Gloss Black Body Kits: Yes or No?

Gloss black body kits are massively on the rise in the styling industry. The affordable price point and clean aesthetic make them a great choice for anyone not wanting to invest in carbon fibre styling options.

At AUTOID we've recognised the demand and have expanded our range of gloss black alternatives over the last 6 months.

Gloss Black: Yes or no?

Pros

1) Cheaper than carbon fibre

Due to the manufacturing time and process as well as the cost of materials used, gloss black parts are considerably cheaper than their carbon fibre alternative. This also means it's less of a sting if you end up smashing your splitter and need to replace it.

2) Good quality and durable

ABS plastic is a durable material and therefore is resistant to most chemicals, heat and physical impacts. Although carbon fibre is definitely stronger, for the price point you're still getting a good quality product.

3) Aesthetically clean

The gloss black look is super clean aids the 'murdered' or 'blacked out' styling trend. We have multiple different brands and styles available so you can get the look you want for your car.

4) More environmentally friendly than carbon fibre

The process of making carbon fibre products is fairly CO2 intensive and has a long chemical process to create the perfect weave. With ABS plastic, most suppliers use a process called extrusion where plastic is simply heated up and pressed into a mold. Plastic is also very recyclable and some of our products utilise this benefit by being comprised of both recycled and new plastic.

Cons

1) Less durable than carbon fibre

Although gloss black styling kits are reasonably durable, carbon fibre is extremely strong and is therefore hard to beat when it comes to durability. If you were looking for a front splitter, spoiler etc that is going to last- we'd recommend investing in a pre-preg carbon fibre part.

2) Slightly heavier than carbon fibre

Carbon is renowned for its lightweight properties and there is a very slight weight difference between ABS plastic and carbon fibre. There isn't a huge difference so this isn't usually a deciding factor but one to make note of.

3) Less suited to performance

As ABS plastic is a more rigid material, gloss black parts are often not added performance benefits as they don't flex in the correct ways to aid aerodynamics

Our Favourite Gloss Black Brands

Zaero Design

We are exclusive Zaero Design UK distributors. Zaero gloss black parts are made from quality ABS plastic and fitment is always 100%. Their kits are aggressive in style and are TÛV approved for our German customer base. The most popular kits they do are for BMW F20 lci 1 Series, BMW F22 2 Series and Hyundai i30n.

Essentials

Maxton Design

Most people have heard of Maxton Design. They are very well-known for their gloss black body kits. We are official Maxton distributors and their huge range means we are able to get parts for a most cars.

Summary

With the cost of living going up, gloss black mods are a great option if you didn't want financially commit to carbon fibre. There are an abundance of options available and with car manufacturers including more and more gloss black accents on their cars from factory, it makes sense to match them with a gloss body kit (as seen on our G42 shop car).

In terms of quality, TRE Pre-preg carbon fibre parts are unmatched but this is reflected in the price point of both products. 

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