I don't want this to come across as criticism to those that have chosen to add some cosmetic accessories to their M Coupe or Roadster. This is just me talking about my feelings about the M Coupe's design. Each of us were attracted to these cars for different reasons of our own, and each of us continues to interpret the car differently through expressions of mechanical upgrades, cosmetic modifications, wheels, etc. By its very nature, the M Coupe is unique and so are its owners.

But I gotta tell you that the thing that attracted me to the M Coupe originally over its contemporaries and competitors is that the Mcoupe has a very purpose-built, almost spartan design to it. Its original design yields no quarter to those that want something more flashy. No compromises for boulevard posers or the stereotypical German car "gold chain" set. The Mcoupe has nothing that it doesn't need. No more. No less. To me, it shatters the stereotypical mold of the German sports car. It is not a car that someone buys because they want to be the envy of the office. In fact, it is a car that someone buys in spite of the fact that they will have to endure the usual disparaging comments from an uninformed public, such as "the back end is ugly" or "I would have bought a Porsche instead", etc. We buy these coupes because we are confident, not because we need the car to build up our confidence.

Mechanical upgrades are dependent on the needs of the driver and his/her driving environment. Lets face it, things like suspension and bushings, exaust, etc, are always a compromise from the factory anyway. BMW had to design a suspension to deal with a wide variety of road conditions and drivers. They also had to compromise for long term drivability and durability. If you are a more demanding driver or use your car for competitive events, you will undoubtedly want to upgrade some mechanical aspects. If you are really competing on the track, you would also have no choice but to modify the car for safety (harness, fire system, etc).

But, to me, adding cosmetic modifications and accessories is like adding additional brush strokes to an already great work of art. Unnecessary and even distracting from the original beauty.

Oh course, I'm a hypocrite because I do have a Leather Z Mark I armrest in my car. And I also put on the magnetic stone guards when I know that I am going to be driving it in conditions that might kick up rocks.