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Melbourne Madness: XPEL STEALTH Paint Protection


BEFORE THE MADNESS: A MELBOURNE RED 335i

The BMW 335i is a great platform for performance with plenty of room for personalization. Michael’s F30 started out its life as a normal german sports saloon with low miles on the clock & still under warranty. Of course, it’s only a matter of time before the madness takes hold of any car enthusiast, and it’s time for a change.


Melbourne Metallic Red is a beautiful finish to begin with, but Michael wanted to mix it up. Drawing inspiration from Instagram personality & friend of the brand YasMadness, #MelbourneMadness was born.



GOODBYE GLOSS: INSTALLING XPEL STEALTH

First things first, get stealthy. To achieve the “Frozen” look popularized by BMW’s rarer M cars, the 335i needed a STEALTH wrap. Every inch of exposed Melbourne red paintwork got covered with XPEL STEALTH. Even the tail lights received a satin refresh.



For an example of how XPEL STEALTH can transform any base paint color, take a look at the images above. As you can see, the diffusion of overhead light & reflections on the front fender is immediately noticeable. The film’s satin finish does an incredible job of highlighting body lines & curves. Without affecting the underlying color, STEALTH can give any vehicle an updated aesthetic.


Of course, the added benefits of paint protection makes it even better. For those unfamiliar with XPEL STEALTH, it’s so much more than a clear satin refinishing film. For starters, it offers the same protective thickness & self healing properties as our ULTIMATE clear bra. It’s also backed by a 10-year warranty against discoloration, cracking, peeling or hazing. It’s a safe bet for protecting factory matte paint too; with proper installation, it’s almost impossible to tell where the film starts or stops.

More than a Make-Over


With the STEALTH wrap complete, the Melbourne Madness F30 was ready for a few more minor tweaks. To up the power a bit, Michael made some adjustments to the output with a Burger Tuning JB4. For an extra bump, the BMW also received an Injen cold air intake, Wagner Tuning downpipe, and VRSF charge pipe.

The power increase isn’t neck breaking, but it’s more than enough to liven up a morning commute. There’s more rumble, plenty of pop, and it’ll even spit a flame or two under load.


To keep the car planted, Melbourne Madness is sporting a set of Vossen VFS-6 Hybrid Forged wheels. Finished in Gloss Graphite & wrapped in Nitto NT555, the 20 inch Vossens fill out the F30’s wheel wells beautifully. The split spoke style is a great choice for any BMW, and the dark finish really compliments the offset ULTIMATE Colour euro stripes.


Even with four doors & no “M” badging, Melbourne Madness can still light ’em up with little hesitation.


The NT555 G2s offer plenty of all-around performance for a summer tire. No doubt, further durability testing may be necessary if more horsepower upgrades happen.

Rack ‘Em Up


In the event of a full trunk or a pedal-powered outing, the STEALTH F30 is also equipped with a set of Thule AeroBlade roof bars & ProRide bike rack. It’s not easy to trade four wheels for two when you’ve got a car like Melbourne Madness, but options are good to have. The AeroBlades make it a breeze to trade out the bike rack for a roof box or cargo basket for more storage capacity.


Love it or hate it, the STEALTH wrapped Melbourne Madness BMW F30 is bound to turn heads. If you spot it on the road, be sure to DM us a photo on Instagram so we can share it! Interested in having XPEL STEALTH self-healing paint protection film applied to your own vehicle? Our worldwide dealer locator can connect you with an authorized installer nearby.