Any Idea on these mudflaps? E53 related
 

Very interested in these mud flaps, can't find any info on them. Maybe you guys can help me out?

http://www.xoutpost.com/959787-post1684.html

Here you go!

http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/E5...ries/mud_flaps

those flares on the pics are not the "is" flares, they are from the aero packages off diesel models - the "is" arches "flare" out at the buttom, the diesel arches taper in at the bottom...

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...el-flares.html

My bad! Had a bit more of a look, couldn't find the part in there.....the mystery continues

So a development.

In looking more closely at some of the 4.8is listed on our Australia classifieds website, I can see that quite a number of them have these mudflaps fitted.

I've got a feeling it might have been to satisfy an ADR (Australian Design Rules) requirement when the cars were sold from new. Our laws say no part of the wheel or tyre must extend further outwards than the body of the vehicle, and the tyre must be covered fully to past the midpoint to stop rocks from being flung up at following cars. Essentially the tyre must be entirely covered for the width, from halfway up the total height tyre. (I only know this because I've got a lifted 4x4 with the mudflaps removed to improve departure angles for offroading, and plenty of people on the forums have been defected by bored cops for this)

Looking at the way the rear flares taper in over the tyre without the gaurds in place, I can see that the 315s would not inside the ADR paramaters.

I saved a bunch of pics that I will upload, but photobucket is down at the moment....

Good news I guess is that it must be a BMW available part, at least in Australia?

Pics

(as you can see from this first shot, they don't actually look that great from this angle - functional sure - but I can see why people some probably removed them after delivery)
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ps2215af12.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b2...psfa39de73.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b2...psb41d4b98.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b2...pscafec4f6.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ps5cae0a1f.jpg