Audi A5 Front License Plate pics

**petethapitbull** · 01-17-2013 04:16 PM

Hey everyone, I'm new to this forum. Just picked up a 2011 Audi A5 prestige about 2 weeks ago. Just was wondering what mods some of you guys did with the front plate? maybe post some pics? My car came from IL where they dont require a front plate and had it shipped to NY. Unfortunately NY requires a front plate so i was thinking about doing the Altec Sho n Go as in this youtube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyeBRYG3qaE
has anyone had experience with these? pics of other mods are also welcome (tow hook, lower grill etc) feel free to post pics

**Mops@Nemesis** · 01-17-2013 05:59 PM

There is a thread in the chatterbox. May be of help to you

**marinse** · 01-17-2013 07:23 PM

I have the non motorized version. Simpler and no wiring needed.

**petethapitbull** · 01-17-2013 08:05 PM

Originally Posted by marinse

I have the non motorized version. Simpler and no wiring needed.

yea i was thinking about doing that, my biggest concern is snow/salt. I'm not sure how that little electric motor sitting so low will hold up over time. Would you be able to post some pics up close of it mounted between the bumper?

**marinse** · 01-17-2013 08:06 PM

Originally Posted by petethapitbull

yea i was thinking about doing that, my biggest concern is snow/salt. I'm not sure how that little electric motor sitting so low will hold up over time. Would you be able to post some pics up close of it mounted between the bumper?

Sure! Will take some close ups tomorrow.

**petethapitbull** · 01-17-2013 08:07 PM

Originally Posted by Mops

There is a thread in the chatterbox. May be of help to you

Thanks, I will check it out

**petethapitbull** · 01-17-2013 08:08 PM

Originally Posted by marinse

Sure! Will take some close ups tomorrow.

thanks

**O2ShootTheJ** · 01-17-2013 08:40 PM

Looking into doing this as well, look forward to see what you come up with

**kevinham** · 01-17-2013 10:43 PM

I live in Vancouver (Canada) and we need to have front plate.
I use a tow hook plate mount from Rho Plate. (not sure if you can get it from states, but i'm sure you can find simialr products)
bascially it goes on to the front tow hook.

been a year, no problem what so ever (except i tighten it from time to time - because i did not tighten it all the way in the frist place)

**k-spot** · 01-18-2013 05:58 AM

Originally Posted by kevinham

I live in Vancouver (Canada) and we need to have front plate.
I use a tow hook plate mount from Rho Plate. (not sure if you can get it from states, but i'm sure you can find simialr products)
bascially it goes on to the front tow hook.

been a year, no problem what so ever (except i tighten it from time to time - because i did not tighten it all the way in the frist place)

I have the rho plate and it is nice. Only problem is that its not a quick screw-in screw out as the angle of the bumper makes it difficult to just quickly spin the plate. To get around this I put in a few spacers to increase the clearance between the plate and the bumper.
.

_DSC0167 by kspot_quake, on Flickr

**Webtoker** · 01-18-2013 06:02 AM

k-spot, I see you are in Houston. Would be great to meet up sometime! Awesome looking RS you have there!

Cal

**k-spot** · 01-18-2013 06:07 AM

Originally Posted by Webtoker

k-spot, I see you are in Houston. Would be great to meet up sometime! Awesome looking RS you have there!

Cal

Thanks! Yah, I made it to one C&C event but something always seems to come up lately. Last time I had the flu and couldn't make it--sounded like there was a great turnout of Audis. We'll have to meet up at the next get together!

**Mops@Nemesis** · 01-18-2013 07:27 AM

Originally Posted by k-spot

_DSC0167 by kspot_quake, on Flickr

Great looking RS

I feel overall this is the best color for the RS. Clean, classy, sporty, easy to maintain, conservative, different and silver is classic euro

Let me know if you sell in a couple years:)

**bknewtype** · 01-18-2013 07:30 AM

cognrats and welcome. where in NYC are you from?

as for front plate, i would def suggest the show and go. mop posted up a link earlier. best solution imo. manual one is ok too, but isnt as cool :]

if you want to risk it, just run without plates and leave ur plate on ur dashboard. iv seen many ppl do this. i am probably going this route as well when i get my new bumper painted on my infiniti.

**Got No Game** · 01-18-2013 07:35 AM

^That's what I'm doing. I totally removed the front license plate holder and am going plate-free until I get pulled over. I've already practiced my speech, "...but officer, there's no place to mount the plate. I have one on order. I'll put in on as soon as it get's here."

**Mops@Nemesis** · 01-18-2013 07:38 AM

^Def that...I would take my chances and even a ticket now and then to not run one.

**ECS Tuning-Audi** · 01-18-2013 07:39 AM

I guess it really depends on how strict they are about front plates. OH law requires us to have front plates but I've never ran a front plate on any vehicle I've owned. I've also never **knock on wood** gotten a ticket for no front plate. I have gotten pulled over for it before - just usually a verbal or written warning. Most of the time the mention of the front plate was with something else like speed or window tint etc.

Personally I think these cars look so much cleaner with no front plate.

Jason

**JimWB** · 01-18-2013 07:43 AM

Originally Posted by Got No Game

^That's what I'm doing. I totally removed the front license plate holder and am going plate-free until I get pulled over. I've already practiced my speech, "...but officer, there's no place to mount the plate. I have one on order. I'll put in on as soon as it get's here."

I always kept mine in the trunk and would claim to have taken it off to detail the car and forgot to put it back on. I even offered to put it back right on the spot. In ten years I was pulled over twice, but never was written up.

**Got No Game** · 01-18-2013 07:45 AM

Yeah, but like I posted a while ago, here in Mass, it's not the cops, it's the annual state inspection. They definitely check for it before they'll give you a sticker. I may just slap it on for that one day and then take if off afterward. It TOTALLY ruins the grille with the unsightly plate. Granted, because I'm so damn anal retentive, I put a NICE plate frame and clear cover...but it still looks like shit comparatively.

**S5Q7** · 01-18-2013 07:52 AM

A cop u-turned and pulled me just because of the plate( lack of), got a ticket for the tint as well. Im installing the show and go next weekend.

**Got No Game** · 01-18-2013 07:55 AM

^But they didn't consider that a moving violation, right? What was the fine?

**bknewtype** · 01-18-2013 07:55 AM

not a moving violation. think its equipment.

should b about 60 i believe. at least in nyc

**bknewtype** · 01-18-2013 07:56 AM

but IMO i think the 5's dont look bad at all with the license plate in the front. esp with the RS, i think it needs a plate in front to cover up the the blank space. otherwise it looks like its a big mouth about to eat u

**Got No Game** · 01-18-2013 07:57 AM

Worth it! I'd say Boston fines are probably going to be comparable to NYC. I'm still banking on talking my out of it. I've got a pretty good track record with warnings.

**S5Q7** · 01-18-2013 08:31 AM

Originally Posted by Got No Game

^But they didn't consider that a moving violation, right? What was the fine?

It was a fix ticket, which meant I head to install the plate, remove tint and take the car to the local authority to inspect it. Which in the end cost same as a ticket cuz I had to pay to remove and reapply the tint. Plus a fee a had to pay to the police...

**DannyDeez** · 01-18-2013 08:33 AM

Originally Posted by bknewtype

cognrats and welcome. where in NYC are you from?

as for front plate, i would def suggest the show and go. mop posted up a link earlier. best solution imo. manual one is ok too, but isnt as cool :]

if you want to risk it, just run without plates and leave ur plate on ur dashboard. iv seen many ppl do this. i am probably going this route as well when i get my new bumper painted on my infiniti.

Welcome to the forum Pete! I'm in ny too but I'm not putting my front plate on. The show n go is a nice solution if you really feel the need to have a plate on the car. Motorized one is nice so u can just hit the button and flip it up if u get pulled over.

Bk, I would advise against leaving your plate in the dashboard. Not only can you get a ticket for no front plate, you can also get a ticket for improper display. Totally not worth it man.

**Got No Game** · 01-18-2013 09:01 AM

^By the way Danny, you've totally convinced me to go for the ecodes. At first I didn't get it, but now that I have the new car, each day the ambers bother me more. Despite the fact that I think it's way too much money, I'm gonna pull the trigger and do it. I'm just questioning my on skills at whether or not I can pull it off on my own or not.

**J0E** · 01-18-2013 09:08 AM

Noob question here:

My car says it came with a "Front license plate holder." Is that the plastic bar on the grill with the chrome lines on the top and bottom? If so, do I have to just screw the plate right into that bar? It looks like US plates would be resting (sticking out) on the bottom chrome bar on that thing. If not, am I just missing the plate holder? Would like to have something to put my plate on that doesn't require screws into the body like every other car...

**Webtoker** · 01-18-2013 09:25 AM

You would be better served with a manual show n go Joe. Don't drill into that awesome looking face!

**JappleS** · 01-18-2013 02:00 PM

I think the A5/S5/RS5 look better with a front plate. Especially the RS5, since the grill looks so huge due to its design. As much as I like the design of these cars, I've never really been a fan of the Audi corporate grill. At least a front plate takes up some of the space...

**Mops@Nemesis** · 01-18-2013 02:31 PM

Originally Posted by J0E

Noob question here:

My car says it came with a "Front license plate holder." Is that the plastic bar on the grill with the chrome lines on the top and bottom? If so, do I have to just screw the plate right into that bar? It looks like US plates would be resting (sticking out) on the bottom chrome bar on that thing. If not, am I just missing the plate holder? Would like to have something to put my plate on that doesn't require screws into the body like every other car...

That is a "filler plate". Remove that by removing the two small screws below the filler and lift up and remove.

**bknewtype** · 01-18-2013 05:56 PM

Originally Posted by JappleS

I think the A5/S5/RS5 look better with a front plate. Especially the RS5, since the grill looks so huge due to its design. As much as I like the design of these cars, I've never really been a fan of the Audi corporate grill. At least a front plate takes up some of the space...

2nd that

**DannyDeez** · 01-18-2013 08:50 PM

Originally Posted by Got No Game

^By the way Danny, you've totally convinced me to go for the ecodes. At first I didn't get it, but now that I have the new car, each day the ambers bother me more. Despite the fact that I think it's way too much money, I'm gonna pull the trigger and do it. I'm just questioning my on skills at whether or not I can pull it off on my own or not.

Haha yes!! The ecodes will make your car look even more amazing! It's a pretty easy install. I had a shop do it for me because I was also afraid of breaking something but there was really nothing to it. They had the bumper off but I *think* the headlights will come out with the bumper on.

**S5Q7** · 01-18-2013 09:09 PM

Originally Posted by JappleS

I think the A5/S5/RS5 look better with a front plate. Especially the RS5, since the grill looks so huge due to its design. As much as I like the design of these cars, I've never really been a fan of the Audi corporate grill. At least a front plate takes up some of the space...

I disagree...it looks much cleaner without the plates...exactly how it supposed to be on first place.
Can you imagine the rainbow Hawaiian plate on your ride for instance? No offense to Hawaiians

**JappleS** · 01-19-2013 06:43 AM

Originally Posted by S5Q7

I disagree...it looks much cleaner without the plates...exactly how it supposed to be on first place.
Can you imagine the rainbow Hawaiian plate on your ride for instance? No offense to Hawaiians

Of course it's all a matter of opinion, but I personally don't like the way this looks at all, simply because the grill looks far too big for the car. It's just an expansive sea of black in the nose of the car.

Same idea here, but in reverse because the car is black and the silver grill looks huge on the car. The filler bar or even a front plate would help make the grill appear smaller and more fitting for the car. Again, only my opinion and no offense intended to the guys who actually own those cars.

**Beast** · 01-19-2013 06:51 AM

^Agreed esp on the Rs5 grille, need something to breakup that huge space. Europlate works well.

**Gspothit** · 01-19-2013 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by k-spot

I have the rho plate and it is nice. Only problem is that its not a quick screw-in screw out as the angle of the bumper makes it difficult to just quickly spin the plate. To get around this I put in a few spacers to increase the clearance between the plate and the bumper.
.

_DSC0167 by kspot_quake, on Flickr

that is a PRISTINE looking RS5. What tint % is that? Tint brand/type? Congrats!

**petethapitbull** · 01-19-2013 08:10 PM

Originally Posted by DannyDeez

Welcome to the forum Pete! I'm in ny too but I'm not putting my front plate on. The show n go is a nice solution if you really feel the need to have a plate on the car. Motorized one is nice so u can just hit the button and flip it up if u get pulled over.

Bk, I would advise against leaving your plate in the dashboard. Not only can you get a ticket for no front plate, you can also get a ticket for improper display. Totally not worth it man.

Thanks Danny, I agree Sho n Go will probably be the best option. My only concern is how well it would hold up agaisnt NY weather (snow/salt etc), being that the motorized version has moving parts and it sits so low. Also, would any mods such as a bigger FMIC get in the way? These are all things that need to be considered. Does anyone have any experience with this?

**kevinham** · 01-19-2013 11:33 PM

Originally Posted by k-spot

I have the rho plate and it is nice. Only problem is that its not a quick screw-in screw out as the angle of the bumper makes it difficult to just quickly spin the plate. To get around this I put in a few spacers to increase the clearance between the plate and the bumper

Thanks for sharing a great info! I should put spacers as well, right now i have a rubber sticker that came with the kit behind the plate so that it does not touch the bumper.

Using spacer sounds much better, once again thanks.

**Studham** · 01-20-2013 02:15 AM

I chose to go Show&Go and connected it to the home link system as I do not have a normal garage. It is an easy install and is reviewed briefly in my build thread (link below) or here is a very detailed review that assisted me in my decision.

In regards to the weather comment I am not sure how it will hold up but we threw some extra grease on the cable, and it is an inexpensive part that can be replaced easily.

The least expensive mod I did; and when seen in action it is the one that gets the most comments.