European Blind Spot Side Mirrors - Worth It?

[Jackaustin]

Hey guys, 2nd post on the new replacement site(RIP original M3F), regarding the European blind spot side mirrors for the E46 M3. These seem to be a popular replacement for the US market side mirrors to gain additional visibility. Curious about the following:

• For those who have the euro side mirrors, was the upgrade cost/effort worth the gained visibility?
• Since these mirrors are also heated, which means there are electrical connections to the mirror, does that mean for US-market cars, if doing the upgrade, you simply snap in the mirror and ignore the electrical connections? I’ve also seen polaris ranger mirrors discussed as an aftermarket visibility upgrade, so I’m curious whether the installation process is similarly straightforward. Unless, of course, you’ve also done the power mirror retrofit, which I know a few forum members have done.

I’d say the Euro blind spot mirrors are worth considering if improved visibility is your main goal. The wider field of view can make a noticeable difference when changing lanes, although the actual benefit depends on your driving habits and mirror adjustment. Regarding the heated mirrors, I’d verify the wiring and connector compatibility for your specific US-market E46 M3 before installing them. Even if the heating function isn’t connected, the mirror may still fit, but I wouldn’t assume it’s a simple snap-in replacement without checking the mounting and electrical setup. Has anyone completed this retrofit and noticed a significant improvement in visibility?

[R60BBA]

Hey guys, 2nd post on the new replacement site(RIP original M3F), regarding the European blind spot side mirrors for the E46 M3. These seem to be a popular replacement for the US market side mirrors to gain additional visibility. Curious about the following:

• For those who have the euro side mirrors, was the upgrade cost/effort worth the gained visibility?
• Since these mirrors are also heated which means there are electrical connections to mirror, does that mean for US market cars, if doing the upgrade, you simple snap in the mirror and ignore the electrical connections? Unless of course you've also done the power mirror retrofit which I know a few forum members have done.

Guys, these mirrors are $100 per side, $200/set for genuine BMW aspherical, blind spot euro side mirror lenses. No need to buy Ebay cheapos, we drive M3s for crying out loud. Mine are genuine BMW and crystal clear so I obviously highly recommend the genuine set, part numbers for those interested:

For build dates "From 7/2004" and on
European Blind Spot Mirror - Left P/N 51167145267
European Blind Spot Mirror - Right P/N <a href="tel:511671452678">511671452678</a>

For build dates "Up to 7/2004" you will also need quantity two of adapter leads P/N <a href="tel:51167836442">51167836442</a> because earlier model years have the heater element contacts on the opposite side of the mirror so these adapters allow you to span that additional length needed to make the connection to the new mirrors, my car being a 7/2005 build, I did not need these extension cables.

IMHO, for those looking to upgrade, these should be looked at as legitimate safety items not to be skimped on.

You know with the genuine BMW wing mirror glass the demarcation line goes brown over time right?



Mirror John makes a set which addresses this problem.

I’ve had them on my car for over six years and they still look fresh.



He also makes replacement rear view mirrors which don’t leak. Have a look at his website: https://mirrorjohn.com