,
Since I’m not always a big fan of shiny parts (unless they're in Project Supra’s engine bay), I hooked up with my friends at European Auto Source (EAS) for some of their “black out” aesthetic pieces, starting with the front kidney grills. These parts are inexpensive and easy to install.
A look at the chrome kidney grills before…
…compared to the black-out grills installed. It’s simply a matter of preference, but I think this gives a sportier look, and even more so if done to a black car (see Project E36 BMW M3 for that).
The fender grills can also be blacked-out. These are also sometimes referred to as “side” or “shadow” grills. EAS includes factory M3 emblems with your order.
Removal of the first grill took me about 10 minutes because I was trying to be careful not to break or scratch anything. You have to push down on the inside lower tabs with a little force. A simple screwdriver can be used here, and once released it simply comes off. The other side took about 1 minute.