[DaveA]

Just a ramble, really…

I thought I was the only one who absolutely loathes sun protection glass but I saw something from Chris Harris on twitter the other day that makes me think he is a fellow “disliker”… Seems he’s picked up a used car and is going to have the sun protection glass taken out and replaced (or that’s the impression I got reading the tweet)…

Thing is, for me, having that vertical line created by the change from normal to dark glass at the b-pillar absolutely kills the aesthetics of any car (designers must pull their hair out in frustration)… Less so in some colours (white seems to handle it better, for instance), but in some other colours it is dreadfully distracting to the line of the car and the human eye's ability to follow it…

Would not be too bad if it were the whole of the side glass, but it is not… and it's so dark that it is not a subtle effect... I had it on a Tanzanite Blue 330d and it looked almost black at times... I hated the way out made the car look from the day I collected the car... It was sold after a couple of years... for a 340i without dark glass...

And, because of the way the automatic mirror dimming worked, the darker glass seemed to fool the main sensor so the side mirror never seemed to dim properly for me when I had it in the 330d… (I'd had it in a 320d before with normal glass and it worked perfectly)...

What is particularly annoying is that BMW UK seem to bundle the dark glass into packs a lot and sometimes the packs are the only way to get some options.. Want 19” wheels on an M135i, for instance, then you have to have sun protection glass… No way you can have the wheels without...

But in Germany you can have 19" wheels without the dark glass…

I remember mentioning this "issue" of mine to a dealer a year or so ago who looked at me like I was an alien… could not grasp that a) somebody actually did not like dark glass (all our customers absolutely love it, sir) and b) that I might dare to suggest that it affects aesthetics (Along similar lines, I have an issue with the forcing of a black grille onto the 128Tii…)…

Picky.. Yup, I sure am…

[MY340i]

Personally not a fan of the goldfish bowl look.

Much prefer tints.

[JustChris]

Agree on the B pillar step, looms naff. All press photos and alike show almost fully blacked windows.

[DaveA]

Originally Posted by JustChris

Agree on the B pillar step, looms naff. All press photos and alike show almost fully blacked windows.

I find that the most obvious way to quickly see what I am talking about with the difference in aesthetic is to compare pictures uploaded with the used car ads... particularly the straight on side views that are often used...

for example with dark glass...





without dark glass:

[DaveA]

Originally Posted by Barsj111

Personally not a fan of the goldfish bowl look.

Much prefer tints.

I totally appreciate that some will like the glass and others will not... what bugs me is having to take it if I want certain options like 19" wheels... so I end up not wanting to buy the car at all because if I take the wheels I want I get the glass I do not want, and if I delete the glass I have to take wheels I do not want...

I accept that there is an aftermarket for wheels, but, frankly, I don't really want to go down that route...

[Pentland]

I like SPG but agree the difference between front and rear glass is such a contrast it can look odd. I actually considered tinting the front windows slightly to reduce the effect but certain laws put a stop to that thought.
When I now see 4 series cars without it they look cheap.

I’m a little confused about the tie between wheels and glass in the options. SPG and 19” wheels were certainly available as separate options when I bought my car and as part of a pack, the former being slightly more expensive, and I’m pretty sure that’s stands true today - may be depending on what you are trying to buy.

[seelark]

I have a G20 330e M Sport Plus in Black that came with the mandatory Sun Protection Glass and I would have added it via a 3rd party afterwards if it wasn't available. My F30 330e was exactly the same.

In the past I have put a slight tint on the front windows just to break up the limousine look. The problem is that a 3rd party tint rarely matches in colour to the factory rear when looking out through from the driver window and driver side passenger window (IMHO)?

On the other hand, Mrs seelark has a E93 Sport Plus Edition also in Black, and there is no way I would ever do a rear half Sun Protection Glass. It looks like a BoS when the roof is down (IMHO).

Marmite is a must in our house though

[six]

Not a fan. When I spec’ed up my current and previous X5’s I think I was the only person they’ve ordered for without privacy glass. As you say it means certain packs aren’t available as it’s bundled in. This was the case on my current G05 X5 so I couldn’t have the M-Sport exhaust as this came in the pack with the dark glass. Don’t get me started on the stupid packs in general, I hate this new approach!

I think privacy glass looks naff, especially in the UK. Much more tasteful to go with internal window blinds if you need / want the sun protection for kids etc

[isleaiw1]

Originally Posted by seelark

I have a G20 330e M Sport Plus in Black that came with the mandatory Sun Protection Glass and I would have added it via a 3rd party afterwards if it wasn't available. My F30 330e was exactly the same.

In the past I have put a slight tint on the front windows just to break up the limousine look. The problem is that a 3rd party tint rarely matches in colour to the factory rear when looking out through from the driver window and driver side passenger window (IMHO)?

On the other hand, Mrs seelark has a E93 Sport Plus Edition also in Black, and there is no way I would ever do a rear half Sun Protection Glass. It looks like a BoS when the roof is down (IMHO).

Marmite is a must in our house though

I used to work very close to the Marmite factory in Burton on Trent..... if I didnt dislike it before I certainly did after being subject to the smell for a few months.

I think SPG looks good on some cars and not others, but on the whole I am a fan. Dont understand why they bundle up things in packs though - when I priced up an M340i it seemed everything I wanted was in a different pack and I ended up with all of them and a bunch of stuff I didnt want. So I bought an Audi instead (with SPG...)

[Pentland]

Originally Posted by six

I think privacy glass looks naff, especially in the UK. Much more tasteful to go with internal window blinds if you need / want the sun protection for kids etc

Net curtains for cars.

[F30Andy]

Originally Posted by Pentland

Net curtains for cars.

My M5 has sun protection glass AND blinds throughout the rear.

[Pentland]

Originally Posted by F30Andy

My M5 has sun protection glass AND blinds throughout the rear.

At least the SPG might hide the nets

[sahajesh]

I used to hate SPG and didn't choose it when I had my F30 in EB2, as it really doesn't look good on that colour.

Fast-forward to my F30 in Mineral Grey and it suited it better and again on my current X5 in Tanzanite Blue - SPG suits those colours (in my view) but not EB2 and with black, you look like a drug dealer or a Line of Duty OCG member.

[aquazi]

Clearly i’m the exception as i wouldnt get a car without them!

Although i’ve had coupes so the smaller rear windows dont make it look so strange.

[F30Andy]

Originally Posted by aquazi

Clearly i’m the exception as i wouldnt get a car without them!

Although i’ve had coupes so the smaller rear windows dont make it look so strange.

Depends on the car.

I wouldn't have my M5 without it.

My 911 does not have it.
Getting just the rear done would look ridiculous.
Getting the front done too would be too much.
I wouldn't have it any other way.

[MashinBenzin]

Looks fairly rubbish, but serves a purpose.

[goodbyalfa]

I like it. Plus decent protection for the kids in the back.

[SteveChester]

As most cars have it now cars that don't look 'old'

I don't ever sit in the back of my car but suspect I'd only buy a car that has it because of the reason mentioned above.

[DaveA]

Originally Posted by Pentland

I’m a little confused about the tie between wheels and glass in the options. SPG and 19” wheels were certainly available as separate options when I bought my car and as part of a pack, the former being slightly more expensive, and I’m pretty sure that’s stands true today - may be depending on what you are trying to buy.

Yes, I am assuming it is not the case for every model, but if you want to see what I am getting at, have a look at the configurator for the M135i...

[Pentland]

Originally Posted by DaveA

Yes, I am assuming it is not the case for every model, but if you want to see what I am getting at, have a look at the configurator for the M135i...

Yup you’re right. Guess you’d have to buy the wheels as a dealer fit.

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by DaveA

Just a ramble, really…

I thought I was the only one who absolutely loathes sun protection glass but I saw something from Chris Harris on twitter the other day that makes me think he is a fellow “disliker”… Seems he’s picked up a used car and is going to have the sun protection glass taken out and replaced (or that’s the impression I got reading the tweet)…

Thing is, for me, having that vertical line created by the change from normal to dark glass at the b-pillar absolutely kills the aesthetics of any car (designers must pull their hair out in frustration)… Less so in some colours (white seems to handle it better, for instance), but in some other colours it is dreadfully distracting to the line of the car and the human eye's ability to follow it…

Would not be too bad if it were the whole of the side glass, but it is not… and it's so dark that it is not a subtle effect... I had it on a Tanzanite Blue 330d and it looked almost black at times... I hated the way out made the car look from the day I collected the car... It was sold after a couple of years... for a 340i without dark glass...

And, because of the way the automatic mirror dimming worked, the darker glass seemed to fool the main sensor so the side mirror never seemed to dim properly for me when I had it in the 330d… (I'd had it in a 320d before with normal glass and it worked perfectly)...

What is particularly annoying is that BMW UK seem to bundle the dark glass into packs a lot and sometimes the packs are the only way to get some options.. Want 19” wheels on an M135i, for instance, then you have to have sun protection glass… No way you can have the wheels without...

But in Germany you can have 19" wheels without the dark glass…

I remember mentioning this "issue" of mine to a dealer a year or so ago who looked at me like I was an alien… could not grasp that a) somebody actually did not like dark glass (all our customers absolutely love it, sir) and b) that I might dare to suggest that it affects aesthetics (Along similar lines, I have an issue with the forcing of a black grille onto the 128Tii…)…

Picky.. Yup, I sure am…

I've nothing to add on SPG, rather a comment on auto dimming mirrors. I don't thinking that was why it didn't work on that car you mentioned DaveA , but rather that the original F30 cars had it in both sides whereas the LCI cars only have it in the drivers side. Ridiculous penny pinching from BMW

[winther1]

guess it depends on the colour, but seems ok on white. My front side windows are tinted to 30% which is the legal limit. Helps even it out: