My 2021 BMW i3S is riding dirty. As it’s registered in California, it is required to wear a front license plate, but I haven’t installed one yet. Why? Because unlike on my old Jeeps, which had provisions for a front plate that required just a few bolts going into already-existing holes, my BMW i3 does not come from the factory with holes for the front plate. You have to drill them. And even if I used a tow-hook mount instead, the car just wouldn’t look right.
I find myself continually contemplating whether I want to sell my mint condition, Galvanic Gold BMW i3S and replace it with a much cheaper ($20K cheaper) one that I can use without worry about scratches or dings or my child’s vomit. Anyway, this has me on the prowl for a less expensive, but still good-condition i3, and unfortunately my search is really going nowhere because I have a tough requirement: I don’t want the car to have a front license plate.
I realize that this is all a bit silly and I shouldn’t care as much as I do, but come on: How could I not care about whether my car has a bunch of holes drilled haphazardly right into it face?
The Holes Look Rough
Seriously, here’s how my current i3S looks, front bumper still factory-fresh:
Meanwhile, here’s a cheaper-but-still-nice 2018 BMW i3 with the interior I like and an overall condition I’d categorize as “excellent” aside from that one flaw:
I know I’m being a bit picky here, but also, maybe I’m not? These are poorly drilled holes through the plastic that makes up a car’s face! To me, this is as bad as if someone backed their trailer hitch into a car and left a big gash.
More egregious than that i3 is this Lexus RZ I recently saw posted to a Facebook group I’m in:
YIKES! Looks like that thing took on machine gun fire!
And I know, I know, one could just chuck the front plate on and cover up these holes, but I’d know they’re there. And also, if I lived in a front plate-free state, those holes would be especially annoying.
The truth is, cars rarely look as good with plates on their faces, though I get that the rules are the rules. I just wish modern cars weren’t designed to be drilled into, as the operation is permanent.
Back In The Day, This Wasn’t A Problem
And the thing is, it wasn’t always that way! Take my Jeep Comanche, for example. The factory front license plate frame mounted via bolts to the bottom of the front bumper:
Modern bumpers are plastic, though, so self-tapping screws have become the norm.
Tesla May Be The Only Major Automaker That Doesn’t Require Bumper Drilling
To be sure, Tesla is the one manufacturer I can think of whose front plate installation process actually avoids use of screws. Here are the automaker’s instructions for front plate bracket installation:
Check out the Toyota Prius below, whose front end has a strange plate provision that looks bizarre if you’re in a no-plate state. Jason Torchinsky pointed this out a while ago, writing:
Why, Toyota? For the roughly half of U.S. states that don’t require a front plate, do they really have to have a bumper that looks like someone jammed a brick in there and then painted over it? Perhaps this is the Euro/Asia bumper skin and the U.S.-market one will have something that works with or without a front plate? That’s possible, I suppose, and at least they considered the front plate at all, which some cars just don’t at all. But still.
Instead of designing the car’s shape around a flat license plate, Tesla has created license plate brackets that conform to the vehicle’s shape, and instead of installing the bracket with screws, one installs it using adhesive.
Image: ToyotaThis might make you think that removing the plates will destroy the car’s paint; looks like taking a Tesla’s bracket off involves simply using a plastic trim tool, though some owners say a hairdryer and some fishing line helps, too:
Reading around the web, while some report stains from dirt entrapment, it seems most who have tried removing their front plate bracket have managed to do so without damaging the paint (especially if they used heat and fishing line), so this seems like a good solution from Tesla. Props to the company for not requiring drilling into that front bumper to mount the factory bracket.
The Aftermarket Is Still The Answer
There are often adhesive-plate-bracket options in the aftermarket as well, and as shown above, I can buy an i3 front plate mount that hooks to the threaded tow-hook hole under the little square plug in the front bumper. What’s more, California actually allows a front license plat vinyl wrap, which I find rather clever:
I may go this route on my car. If I keep it.
Anyway, thank you for reading my random rant about an industry norm that bothers me to no end.
I agree. First off, front plates are ugly and stupid.
But it actually is insane that auto manufacturers obsess over how a car looks, then provide no front plate provisions. They leave it to some Ryobi armed teenager at the dealership to permanently damage their product before their consumer even makes a purchase.
Local constabulary needs the front plate for automated camera writing infractions….$$$
Forget the front plate. Every state needs a back plate but there still are cars being sold here that require the dealership employees to drill the back bumper on a brand new car.
This is my biggest pet peeve in automotive design. The fact that BMW designed the most hateful front grill of modern times and then failed to allow for a front plate is probably the most egregious lack of form follows function I’ve seen. Alfa is also pretty guilty here too. As far as I know, the EU all require front plates so they know there are going to be front plates on these grilles, even if they are shaped differently than the american ones.
To pass inspection, I hot glue mine on. It’s used temporarily, but would probably work permanently with occasional checks. After a cop told me I couldn’t have fake machine guns protruding from my grille because of something about “pedestrian safety”, I hollowed out the center and glued styrene teeth behind the frame of the grille on my old Subaru. They were several inches long only secured at the base, and contended with snow, rain, etc. without a problem.
I’m sure you can rig some sort of hidden mount that screws into the black grille area from underneath. That would also allow the plate stand away from the painted surface a bit – reducing the abrasion risk. Or just 2 sided foam tape.
I had a similar problem on my BRZ and I rode around without the front plate until I got pulled over by a state trooper. Luckily he gave me a warning after I explained I couldn’t bring myself to drill holes in the bumper and had found a solution online that required no holes and I was just waiting for it to be delivered. When I said that I was referring to the tow hook solution you mentioned but then I found out about MAGNETS!!! (How do they work?)
On the BRZ the bottom of the bracket grabs the lower grill so only 2 screws are needed at the top which the magnets replaced beautifully. I drove that car another 7 years and the bracket remained firmly in place the whole time and was incredibly easy to remove when I washed the car. I’m not sure if it will work as well on an i3 but here’s the link: https://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35261
I lived in Indianapolis in the 90s; Indiana was a no-front-plate state. I still ordered the Z-Corsica with the plate holder, because the bumper cladding was vulnerable to scuffs and damage from negligent parking behavior by other drivers. The front plate bracket was a fairly substantial plastic-clad metal affair that functioned like a bumper guard. On my car, it usually sported a plain black plastic filler plate or a Jolly Roger design. The cosmetic plate took the inevitable damage; the holder/bracket and bumper never got damaged that way. It beat having the more expensive bumper cladding “taking it on the chin”.
The worst part is when the a dealer uses their own brackets with different hole placement than the bumper was meant for, or used for previously.
My state doesn’t require front plates, but my car has been in two previously that did. Each used a different bracket. So I have SIX holes in the front. Very noticeable with bright orange paint, very expensive to fix with hard to blend paint.
I just try not to think about them.
If I am remembering my Autopian history. . .didn’t you just get rid of you older i3 because you had this newer, nicer one?
But, yes that is me every time I get a new truck. The less I care about my vehicles, the more I love them.
As far a front plates, not sure how I feel about Tesla’s double sided tape. Seems kinda cheap and chintzy to me. Plus not sure how that would hold up in the elements, salt, cold, heat, etc. Screwing holes though the plastic kinda sucks too. Why can’t we get a proper set of nut inserts or whatever to properly mount anything any more? You know, the long lost art of threaded fasteners. Bonus points for stainless or other not corrosive materials.
As far as the visual, that is for the designers to figure how to make it look good, not a screwed on after thought.
It wouldn’t be David Tracy if he didn’t constantly change his mind on this stuff. I can relate to the indecision!
Double sided tape is what most trim has been held on by for a few decades. It’s not an issue.
While I will agree industrial adhesives applied in controlled conditions at a factory tend to be very good. But this is an owner or tech center installed item, so I have even less confidence.
Plus, I see numberous cars running around missing trim, logos, and all that would make me want to debate this issue.
Add all the stress that a front license plate will see, the flex of the front bumper cover, and it would not be my first choice as an engineer.
Why do people in one plate states insist on putting a plate style decoration on their front bumpers. Makes no sense to me
Usually because they buy (often used) cars that already have a front plate holder in place. It’s just something to cover the ugly plate bracket.
THIS – both my ’96 T-bird and ’94 SHO had OEM front plate brackets in a non-front plate state when I moved back to PA. I bought front decorative plates rather than dealing with holes.
I would be interested in an article about why front plate requirements exist. What purpose do they supposedly serve? Obviously it’s not a universal thing, so there must be a story behind why some states require it and some don’t.
Revenue collection
Dad always said it gave the cops in Ohio 2 shots at nailing you.
Hopefully that article would include steps we could follow to convince our state to STOP requiring front plates!
I went with a vinyl license sticker on my Tesla. It looks great and doesn’t ruin the aerodynamics of the car.
Pistonbones Printing in Corona will make them for $30 each but we need 7 cars to hit their minimum order.
7 cars?! Did you do a group buy?
David, you have at least 7 cars by yourself to satisfy that requirement.
The Pontiac Solstice was a car that looked great in no front plate states, but in a front plate state? Whoof. Perfect example of not designing for a front plate.
another reason why I prefer the Saturn Sky
In my state a front license plate is required unless “the motor vehicle was not manufactured to include a bracket, device or other contrivance to display and secure a front license plate“. A very convenient exemption. We have two newish Toyotas and both have a couple of suspicious dimples on the front bumper that look like you could probably put a mounting screw there. But when you buy a new Toyota from our dealer here they don’t give you a “bracket” unless you ask for it. I did not, good to go.
Mine too! Are you in NV also?
Didn’t you already have a cheaper one that you sold so you could keep the fancy one?
Yep. It even had a brand new battery, too!
In his defense, wasn’t that sold pre-child?
Offset front license plates mounted on tow hooks are usually a sign to me that you’re a driver I want to avoid. The worst people all seem to use them. The exception is Alfas because they come that way from the factory so you didn’t get a choice in the matter.
The best front mounted license plate solutions were found on the fourth gen Firebird and C5 Corvette. They had little inserts molded into the bumpers; remove a beauty cover and then install the plate.
Although it requires drilling the front mounting location for the Mazda CX-30’s front license plate is pretty good. Looks like it belongs on the car.
Now I’m imagining a new business of 3d scanning cars and 3d printing plate mounts that use VHB tape and have threaded inserts for the plate screws.
I think my Chrysler has a pretty elegant solution, the front and rear bumpers just have horizontal slots you can poke a screw through, but just look like part of the bumper design if you don’t need a front plate. Also, you can slide the screws to accommodate different plate sizes/shapes and mounting hole locations, so it’s compatible with Japanese and European style plates also (the latter is probably pretty relevant in Cuba)
Here in Old Dominion you don’t need front plates if you’re running antique tags. What kind of enthusiast buys something less than 2.5 decades old anyway??
In Maryland, you’re required to mount the front plate if the car is less than 60 years old. My Fiat is only 46, but I refuse to put the front plate on. If they’re petty enough to ticket me, I’ll just call it a no front plate fee and continue being a scofflaw.
If the punishment is a fine (that you can afford) it is merely a fee.
My town’s so small, though, that I would eventually be a target.
I live in the area near PA and WV, neither of which require front plates, so the police are used to one plate cars here. I doubt they will ever notice, especially since I don’t drive it much.
As someone who lives in a state that does not require a front license plate, but is surrounded by states that do, this has always annoyed me. It’s lazy design imho. I’ve bought a lot of used cars that had their front bumpers mutilated.
If I were king, I’d pass a law outlawing front plate requirements nationwide. What’s even the point?
The point is revenue collection
We bought an aftermarket plate mount that hooks into the grill. Works a treat.
Though the motivation for not drilling was that I would slowly go insane if the plate wasn’t perfectly level rather than any paternalistic feelings for the bumper.
It bothers me too, you are far from alone
Since there are no front plates in my state I’m happy for people to avoid drilling their cars so there are more options without holes in the bumper. The Highlander I just bought had holes, but it also had some other cosmetic damage (part of what made it so inexpensive) so I replaced the whole front fascia anyway. Otherwise those holes would have bugged me.
But also, David – man. You gotta find a way to be ok with owning the stuff you like and acknowledging that it might not stay perfect. You have the absolute best version of what you see as the absolute best modern car. Just enjoy it and let go of the worries that one day it will be damaged in some way. You’ll never be able to keep it pristine forever without subverting all the things you see as great about it by never using it. You need to own your stuff, not let it own you.
If you sell your i3, I can guarantee it would go to someone who cares less about it than you, and even if they don’t have a kid to puke in it or whatever it’s going to be in worse shape faster than if you keep it and just take the best care you can without it consuming your life.
I for one favor front plates, and all manufacturers should incorporate the need for them into their designs. They make identifying a vehicle easier, can serve as a reflector for improved visibility, and there’s no real downside to them when properly incorporated.
The incorporation can be as big or as small as desired. Whether it be as small and unnoticeable as a dimple where each of the two (or four) plate screws would go (Ford and Dodge/Chrysler have done this in recent memory), or a panel that comes off to reveal the mounting location (corvettes have done this in prior generations; they also did adhesive panels on the C6 and/or C7, but they’re dumb because they’re just as curved as the bumper covers rather than making it flat like how license plates are. Other vehicles have also done removable panels).
Manufacturers should be penalized if their vehicles cannot readily accept a front plate without some adapter. Gm and Nissan are probably the most egregious with this, though (obviously) BMW also has been getting worse, but they have lower volume.
In general IME the folks that try to hide their plates or resist having a second plate are the ones who aren’t following other laws (even as simple as vehicle registration), and drive as if they’re not sharing the public roads with other motorists.
My 2020 Mustang has something worse than screw holes for a front tag. It has misaligned screw holes — enough to aggravate the mildest OCD affliction. It spent its first two years in Maryland, a front-plate state. Now it’s in a more enlightened jurisdiction (NC). Still looks better than a front bracket hanging on there!
I agree, as someone who did PDIs at a dealership when I was a teenager it pained me to drill into bumpers to add plate brackets.
I’ve been riding dirty with no front plate on several of my cars here in CA for years.
That was one of the things I was concerned with when I was getting my Panamera – finding one from a no-front-plate state, so the nose wasn’t all uglified from the bracket. It was always something that disappointed me about my Volvo, that it had unsightly holes where the front plate bracket went.
I don’t have a plate on the front of my EV either.
I believe it’s a Class B violation so they can’t pull you over for not having it. also if given a ticket you can usually show its fixed (temporarily tape it on and take a picture?), to have the ticket dismissed.
I am curious about the aero implications. I’m sure it’s negligible given that it’s not adding frontal area and it’s only altering the shape a little, but just HOW negligible?
If only you knew a French aerodynamicist who could easily run such calculations.