If you read the statute citation in the link, the requirement is simply to survive a 2.5 mph impact without "major structural damage." Thus, the plastic bar and flimsy piece of metal behind is there to "take one for the team" along with the plastic grill lattice, and be sacrificed. Same is true for the rear, where you have to replace the plastic valence. That's true of most car "bumpers" today.

I never suggested the law makes a lot of sense in the real world. In fact, like the fuel economy certification test, it's easy to defeat the true intent of the requirement by designing something that survives such an impact on the test object, but rarely a real world, same-speed impact. Obviously, in a car-SUV/truck impact, the bumper will be completely worthless.

I was just trying to address the question of why it protrudes, which is simply to pass the NHTSA certification test.

 

+1.

It's nice to be completely satisfied with something for a change and not obsessed with what can be changed next.

 

shift, i had not expected to like the idea of the bar in white, but it really surprised me that i didn't hate it. i fully agree that the 'project 7 no-bar' look is the best, but it was interesting to see your prototype.

full white grill would be interesting to see.

wonder if you could do something like the Bentley 10 speed 6 concept car...

 

we'll see what those guys say tomorrow. It's just so annoying because a custom grill with mess isn't that hard to make, it's just the hassle of taking off the front bumper!

 

Going back just a little. I found the instructions for removing the front center splitter. (In case anyone wants to remove, wrap, and roll all the edges.

 

Quite useful for those of us seeing the front splitter as a routine replacement item.

 

Well, here it is back from the shop. I'm 90% sure I'm going to remove it...but will wait a couple of days to see if it grows on me...might work if it was a thinner bar, but it's so big that it looks a funky...

 

I am 100% sure I would have removed it if it was mine.

But it was an interesting test.

 

Before you remove it, draw some teeth on it with a sharpie. Or perhaps, reversed, "If you can read this, you're too slow."

 

Well, that certainly didn't hide the bar. :-)

 

+1

 

You do something like that, but a front plate on the car is unacceptable? Just wow . . .

 

I was going for the, "if you can't beat them join them" approach

 

I actually might put on the euro plates to see how that looks LOL

 

I will say that in person it doesn't look as bad as the photo. Will try to get some more photos later. Ironically, I feel it's the opposite with the black bar. In person the black bar looks horrible. But in many photos it looks fine (because the photo hides it pretty well). Still, I'm probably going to put on the euro plate and se how I like that. Then if that's still a no-go then I'll probably just remove it and see what the next plan of attack is.

 

+1.

 

Without the white grill I still don't think it looks right. But it is definitely different.

Did you have that done at Vinyl Styles? They mentioned that one of my F-Type referrals was in there getting some work done.

 

yes, got it done at Vinyl Styles. I'm suppose to go back next week to get some of the other black pieces done in CF...but I might postpone that until I figure out what to do with the grill bar...

 

The color mis-match is making my OCD go crazy.

 

yup, another reason why I don't like it and will probably remove it...apparently it's difficult to match white paint with a white vinyl.