Carbon fiber is played out.
There was a time – not too long ago – when this rigid, lightweight material was quite rare and choice and adorning your high-end luxury or sports car with carbon fiber was all the rage.
Now, however, it’s everywhere. For example, both the McLaren P1 supercar and the BMW i8 are virtually constructed entirely from mostly carbon fiber. Heck, even the Audi RS 7 I am presently sitting in is drenched with the stuff from the door mirrors to the rear diffuser.
Where carbon fiber once represented exclusivity, it now represents a gaudy performance obsession. Nothing makes you look dorkier than a carbon fiber-covered car, I fear.
So then what material can you accent your car without looking a like a boy-racer dweeb? Sterling silver.
Yes. Silver.
Take the BMW 760i Sterling you see above, for example. In place of normal chrome or carbon fiber trim, BMW has fitted real silver. All the trim is silver: the classic BMW kidney grille, the Bimmer badges, and all the window molding is very subtle silver.
Aside from silver, what do you get with the 760i Sterling? You get a 6.0-liter V12 that makes 535 horsepower and 560 pound-feet of torque.
Frankly, I love the idea of a sterling-covered car. Carbon fiber trim doesn’t do much for the car from a performance or visual standpoint that hasn’t been done a million times.
Sure, you might say that the 760i Sterling’s clear-coated silver bits look just like chrome. And you’re right. But you’re missing the point. Anyone can buy a chromed-out Bentley. How many people, however, have the gall to buy a silver-coated BMW? Few, I suspect.
How much will the BMW 760i Sterling cost you and can you get it in the States? BMW won’t say. If you’re asking those sorts of silly questions, you’re not emotionally ready for a silver-covered car I suspect.
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