WHO the heck thought that using carpet for a fender liner was a good idea? .lol

I had to remove the front bumper cover yesterday. That requires you undo part of the liner. Man! that carpet holds all kinds of dirt and crap.

Ok, rant over.

 

It is a lot lighter than comparable steel liner would be. You can wash it with a power washer.

After I got over the shock of the carpet -- I have decided it works pretty good.

 

My wife's Ford Focus has the same stuff lining the rear wheel wells. It does seem sort of peculiar, but I guess there's something to it.

Spridget

 

My guess is that it offers some sort of sound deadening improvement over the plastic ones used in first gen's. Either that or it was simply another money saving effort on their part.

I definitely preferred the plastic ones on my first gen. These carpet ones hold dust that inevitably explodes in your face when you're under the car working on your suspension.

 

I just got my MINI, was putting my new wheels on and saw it, couldn't believe it but yeh, I guess it works.

 

It is sound deadening material.

The plastic ones will transmit more sound because it acts as a speaker. I think you find that if you looked at the cost, the carpet is more expensive than an injection molded wheel well insert

 

+1 Sound deadening, guess we know who are the engineers here

 

Many moons ago before the advent of cheap plastics, many euro-marques used pressed-felt fender liners for the low cost, light weight and ease of care.

 

Yeah it sucks when you have to work on the car and that felt linner holds so much dirt and dust. I like the plastic linners on R50/R52/R53 a lot more. But yes it is for sound deadening