Got my car done today with the 3M 35% all the way around. LOOKS sooooo much better. IMO

 

Do you know what level of tint the stock windows have?

25% is the darkest we can go in Texas. Want to make sure I don't go too dark, but 35% looks pretty damn good.

 

I'm not sure, it was very little if any that I could tell.

 

I've done 20% a few times here with no issues, but 35 ceramic is still pretty effective. It's what we have on our X1.

 

I definitely want to go ceramic here in Texas. It made a nice difference in my wife's car.

Going to a black roof with a black interior from a white roof with a black interior I'm anticipating extra heat and need to find a good way to reduce that.

 

NY is 70% but i'll probably get 35% as that is what is mostly available and police tend to ignore 35's. they get picky at 20% or darker.

 

Every single F56 at my dealer went ahead and installed $499 tint. Sweet.

 

What are the 3 or 4 smartest questions to ask a tint installer before selecting him for the job? Like most owners, I'd be willing to pay a little extra for a first class job - but really don't know what to ask.

 

It's really just a matter of them having experience with your car so that they know what they're doing with trim pieces, etc. if the installer is comfortable with BMW's and Minii, you should be fine.

 

There is one installer in Houston that uses the Formula One Pinnacle ceramic tint. They do the tint for one of the MINI dealers. I happened to be there one day checking out the shop when an MA brought a car in. It may be a littler pricier tint, but from what I have read, I think it may be worth it.

 

I had mine (same color car) done last Monday. Went 35% on 3 rear windows, and 5% on two sunroofs. Looks good and is cooler, I can already notice it. Those sunroof covers do not keep out the heat, but the 5% up there helps.

 

We got the Huper Optik (German) ceramic at 30%
5 windows about $400.
At 30% the ceramic looks much lighter than the metal tints.
Thought the Moonwalk Grey color would be cool , but the paint surface is HOT in the sun.
The best (coolest) sun colors seems to be light silver metallic and , of course, white

 

I had Pinnacle done on my 2009 MCS -- it was pricey but worth it. Had it on back five windows and darker on sunroof. Unfortunately I got pulled over for tint and no front plate (no other reason) on a nice Sunday afternoon a year ago when I drove past a park police car at a calm 30 MPH had just turned on the street. Missed my front driver passenger tint -- it had to come off to get the ticket signed off (you still pay a fine).

I'm spending so much money on the new F56 after going option crazy that I think I'll try going no tint for a while and see how it goes.

 

Finding an installer who can make the dot matrix not stand out is a big plus. Ask then what their approach to it is (ie sanding, glue, vinyl, adhesion promoter, etc).

 

Looks great, VYPUR! I'm planning on 35% on mine too, and your post has proven to me that's the way to go.

 

Agreed, that tint really makes the car look awesome. Good choice on the 35% - not too ridiculously dark, but dark enough

 

Thanks guys for all the compliments.

 

I found a location that has been in business along time and stands behind their work. A warranty is only good as long as they are in business. So a reputable shop with a long history is best. No fly by night shops that will be gone in a month.

 

Looks great! Thunder Grey is really becoming my favorite F56 color.

 

VYPUR: did you get the Air blue in the front? I think they registered me at 73-74%, so they were able to get the air blue to 70%. It makes a big difference when facing direct sun.

Side note: I got the 35% ceramic as well, 5% ceramic on top... Love the darkness... it's like a cave

 

For those who have done the tinting (35%), what is your experience driving at night? Is visibility noticeably reduced?

 

I got 35% all around and love the way it looks. For me there's no problem at all at night. It's just enough without being too dark. I asked about 50% and was told by multiple tint places to not even bother then.

 

I don't anything about tinting.

What do the % mean?

 

Percentage of light transmission.

 

The lower the percentage the darker the tint.

States like NY don't allow lower than 70% on the front door windows