The problem with the OEM License Plate Holder
We all know the feeling – or at least we should – we get a call from our dealer: “your M2 is ready for pick up”. You get excited, you can’t even sleep that night, tomorrow is the big day. You get ready, quick shower don’t even care about shampoo, just get yourself wet, and get the towel. 20mins till you get to the dealer, you are excited to see your brand new car for the first time.
You open the door, take a quick glance at it in the dealership.. and you see.. that big ugly plastic license plate holder on the front that ruins everything. And the worst thing: the plate is mounted by 4 screws, directly screwed into the brand new bumper.
There is nothing to do now. The bumper is kinda ruined, the plate is mounted on the holder. The biggest problem with this plate holder, we car guys face, is the fact that it cannot be removed easily. Imagine this: you go to a car meet, everyone has cleaned up their cars to absolute perfection, car spotters are there, photo- and videographers are taking shots left and right, yet you cannot remove your plate without kneeling down and getting your screwdriver out.
I was one of them, I like to take photos of my BMW G87 M2, and I hate spending time in Photoshop trying to remove the plate from the image. Okay, now with ChatGPT and all the AI help it’s easier, but due to the weird shape of the M2’s bumper, it is hard to replicate what lies behind the holder.
My Goal – A Minimal, Magnetic Solution
Since I like designing and creating new products, I wanted to come up with my own solution to this problem, to my problem. I wanted something, that I could easily install, take off and won’t have to worry about loosing my plate even if I drove on the autobahn at 300kmh.
The challenge was tough, I had to come up with a solution that looks slick, when the plate is removed – easy to remove it in Photoshop – yet, holds the plate in place even if I go crazy on the highway or on an alpine pass. And of course the main problem: I have 4 holes in my bumper. Does it make sense to drill 2 or 4 more to fit a new license plate holder? Not really, so ideally, I should make something that can be installed without drilling new holes.
So, the new license plate holder had to:
- Strong enough to hold the plate on – even if the circumstances were wild
- Look good when the plate is off
- Easy to install
- No extra holes are drilled
I went through quite some variations. Designed them in Fusion360 and printed them out in PLA on my Bambulab printer.
My first idea was that I create a 2 piece design. One piece stay on the bumper, and one on the license plate. My idea was that I create a small latch mechanism, so that the 2 parts are latched/locked into each other and won’t move. But this seemed a bit over engineered and costly.
My second idea was to use magnets. Since at that time I was working on my magnetic paddle shifters I thought why not just use 2-2 magnets, 2 on each side. That way we have in total 4 magnets facing each other, with an average strength of 4-5 kgs, should be plenty enough to hold a license plate in place.
How the Magnetic License Plate Holder Works
Remember my goal: “no-drill magnetic plate mount for BMW M2 G87” and “removable license plate system”. So magnets seemed to be the perfect candidates for such an application. Two small magnetic bases fitted to the bumper of the M2, which replace the original plastic holder using the OEM screw holes. And, the license plate holder parts that stick to these using strong magnets and 3M tape. Done.
Now that the design was “done”. Or at least I found a good solution, it was time to put them to the test.
Tested Up to 300 km/h on the Autobahn
So now what? The design is ready, time to put it to test. And since I have an M2 at home, who is a better candidate to test with, than myself. So I printed out the “final” version – first from PLA – a terrible material choice, but I thought, if the plate survives even with this material, then if printed with the right material, it would work perfectly. So I printed the model out on my printer, and installed it onto the car and went for a test drive. First I thought, okay let’s just go to a quiet road, so even if the plate falls off, I’d be able to recover it and won’t hurt anyone in case it actually flies off and hits another car or pedestrian.
The first tests were successful, started driving, up to 50kmh, stopped, checked, plate is on, nothing is loose. Okay, started driving again up till 100kmh of speed, stopped again, checked again, plate is on, everything is good. Alright, the test was successful time to head home. If you have ever driven an M car, you know that it gets the “worst” out of you, and you tend to enjoy the car a lot and forget about everything else. Well, this has happened with me too.
I got “into the mood” and started flying on the good old Autobahn.. 120, 140, 160, 200, 250kmh when I realised, “ohhh I’m supposed to be testing the plate, and I completely forgot about it… Is it still on? Did I lose it already?…” So after a very schnell run, I stopped to check, but everything was good, nothing was moving, nothing was off. Alright, test is successful.
Next test was done with a higher test speed, up until 300kmh (car was showing around ~295kmh), and everything was still functional. I then continued testing and altering the design for about 5+ months. Testing them under various conditions: on the highway, getting groceries, driving through town, washing the car and driving it on several alpine passes. Never lost the plate! Awesome, the magnets held the license plate perfectly in place and the design was working great.
Clean Look, OEM Fitment
Finally, the BMW G87 M2 front bumper looks as it should. So much better, and no more hustle of removing the plate physically or in your photo editing software. Just get out, take the plate off and ready to shoot some content.
Installation Guide
The installation process is quite simple.
- Remove the OEM plate holder (2 screws).
- Install magnetic bases using the same screw points.
- Remove the protective foil from the 3M tape and install your number plate.
- Adjust alignment, done.
I’ve also prepared a small install video, that you can watch below.
Why This Magnetic Plate Holder is Unique
The parts were designed using a 3D scanned data of the front bumper, so the fitment is spot on. The kit uses strong neodymium magnets, and the parts are made from PETG-CF which is resistant to weather and UV. Last but not least, handmade and engineered in Germany, which qualifies you for that extra +5HP.
Where to Get It
You can order the BMW G87 M2 Magnetic License Plate Holder directly on our website here.
We offer them in two variants: one that is suitable for one license plate, and another one that lets you fit 2 plates. So for example, you have your standard plate, and you have one that has your business name on it, or one that says “BMW M2”. So when you go to a car meet or a photo shoot, you can just remove the standard front plate, and mount the one that say “BMW M2”.
