Mini Cooper Body Kits are considered one of the most effective ways to modify the look of your vehicle. You can buy a body kit to make your plain vanilla Honda Civic look like a sporty high-end BMW M3. You can make your Mustang look like an in-your-face rally car with huge foglights and a 'Big Mouth' style front bumper. Considering that Mini Cooper body kits can make your car look completely unique, they are probably the most effective way to customize the look of your ride.

We get asked these questions all the time. Read this to get more informed about Mini Cooper body kits:

Question: What are Mini Cooper body kits made of?
Answer: Most body kits are either made of fiberglass, poly-urethane, or ABS plastic.

Question: What's the difference between them?
Answer: Each has its pros and cons. Take a look:

Fiberglass body kits - These are the most prevalent body kits by far. The main reason is because they're the most cost-effective to manufacture. Fiberglass body kits are almost all made by hand, and because of that they don't have the same precision of fitment and finish as, say, your machine-made CAD-designed factory bumpers do. Also, most fiberglass body kits won't withstand a fender-bender as well as, for example, poly-urethane body kits. That being said, paint adheres really well to fiberglass, and fiberglass won't warp even in the most extreme of weather conditions. Besides that, they're the most affordable type of body kit available. Extra note: some companies have introduced high-end fiberglass body kits that use a specialty flex resin that gives bodykit-buyers the best of both worlds: durabilty and affordabilty. An example of this is the Duraflex brand of body kits, which is probably the most popular-selling line of body kits we offer.

Poly-urethane body kits - Poly-urethane (also referred to as simply "urethane") is a techinical word that basically means "rubber". Urethane body kits are more expensive than fiberglass ones because they cost a whole lot more to make. The cost to develop a proto-type and mold for a complete urethane body kit is about 12 times that of a fiberglass body kit. Urethane body kits are made out of heavy-duty molds and are machine-made, so the precision of finish is normally solid. Also, urethane body kits can actually withstand small accidents and stay in tact. There are a few draw backs to urethane body kits though: 1) Paint doesn't adhere to them particularly well, so it takes extra elbow grease to get them painted properly, 2) They are prone to warping in extreme weather conditions, so you'd have to consider garaging them at times depending on where you live, and 3) They cost substantially more than fiberglass body kits.

ABS Plastic body kits - ABS plastic body kits are the closest thing you'll find to what your own vehicle is made of. Many automobile manufactures use ABS plastic to make body panels. ABS plastic body kits are machine-made. They're easier to paint than poly-urethane body kits, but not quite as flexible; they are more resemblant of your factory body panels. Like poly-urethane body kits, ABS plastic body kits are substantially more expensive than fiberglass body kits because they are so much more capital-intensive to design and create.

Question: Which brands of Mini Cooper body kits are the best?
Answer: It depends on what material of body kit you want. Below are our votes.

Fiberglass: Extreme Dimensions (Duraflex) body kits, Bomex body kits, Version Select body kits

Poly-urethane: Xenon body kits, Wings West body kits, JP body kits, KBD body kits

ABS Plastic: Razzi body kits

Mini Cooper Ground Effects are considered one of the most effective ways to modify the look of your vehicle. Some of the most popular are Mustang ground effects, Camaro ground effects, and Firebird ground effects. Something else to be aware of is that there are a lot of different terms that essentially mean the same thing: ground effects, body kits, ground effects kits, car ground effects, and truck ground effects. It seems to be that the terminology you use for a Mini Cooper ground effects kit might depend on what part of the country you are from. If you see a Mini Cooper ground effects package you like and have questions about it, or you can't seem to find ground effects kits for your car or truck, please contact us any time.

Q: What's the difference between fiberglass and poly-urethane body kits?
A: The difference between fiberglass and poly-urethane body kits is that they are made from different composite materials. Both types of materials have positive qualities. Urethane is a rubber-type material that is very flexible and will hold up well in the case of an accident. Urethane is therefore popular for its durability. Fiberglass body kits in general are less flexible than urethane body kits (although this definitely depends on the manufacturer), but are more resistant to extreme weather conditions. Additionally, paint adheres very well to fiberglass, so there likely will not be paint problems with a fiberglass. Finally, fiberglass kits are relatively inexpensive. Both composites are used widely throughout the world for body kit manufacturing, and each has proven to be very popular.

Q: I see the same style of body kit listed under different brand names. What's the difference?
A: Indeed, you will sometimes see the same exact style of body kit listed under two or more different brands on our website. In this case, it means that the exact same style is just made by more than one manufacturer. Each of the body kit manufacturers whose product line we carry is an elite body kit brand, yet each has its own unique manufacturing process. Read about this manufacturer section under the detail product listing for each brand to learn more about each. Also feel free to contact us to ask any other questions you might have.

Q: What all do body kits come with?
A: Full kits generally include the front bumper, the side skirts, and the rear bumper. Look at the body kit description to see exactly what is included. Some kits come with fender flares, wings (spoilers), hoods, or other styling accessories.

Q: Are body kits and ground effects the same thing?
A: Yes. Ground effects, body kits, spoiler kits, bumper kits and aero kits are all terms that mean the exact same thing.

Q: What exactly is a body kit? Why buy a body kit?
A: A body kit is essentially a collection of parts that, when installed on your car, modify its appearance. Most body kits modify the look of the front and rear bumpers and of the rocker panels on a car. Many body kits consist of custom bumpers that replace your factory bumpers, while others include lips or fascias that you add to your factory bumpers. Almost all body kits come with sideskirts that are installed on top of your factory rocker panels. Body kits often create the look of a lowered vehicle and can give your car an aggressive look, a super-clean flowing look, or a race car look, to name a few types of styles. Out of all available modifications, body kits probably make the biggest impact on the appearance of a car. Installing a body kit on your car will completely change your car's look, and will certainly turn peoples' heads as you drive down the street!

Q: Do you put a body kit on over your factory bumpers, or do you replace your factory bumpers with a body kit?
A: Some body kits come with bumpers that replace your entire factory bumpers while others come with add-on lips that attach to your existing bumpers. It all depends on the brand and style of the body kit.

Q: Do body kits fit over the existing bumpers or replace them?
A: Most body kits bumpers will require you to remove your original factory bumper covers and replace them with the ones you've purchased (normally you use the same hardware from your factory bumpers to install the new body kit bumpers). If your body kit includes front and/or rear "lips" or "fascias" the front and/or rear pieces will attach underneath your existing bumpers.

Q: Are body kits strong enough for a daily driver, or are they just for show cars?
A: Body kits are very strong when installed correctly. Of course, fiberglass can indeed crack if in a fender-bender or if you hit a curb too hard, but in general they will last you a long time. For an added level of strength, consider going with a urethane body kit if available for your vehicle.

Q: Can I mix and match body kit components if I don't like a particular part?
A: Yes, absolutely! Keep in mind that it's best to try to stick with one brand, however, as additional shipping charges may be incurred if the parts come from different warehouses. If you have any questions or concerns, just contact us!