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A BMW kidney grille set replaces the two grille inserts in the front bumper you already have. It is not a bumper, not a universal trim kit, and not one part that fits every BMW: each set is cut for one chassis, one body style and — on the models that were facelifted mid-life — one half of that model’s production run, which is why the year range in a listing title matters as much as the model name.
This guide exists to get you to the right one. Scopione lists 41 kidney grille sets covering 24 chassis and body combinations from 1991 to 2021, in four finishes. Work through the three identification steps below, then read your row in the fitment finder. You can also browse the full BMW kidney grilles collection and check the Compatibility block on any listing.
How a Kidney Grille Set Fits
The kidney grilles are the two vertical inserts that sit in the nose of the front bumper. On every car in this catalogue they are separate parts, held in the bumper by the factory holders and clips, which is why they can be changed without touching the bumper itself. Every Scopione set ships as a driver-side and passenger-side pair.
The listings describe the same install throughout: the parts replace the factory grilles, no modifications are needed, they secure with the original holders and clips, and the change is fully reversible — keep your original grilles and you can put the car back to standard at any time. Professional installation is advised if you have not had a bumper trim piece out before.
What is in the box
- One packaging box with the driver-side and passenger-side grilles — two parts, sold only as a pair.
- No installation manual, tools or hardware. Every listing says so plainly: you reuse the factory clips and holders.
- Two sets carry four parts. The Pre-LCI E90 E91 grilles add two hood trim strips alongside the pair, in black chrome and matte black.
What These Are, and What They Are Not
Four things are worth settling before you order, and every one of them is answered on the listing itself:
- They are grilles, not a bumper. You are buying the two inserts. The bumper, the lower mesh and any trim around them stay as they are.
- They fit the factory bumper as pictured. Every listing carries a Fits Only line naming the bumper the set is cut for, and rules out aftermarket front conversions. If your car wears a replica or conversion bumper, measure before you order.
- They are chassis-specific, not model-specific. Two BMWs badged the same can take different grilles — a 2006 and a 2010 3 Series sedan are both E90s, but they are on opposite sides of the facelift and take different parts.
- M models are called out either way. 13 listings name an M model in the fitment they cover, and 13 state that they will not fit an M3. Neither is left to guesswork.
Material: real carbon fiber or lab-grade ABS
Two materials run through this catalogue, and the listings never blur them. 12 sets are real carbon fiber — hand-laid 2×2 3K twill weave under a glossy, UV-resistant clear coat. The other 29 are molded in lab-grade ABS plastic under a UV-resistant coating, and each of those listings states in its own features that it is not a carbon-fiber part. Both mount the same way; they differ in look, in price and in what the surface is.
Find Your Fitment in Three Steps
1. Chassis code, not model name
BMW model names repeat across generations; the chassis code does not. A 3 Series can be an E36, E46, E90/E91, E92/E93 or F30/F31/F34 in this catalogue alone, and they share no grilles. Your chassis code is in the owner’s handbook, on most service records, and in any VIN decoder. Start there, then match the year.
2. Body style and door count
Within one chassis, the sedan and the coupe are often different parts. The E46 is the clearest case: the 2-door coupe and convertible take one grille, the 4-door sedan and wagon another, and our listings are split accordingly. The same applies to the E90/E91 4-door against the E92/E93 2-door. Count the doors before you choose.
3. Pre-LCI or LCI: which side of the facelift
LCI is BMW’s term for the mid-life facelift. Where the grille changed at the facelift, we list the two halves separately, and the year ranges in the listing titles are the split: E36, E46, E53, E81 E82 E87 E88, E83, E87, E90 E91, E92 E93, F20 F21. If your car sits within a year of a split, trust the part in front of you rather than the model year — compare your grille with the listing photos and the interchange numbers before ordering.
Once you have all three, the listing’s Compatibility block is the authority. It names every model and year the set fits, the body styles, the generations it will not fit, and the BMW interchange part numbers. If the number stamped on your old grille is in that list, you are in the right place.
The Four Finishes
Three of the four are molded ABS and one is real carbon fiber. Carbon fiber, matte black and black chrome sit together in the photographs below — they are the three hardest to tell apart on a screen, and the differences are plain once they are in the same light.
- Carbon Fiber – Real carbon fiber, hand-laid in 2×2 3K twill weave under a glossy, UV-resistant clear coat. The carbon weave is visible in daylight and reads as depth rather than paint. 12 listings, $200–$240.
- Glossy Black – A deep, high-gloss black across the frame and slats — the shadowline look, in lab-grade ABS. 2 listings, $90–$100.
- Black Chrome – Two-tone: a dark chrome shell around matte black slats, so the frame catches light while the slats stay flat. 9 listings, $100–$120.
- Matte Black – An even, low-sheen flat black across the frame and slats — the widest range in the catalogue. 18 listings, $90.
The same car, three finishes
The nine photographs below are all the same white 3 Series coupe, one finish to a row — carbon fiber, then black chrome, then matte black. One car, one paint colour, one set of lighting: it is the fairest comparison there is.
Availability varies by chassis, and no car is offered in all four finishes. The photographs show what each finish looks like, not what is made for your car — the finder below is the only place to read that. Carbon fiber in particular is a closed range of 12 listings: if your row does not show it, we do not make a carbon set for that car.
Fitment Finder: Every Chassis We Cover
One row per chassis, body and facelift half, oldest first within each model. The finish names are the listings — follow yours and read its Compatibility block before you order. Prices are the current price per set.
| Model & chassis | Years | Body | Finishes available | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Series E87 — Pre-LCI | 2004–2007 | Hatchback | Carbon Fiber · Black Chrome · Matte Black | $220 / $100 / $90 |
| 1 Series & 1M E81 E82 E87 E88 — LCI | 2008–2013 | Coupe, Convertible, Hatchback | Black Chrome · Matte Black | $110 / $90 |
| 1 Series F20 F21 — Pre-LCI | 2012–2014 | Hatchback | Glossy Black · Black Chrome · Matte Black | $90 / $100 / $90 |
| 2 Series & M2 F22 F23 F87 | 2014–2021 | Coupe, Convertible | Carbon Fiber | $220 |
| 3 Series & M3 E36 — Pre-LCI | 1991–1996 | Coupe, Convertible, Sedan, Touring, Hatchback | Carbon Fiber | $230 |
| 3 Series & M3 E36 — LCI | 1997–1999 | Coupe, Convertible, Sedan, Touring, Hatchback | Carbon Fiber | $220 |
| 3 Series & M3 E46 — Pre-LCI | 1999–2006 | 2-door Coupe, Convertible | Carbon Fiber · Black Chrome | $210 / $120 |
| 3 Series E46 — Pre-LCI | 1999–2001 | 4-door Sedan, Wagon | Carbon Fiber · Matte Black | $200 / $90 |
| 3 Series E46 — LCI | 2002–2005 | 4-door Sedan, Wagon | Carbon Fiber · Matte Black | $210 / $90 |
| 3 Series E46 — LCI | 2004–2006 | 2-door Coupe, Convertible | Carbon Fiber · Matte Black | $210 / $90 |
| 3 Series E90 E91 — Pre-LCI | 2006–2008 | 4-door Sedan, Wagon | Black Chrome · Matte Black | $110 / $90 |
| 3 Series E90 E91 — LCI | 2009–2011 | 4-door Sedan, Wagon | Black Chrome · Matte Black | $110 / $90 |
| 3 Series E92 E93 — LCI | 2011–2013 | 2-door Coupe, Convertible | Black Chrome · Matte Black | $110 / $90 |
| 3 Series F30 F31 F34 | 2012–2018 | Sedan, Wagon, Hatchback | Glossy Black · Matte Black | $100 / $90 |
| 5 Series GT F07 | 2010–2017 | Gran Turismo | Matte Black | $90 |
| 5 Series & M5 E39 | 1997–2003 | Sedan, Wagon | Carbon Fiber · Matte Black | $210 / $90 |
| 5 Series & M5 E60 E61 | 2004–2010 | Sedan, Wagon | Matte Black | $90 |
| 5 Series & M5 F10 F11 F18 | 2011–2016 | Sedan, Wagon | Matte Black | $90 |
| 7 Series E38 | 1995–2001 | Sedan | Carbon Fiber | $220 |
| X1 E84 | 2010–2015 | Compact SUV | Black Chrome · Matte Black | $100 / $90 |
| X3 E83 — Pre-LCI | 2004–2006 | Mid-Size SUV | Black Chrome · Matte Black | $120 / $90 |
| X5 E53 — Pre-LCI | 2000–2003 | SUV | Matte Black | $90 |
| X5 E53 — LCI | 2004–2006 | SUV | Carbon Fiber | $240 |
| Z4 & Z4 M E85 E86 | 2003–2008 | Coupe, Roadster | Carbon Fiber · Matte Black | $200 / $90 |
Not in the table? Then nothing in the current range is cut for that car. Contact us with the model, year and body style and we will tell you whether anything we make fits it.
Every Set We Make
Every listing in the collection, grouped by finish and oldest chassis first. Each photograph is that set’s own product shot and links straight to its listing — the quickest way to see what your car can wear, once you know your row in the finder above.
Carbon Fiber – 12 sets
Glossy Black – 2 sets
Black Chrome – 9 sets
Matte Black – 18 sets
What a Set Costs
Both parts, driver and passenger side, are included in every price below. The material is what moves the number: the molded ABS sets sit in one band, real carbon fiber in another.
| Finish | Listings | Price per set |
|---|---|---|
| Carbon Fiber | 12 | $200–$240 |
| Glossy Black | 2 | $90–$100 |
| Black Chrome | 9 | $100–$120 |
| Matte Black | 18 | $90 |
Every set carries a limited 1-year (365-day) warranty, stated on each listing.
Installation: What to Expect
The listings set the same expectations for every set in the catalogue:
- They replace the factory grilles – same mounting points, same openings.
- No modifications are needed – nothing is cut, drilled or trimmed.
- They secure with holders and clips – the factory ones, reused.
- Professional installation is advised – particularly on cars where the bumper has to come off to reach the clips.
- The change is fully reversible – keep the originals and the car goes back to standard whenever you want.
Two practical notes from the listings themselves. First, compare your existing grilles with the product photographs before fitting — every listing asks you to, and it is the last chance to catch a facelift mix-up. Second, on the Pre-LCI E90 E91 sets the box also holds two hood trim strips, so check the box contents against the photos before you start.
Frequently Asked Questions
BMW Kidney Grilles: Common Questions
How do I know if my BMW is Pre-LCI or LCI?
LCI is BMW’s mid-life facelift. Where the grille changed at that point we list the two halves as separate sets, and the year range in each title is the split — the E90 E91 4-door, for example, runs 2006–2008 Pre-LCI and 2009–2011 LCI. Match your build year first, then confirm against the photographs and the interchange numbers on the listing.
Are the grilles sold individually or as a pair?
Always as a pair. Every listing ships one box containing the driver-side and passenger-side grilles. The Pre-LCI E90 E91 sets add two hood trim strips, making four parts in that box.
Do I need to remove the front bumper?
It depends on the car. The grilles are held by the factory holders and clips, and on some models they can be released from behind the bumper opening; on others the bumper has to come off first. No cutting or drilling is needed either way, and the listings advise professional installation if you are not comfortable with bumper trim.
Will a kidney grille set fit my aftermarket bumper?
Only if that bumper takes the factory grilles. Every listing states that it fits the original bumper as pictured and will not fit aftermarket front conversions. Compare your opening with the product photographs before ordering.
What is the difference between the carbon fiber and the ABS sets?
The material and the look. 12 sets are real carbon fiber in 2×2 3K twill weave under a glossy clear coat; the other 29 are molded in lab-grade ABS under a UV-resistant coating, and say on the listing that they are not carbon-fiber parts. They install identically.
Do these grilles fit M models?
Some do and some explicitly do not, and every listing says which. 13 listings name an M model in their fitment — the E46 M3, the 1M, the M5, the Z4 M and the M2 among them — while 13 carry a plain statement that they will not fit an M3. Read the Compatibility block before ordering.
Is there a warranty on a kidney grille set?
Yes — every listing states a limited 1-year (365-day) warranty.
Do BMW kidney grilles ship free?
Yes — shipping is free anywhere in the USA, all states and territories, and Canada. Orders placed before 1 PM EST usually ship the same or next business day, and all in-stock orders ship within 3–5 business days at the latest.
Shop BMW Kidney Grilles
Shop the full BMW kidney grilles collection at Scopione — 41 sets across 24 chassis and body combinations, in real carbon fiber, glossy black, black chrome and matte black. Start from the fitment finder if you are not sure which row is yours, or contact us with your model, year and a photograph of your current grilles and we will point you at the right set.
Before you order, our shipping & returns policies and the general FAQ cover delivery, returns and payment plans. Changing the front end of a BMW rarely stops at the grilles: our BMW angel eyes bulbs guide covers the halo rings behind the headlights the same way this page covers the grilles, and the auto tuning guide is the place to start for the rest of the build.
BMW, the model names and the chassis codes above are trademarks of their manufacturer, used for fitment identification only; Scopione is not affiliated with BMW AG. Photographs show Scopione replacement kidney grille sets and vehicles fitted with them. Fitment, finishes and prices are as listed at the time of writing — the listing linked from each row is always the current source.