Solution?
 

See the black 'dots' those are paint chips after 400 miles.

I couldnt agree more. I think the tyres are the cause of the problem. It has the 20inch optional extra wheels and maybe the 19inch standards would have been ok. I have ordered the 20s on my new one, but hopefully the side steps will stop the problem.

If they do solve the problem, then I will try install the running boards on my m sport, somehow :D

The only problem is that if I paint the running boards to match my m sport kit, the paint would still chip at the front, but if I don't paint it, the plastic matt finnish would look weird on an all silver X5 :(

I have the 19's on my msport and they are no better, 2 weeks old and i could not beleive the chips. I paid a local clear bra guy to install the rocker panel, rear doors, and flares. They seem to be holdign up well, but in long island we only have paved roads. I would not take this car on an unpaved road or gravel road. Shame for an SUV, but it does look damn good! I will tinker with some custom mud flaps for the front. Bought the factory ones and returned them the same day, looked awful.

It really is a shame as i couldnt agree more, i think the m sport is a brilliant looking car. I look at the SE model that i am getting and although it still looks great specced up, the new M sport looks even better in my opinion than my old one. But i cant live with the stone chipping. Here in the part of the UK i live, the roads arent too bad but i really could not believe how much the car had chipped. I would never have paid so much money for a car that needs to be covered in plastic to avoid paintwork damage. I really think BMW should have contributed more than £750 toward my new car, and i really think they should be offering side steps or sensible mud flaps for the car. Still who knows what the future holds, regards, Chris.

I had a number of discussions with BMW about this chipping on my 08 4.8i including a meeting with a BMWUK manager, they sprayed most of the rear of the car, the paint finish was *ok*, silicone pin pricks, odd specs of dirt not fantastic but I've never seen swirl marks like it, they must have cut the car with a rotary polisher and then not used any finishing grade polish on it. They also applied the film, I didn't care too much as I was getting rid of it anyway.

I knew this stone chipping would also affect the M and BMW had always promised they would film up my X5 M before delivery, in the end though there was no film kit for it as its different shape from the X5 M-Sport (which they do have a kit for). Anyway they paid a 3rd party company to film the car but I had to drive the car 40 miles to get the film applied, would you believe it after 40 miles there was already one chunk out of the skirt, and I mean a chunk.

Its all bygones now anyway as the M developed an engine fault and I rejected it, now I have to go through it all again when the next M arrives in early March.....

I've got a brand new 40D M-Sport loaner which has been delivered with film already on it though, are these coming out of the factory with film now?

I live in central London and it still chips!

no one bothered to install these 3m cut to fit clearbras? expensive but no more paint chips.