For all other weave patterns, it will not be continuous. 

Notes on clear coat & PPF. 

We use 2 component, catalyzed automotive clear coat for all our applications. The high gloss option is further wet sanded and polished to near perfection - certainly beyond original clear coat quality. 

I highly recommend paint protection film (PPF) application over the caps to protect any finish you will spec. The mirrors are exposed to the elements and take a beating. If a rock chip goes through the clear and damages the weave, it cannot be repaired.

Pre-preg carbon's thinness. 

As documented in previous entries, the original M Performance caps were made from pre-preg carbon for a variety of reasons. A key factor is the ability to create ultra-thin, non structural components. 

The obvious benefit is weight - the less obvious benefit is fitment quality and precision. This will be further explained during the test fit section of this entry. 

Our caps use the same pre-preg carbon process as the original units, retaining the extremely thin carbon. The first picture below compares the 1:1 versus the original M performance.

The underside magic.

The underside of the caps reveal the magic to the pre-preg carbon work and the precise fitment of the original and our 1:1 carbon caps. 

The original M Performance were simplified over the original plastic caps using only the 4x core clips to fit to the mirror housing. 

This was required as the carbon caps are dimensionally ever so slightly smaller than the plastic caps and as such cannot use the outer clips of the original plastic cap. 

Below is my original Fire Orange mirror cap compared to our 1:1 carbon cap. 

Notes on pre-preg / dry-carbon. 

The underside also reveals the pre-preg carbon work - some may refer to it as "dry" carbon. The later nomenclature refers to the lack of resin infusion during the process. 

The clips.

In the previous entry, we documented the creation of the production jig for repeatable, accurate platform of the clips. Below are the actual production clips. 

They are made using injection molding with carbon plastic, a more durable material then the original made by BMW. This matters somewhat as the original clips will wear over time as you install and uninstall the caps.

The adhesive.

Many different adhesives were tested during development. We narrowed down our selection to a methyl methacrylate adhesive (MMA) due to its shorter curing time and surface preparation requirements. 

With the reduced amount of clips over the plastic caps, the remaining clips will dictate fitment precision. Shorter curing time means reducing error potentials on what is the most crucial step in the production of these mirrors.

Sanded edges.

As previously discussed, the carbon's thinness is key to precise fitment of the caps on the mirror housing. To achieve ultimate fitment, we measure and sand the underside's outline to ensure repeatable quality.

A weightless comparo. 

Below is a fun yet admittedly pointless weight comparison between the 3x mirror caps. It certainly sits as the one of the highest $/g weight reduction upgrade. The 1 gram difference in the carbon caps will come from the slightly bulkier clips. 

I feel confident in stating the latest 1:1 carbon caps are without a doubt a material improvement over the originals.  

Up next: it's the final approval. 

I test fit the pre-production units on my M3 V8.