What is this for?????

Legal stuff, the wheel must be a certain distance inside the fender and this is a loophole to widen the fender a bit.

Bimmert said:

Legal stuff, the wheel must be a certain distance inside the fender and this is a loophole to widen the fender a bit.

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Are you sure in that, as I have also seen a number that have not got this bit of plastic. It is not only M135s that I've noticed this.

Probably just the cars with wider OEM wheels?

Bimmert said:

Probably just the cars with wider OEM wheels?

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The cars I've looked at are all newish with either 18 or 19inch BMW wheels and some of the 19's and some of the 18's had had this. Does not seem to be logical reason as to why. I did ask a salesman about them and all he managed to come up with was to protect body work from thi gs thrown off the wheels!

Yes agree with paint rash protection

Agree with Bimmert

Definitely legislation reasons , as stated the wheels must be inside the arches by a minimum amount , the reason you have seen some without is down to build dates ie before it became law .

Needed for legalities on option wheels/tyres. We had to fit similar to the MK1 Elise when they had the option tyre's (wider) fitted

Our 2018 fiesta has them and indeed there are there to artificially widen that part of the wheel arch. Nothing to do with gravel rash protection at all...