A carbon front lip is the part our customers order most for the G80 M3 and G82 M4. It bolts on and changes the whole nose of the car. It’s also among the cheaper ways to make the front end look finished.
The harder part is choosing one. We sell five carbon lips, and every G80 M3 front lip here also fits the G82 and G83 M4. The biggest difference between them is whether they replace BMW’s gloss-black corner pieces or sit underneath them. Below we compare all five, with photos on real cars, prices at the time of writing and what to expect when you fit one.
Key takeaways
- Decide what happens to the factory corners first. The SPL1, SPL2, CSL style and MP style replace BMW’s gloss-black corner pieces, while the V3 keeps them and runs underneath.
- The SPL1 and SPL2 are our own designs and our two best-selling lips.
- Every lip here is prepreg dry carbon and fits the G80 M3, G82 M4 coupe and G83 M4 convertible.
- None of these lips need drilling. They use the car’s own mounting points, so the factory parts can go back on later.
- A lip becomes the lowest point of the nose, so take steep driveways and parking blocks slowly and at an angle.
G80 M3 and G82 M4 front lips at a glance
| Front lip | Factory corner pieces | Pieces | Price (Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| OEM++ SPL1 | Replaced by carbon corners | One | $999 |
| SPL2 | Replaced | One | $1,349 |
| CSL style | Replaced by carbon corners | Three | $899 |
| V3 | Kept, the lip runs underneath | One | $999 |
| MP style | Replaced by carbon corners | Three | $799 |
Prices change, so check the product page for today’s price. You can see every lip for your car on the G80 M3 front lips and G82/G83 M4 front lips pages.
Replace the factory corners or keep them?
From the factory, the lower corners of the M3 and M4 front bumper carry gloss-black aero pieces. Together with the side sills, they form a black band around the car. Every front lip has to work with those pieces somehow. How it does that shapes the look more than anything else.
- Lips that replace the corners (SPL1, SPL2, CSL style, MP style) put carbon where the gloss-black pieces were, so the whole lower edge of the nose turns carbon.
- A lip that keeps the corners (the V3) bolts on underneath them and runs across the front. The gloss-black corners stay part of the look, or you can paint them to match the car.
If you’ve already painted or replaced your corner pieces, tell us before you order so we can check the fit.
OEM++ SPL1: our best-selling lip
We drew the SPL1 in-house, taking the idea of BMW’s M Performance carbon splitter further. That splitter costs about $2,780 at BimmerWorld. The SPL1 swaps the gloss-black corners for reshaped carbon ones that sit slightly wider. A single center blade reaches just past the bumper line. The result still looks like it could have come from BMW, just more aggressive.
It screws into the car’s original holes in place of the corner pieces, so there’s no drilling. You can take it off later and put the factory corners back on. It’s $999 at the time of writing.
SPL2: the one-piece splitter
The SPL2 is our second design and our second best seller. It replaces the factory gloss-black corners with one piece that runs from corner to corner, so there are no joins across the front. The layered shape gives it the look of a two-level lip. If you want your car to stand out from others running the same part, the levels are easy to accent in a paint color.
It mounts with factory hardware and has pre-drilled holes if you want extra support. Two YouTube channels, The Daily Driven and Anotherpull, have featured the SPL2 on a G80 M3. You can only buy the SPL2 from us, and it’s $1,349 at the time of writing.
CSL style: three pieces, M4 CSL look
The CSL style lip follows the shape of the splitter on the M4 CSL. It comes in three pieces: a center section and two carbon corners that replace the factory ones. It fits with the factory hardware and needs no drilling. At the time of writing it’s $899, and you can see it fitted in our short video.
V3: keeps the factory corners
The V3 is the lip for owners who like the factory corners. It’s a single piece that bolts on underneath the gloss-black corner pieces and runs unbroken across the nose, reaching forward past the bumper face. That means the corner pieces need to be on the car. If yours have been replaced by another lip or corner set, check with us first. The V3 is $999 at the time of writing.
MP style: the M Performance look
The MP style lip follows the shape of BMW’s M Performance splitter. Like the CSL style, it comes in three pieces, with a center section and two corners that take the place of the factory ones. At $799 when we wrote this, it’s the lowest-priced lip in this guide.
Will a front lip scrape?
BMW lists 4.7 inches of ground clearance for the rear-drive M3 and M4 and 4.8 inches for the xDrive cars (BMW 2025 M3 and M4 specifications). Any front lip becomes the lowest, most forward point of the nose. That makes it the first thing to meet a steep driveway, a parking block or a speed bump. Take them slowly and at an angle, and stop before a parking block touches the lip. Be extra careful if the car is lowered.
Our front lip scraping guide covers driving habits, scrape guards and what to do if you scrape the lip anyway.
Carbon quality: prepreg dry carbon
All five lips are prepreg dry carbon fiber. Prepreg is carbon cloth with a measured amount of resin, cured under heat and pressure. The result is a stiffer, lighter part with a cleaner weave than wet-laid carbon or a fiberglass lip with a thin carbon skin. Each lip has a gloss finish, and the SPL2 and V3 listings specify a UV-resistant clear coat to resist yellowing. Our prepreg vs wet layup guide explains the difference.
Fitting a front lip
Every lip in this guide uses the car’s own mounting points and needs no drilling. The fasteners are underneath the bumper, so you’ll need the car on a lift, ramps or jack stands. The fasteners at each end are easier to reach if you pull back the front of the wheel-arch liner.
If you plan to paint or wrap any part of the lip, test-fit it first. Once a part is painted or installed, it can’t be returned.
Our install guide covers the job step by step. If a lip doesn’t fit the car listed on its product page, contact us before installing it and we’ll cover the return shipping for a refund or replacement.
Frequently asked questions
Which front lip is best for a daily-driven G80 M3?
The SPL1 is the safest choice. It stays close to the factory shape and uses the original screw holes, so it’s easy to go back to stock. If you want to keep the factory corners, choose the V3.
Does a front lip improve aerodynamics?
On the street, a front lip is mostly a styling part. Aerodynamic force grows with the square of speed (HP Academy). At 70 mph, a lip makes only about a quarter of the force it would make at 140 mph.
Will a G80 M3 front lip fit the G82 M4?
Yes. The M3 sedan and the M4 coupe and convertible share the same front bumper, so every lip in this guide fits all three.
Do these lips fit the M3 CS, M4 CS or M4 CSL?
Those cars come with their own carbon front splitter from the factory, and our lips are made for the regular M3 and M4. Check with us before you order a lip for one.
Can I paint part of the lip?
Yes. The SPL2’s layered shape makes it easy to accent with paint, and some owners paint the factory corner pieces above a V3 to match the car. Test-fit the lip before any paint goes on.
Which front lip should you choose?
The SPL1 is the most popular choice. If you want one piece with no joins, choose the SPL2, or the V3 if you’re keeping the factory corners. For the M4 CSL or M Performance look, go with the CSL style or MP style.
Pair your lip with a carbon grille to finish the front end, or see every front lip and splitter in the shop.
