Front Bumper replacement/upgrade

[A5rider]

Hi

I just got a 2015 a5 coupe and it needs a front bumper replacement. Before I go and buy an oem bumper I wanted to know my options. I seen some cars with a rs5 look a like bumper and I don’t know if that’s aftermarket or oem. Can some one point me in the right direction please. If aftermarket what brand and if oem a part number would be great.
Thanks for the help in advance.

[Benzin971]

You can order from Canadian Auto Performance. They offer a direct fit conversion for your B8.5 A5. Includes all honeycomb grills from a selection of blacked-out or carbon-fibre/black mix (carbon fibre is a hydro-dip, not actual CF.

$849-999 USD depending on the configuration.

Plus they don't come painted so your best bet is to send in your car for a colour match paint job.

Enjoy!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[A5rider]

Cool I’ll check them out. Do you know how’s the quality?

Thanks for the info.

[Benzin971]

Cool I’ll check them out. Do you know how’s the quality?

Thanks for the info.

Yeah as far as I'm aware, good quality like-OEM. I've seen some cars with these, though I've yet to purchase one myself because I'm looking at a WB kit instead.

They're a good brand though, I'm sure there's videos on YouTube of the installation as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[A5rider]

Good to hear they sell good quality parts.

What is a wb kit?

[A5rider]

Can anyone tell me what they think about the brand BKM? I seen some of their bumpers.

[nhracecraft]

I put an RS5 Front Bumper from Xenonz-UK on a B8 S5 and and it looks IMO it looks AWESOME! Overall the fit/finish was excellent and there were only a couple of thing(s) that required any effort beyond what would be required with an OEM Bumper cover. One was getting all the slots/tabs to line up on the Lower Lip and the Lower Grills, which was a chore that would have been impossible had I not spent the time to clean everything up with an X-acto knife before I had it painted. Also, due to the fact that I was grafting an RS5 Bumper onto a car that did not previously have one, attaching the lower brackets for the fender liners at the bottom of the wheel opening presented a challenge as well. The profile of the RS5 bumper cover flares out somewhat and was/is completely different than that of the B8 (and B8.5) S5 which flares in/under, essentially requiring a bit of 'engineering' to make it work. I also mounted the bumper and mocked everything up prior to paint to ensure fit and confirm no issues, as well as to see how Bad Ass it was gonna look once complete!

Pre-Install Mockup:



Paint/Install Complete:



You should be aware that ANY aftermarket bumper cover will require prep/cleanup prior to painting as it NOT an OEM part! I wanted something that looked like an authentic RS5 Bumper, and for that, the choices were basically Xenoz-UK or BK Motorsport. From the info I was able to find, the reviews seemed better for Xenonz-UK, plus there were a few videos on YouTube that helped make my decision, especially that of Mat Armstrong...Links below. The lower lip came pre-painted in either Gloss Black or Silver (I chose black), which seemed like a better option/value over the BKM at the time (theirs was only primed), though I decided to add the RS5 Front Splitter by Maxton Design to my S5, so I ended up having the Lower Lip of the Bumper sanded/prepped/painted in the body color instead. Doing so surrounds the gloss black lower grills in the contrasting body color and I'm glad I did it, as it REALLY finishes/improves the look! Another thing I didn't like about the BKM was they have add'l charge of $100.00 for the two filler plugs for the holes where the Parking Sensors mount! Also, in addition to their website, I also found BKM selling the RS5 Bumper on Ebay in multiple listings, all with different prices, including one that seem NOT to have the add'l $100 charge for the filler plugs. Though somewhat tempted, I did not/could not feel confident in buying from them as honestly, all that made BKM seemed a bit shady IMO and pushed me towards Xenonz-UK even more.

You should also, know that the freight costs to ship a bumper are significant! The freight to ship the Xenonz-UK Bumper (it came via FedEx) was about the same as the cost of the bumper itself. When comparing the total cost to that the BKM (including freight AND the $100.00 charge for the parking sensor plugs!) I spent approx. $350 more (basically add'l freight!) to get the Xenon-UK Bumper over the BKM. Curiously, the BKM website also had this statement re: freight which I thought was weird, "The price includes shipping from the international manufacturer to our warehouse and then delivery to the end user's address."

Regardless of which bumper you choose though, I'd suggest mocking it up first (actually mounting it) to check fit and trimming any flash off all of the slots & tabs where the grill(s), splitter/bumper parts attach prior to painting so it goes together easier. Hope this helps!

Mat Armstrong Videos showcasing Xenonz-UK:

Preview/Unboxing of the Xenonz-UK Body Kit (last 4 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQXnuAmwtGg
Xenonz-UK RS5 Bumper/Body Kit Install --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TxpT31wDOE

The Money Shot!

[A5rider]

I put an RS5 Front Bumper from Xenonz-UK on a B8 S5 and and it looks IMO it looks AWESOME! Overall the fit/finish was excellent and there were only a couple of thing(s) that required any effort beyond what would be required with an OEM Bumper cover. One was getting all the slots/tabs to line up on the Lower Lip and the Lower Grills, which was a chore that would have been impossible had I not spent the time to clean everything up with an X-acto knife before I had it painted. Also, due to the fact that I was grafting an RS5 Bumper onto a car that did not previously have one, attaching the lower brackets for the fender liners at the bottom of the wheel opening presented a challenge as well. The profile of the RS5 bumper cover flares out somewhat and was/is completely different than that of the B8 (and B8.5) S5 which flares in/under, essentially requiring a bit of 'engineering' to make it work. I also mounted the bumper and mocked everything up prior to paint to ensure fit and confirm no issues, as well as to see how Bad Ass it was gonna look once complete!

Pre-Install Mockup:



Paint/Install Complete:



You should be aware that ANY aftermarket bumper cover will require prep/cleanup prior to painting as it NOT an OEM part! I wanted something that looked like an authentic RS5 Bumper, and for that, the choices were basically Xenoz-UK or BK Motorsport. From the info I was able to find, the reviews seemed better for Xenonz-UK, plus there were a few videos on YouTube that helped make my decision, especially that of Mat Armstrong...Links below. The lower lip came pre-painted in either Gloss Black or Silver (I chose black), which seemed like a better option/value over the BKM at the time (theirs was only primed), though I decided to add the RS5 Front Splitter by Maxton Design to my S5, so I ended up having the Lower Lip of the Bumper sanded/prepped/painted in the body color instead. Doing so surrounds the gloss black lower grills in the contrasting body color and I'm glad I did it, as it REALLY finishes/improves the look! Another thing I didn't like about the BKM was they have add'l charge of $100.00 for the two filler plugs for the holes where the Parking Sensors mount! Also, in addition to their website, I also found BKM selling the RS5 Bumper on Ebay in multiple listings, all with different prices, including one that seem NOT to have the add'l $100 charge for the filler plugs. Though somewhat tempted, I did not/could not feel confident in buying from them as honestly, all that made BKM seemed a bit shady IMO and pushed me towards Xenonz-UK even more.

You should also, know that the freight costs to ship a bumper are significant! The freight to ship the Xenonz-UK Bumper (it came via FedEx) was about the same as the cost of the bumper itself. When comparing the total cost to that the BKM (including freight AND the $100.00 charge for the parking sensor plugs!) I spent approx. $350 more (basically add'l freight!) to get the Xenon-UK Bumper over the BKM. Curiously, the BKM website also had this statement re: freight which I thought was weird, "The price includes shipping from the international manufacturer to our warehouse and then delivery to the end user's address."

Regardless of which bumper you choose though, I'd suggest mocking it up first (actually mounting it) to check fit and trimming any flash off all of the slots & tabs where the grill(s), splitter/bumper parts attach prior to painting so it goes together easier. Hope this helps!

Mat Armstrong Videos showcasing Xenonz-UK:

Preview/Unboxing of the Xenonz-UK Body Kit (last 4 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQXnuAmwtGg
Xenonz-UK RS5 Bumper/Body Kit Install --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TxpT31wDOE

The Money Shot!

Wow thank you so much for your response more than I was expecting.

[Neil F]

For a 2015 A5 you can use an OEM B8.5 2013-2017 A5/A5 S-Line/S5. s-line and s5 have slightly different lowert styling and fog grille opening. OEM RS5 fenders are wider and the bumper cover will not match up to a A/S5

[A5rider]

For a 2015 A5 you can use an OEM B8.5 2013-2017 A5/A5 S-Line/S5. s-line and s5 have slightly different lowert styling and fog grille opening. OEM RS5 fenders are wider and the bumper cover will not match up to a A/S5

My car is a5 s-line. The s5 bumper is different but I can I use it or not?
I was looking more into the aftermarket rs5 look alike bumpers that has the better fit and quality because seems like is cheaper. But I’m new to this car so I’m learning about it now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Neil F]

I'm sorry I missed that you have an s-line. The s5 and s-line bumpers are visually the same and interchangeable.

I don't know about cheaper vs RS5. go to car-part.com Recycle yards across the US list parts. There will be s-line/s5 bumpers. The important thing to ask/look for, there are tabs along the inside of the bumper ends that get inserted horizontally into the body. If the bumper was hit, these tend to break off and the bumper ends will not stay flush. When I was in need of a cover, I looked at a lot of ebay covers and they they were damaged. Fortunately I found a local one in the classifieds.

To me, the RS5 bumper is slightly different but not that visually striking that the average person or even many owners would notice. Also you loose the fog lights. With good LED bulbs, they are very useful. If in your searches. you run across a competion bumper. I think they began in 2015. The competition was an A5 model. The bumper had the slightly more aggressive lower grille openings with the fog lights. The covers are VERY rare.

[A5rider]

I'm sorry I missed that you have an s-line. The s5 and s-line bumpers are visually the same and interchangeable.

I don't know about cheaper vs RS5. go to car-part.com Recycle yards across the US list parts. There will be s-line/s5 bumpers. The important thing to ask/look for, there are tabs along the inside of the bumper ends that get inserted horizontally into the body. If the bumper was hit, these tend to break off and the bumper ends will not stay flush. When I was in need of a cover, I looked at a lot of ebay covers and they they were damaged. Fortunately I found a local one in the classifieds.

To me, the RS5 bumper is slightly different but not that visually striking that the average person or even many owners would notice. Also you loose the fog lights. With good LED bulbs, they are very useful. If in your searches. you run across a competion bumper. I think they began in 2015. The competition was an A5 model. The bumper had the slightly more aggressive lower grille openings with the fog lights. The covers are VERY rare.

Cool to learn all this, thats why i am here to get all the these details.
How can i spot a competition bumper?

[Neil F]

https://www.google.com/search?q=audi...r+audizine.com

[A5rider]

I put an RS5 Front Bumper from Xenonz-UK on a B8 S5 and and it looks IMO it looks AWESOME! Overall the fit/finish was excellent and there were only a couple of thing(s) that required any effort beyond what would be required with an OEM Bumper cover. One was getting all the slots/tabs to line up on the Lower Lip and the Lower Grills, which was a chore that would have been impossible had I not spent the time to clean everything up with an X-acto knife before I had it painted. Also, due to the fact that I was grafting an RS5 Bumper onto a car that did not previously have one, attaching the lower brackets for the fender liners at the bottom of the wheel opening presented a challenge as well. The profile of the RS5 bumper cover flares out somewhat and was/is completely different than that of the B8 (and B8.5) S5 which flares in/under, essentially requiring a bit of 'engineering' to make it work. I also mounted the bumper and mocked everything up prior to paint to ensure fit and confirm no issues, as well as to see how Bad Ass it was gonna look once complete!

Pre-Install Mockup:



Paint/Install Complete:



You should be aware that ANY aftermarket bumper cover will require prep/cleanup prior to painting as it NOT an OEM part! I wanted something that looked like an authentic RS5 Bumper, and for that, the choices were basically Xenoz-UK or BK Motorsport. From the info I was able to find, the reviews seemed better for Xenonz-UK, plus there were a few videos on YouTube that helped make my decision, especially that of Mat Armstrong...Links below. The lower lip came pre-painted in either Gloss Black or Silver (I chose black), which seemed like a better option/value over the BKM at the time (theirs was only primed), though I decided to add the RS5 Front Splitter by Maxton Design to my S5, so I ended up having the Lower Lip of the Bumper sanded/prepped/painted in the body color instead. Doing so surrounds the gloss black lower grills in the contrasting body color and I'm glad I did it, as it REALLY finishes/improves the look! Another thing I didn't like about the BKM was they have add'l charge of $100.00 for the two filler plugs for the holes where the Parking Sensors mount! Also, in addition to their website, I also found BKM selling the RS5 Bumper on Ebay in multiple listings, all with different prices, including one that seem NOT to have the add'l $100 charge for the filler plugs. Though somewhat tempted, I did not/could not feel confident in buying from them as honestly, all that made BKM seemed a bit shady IMO and pushed me towards Xenonz-UK even more.

You should also, know that the freight costs to ship a bumper are significant! The freight to ship the Xenonz-UK Bumper (it came via FedEx) was about the same as the cost of the bumper itself. When comparing the total cost to that the BKM (including freight AND the $100.00 charge for the parking sensor plugs!) I spent approx. $350 more (basically add'l freight!) to get the Xenon-UK Bumper over the BKM. Curiously, the BKM website also had this statement re: freight which I thought was weird, "The price includes shipping from the international manufacturer to our warehouse and then delivery to the end user's address."

Regardless of which bumper you choose though, I'd suggest mocking it up first (actually mounting it) to check fit and trimming any flash off all of the slots & tabs where the grill(s), splitter/bumper parts attach prior to painting so it goes together easier. Hope this helps!

Mat Armstrong Videos showcasing Xenonz-UK:

Preview/Unboxing of the Xenonz-UK Body Kit (last 4 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQXnuAmwtGg
Xenonz-UK RS5 Bumper/Body Kit Install --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TxpT31wDOE

The Money Shot!

Could you tell me exactly what site you used to buy your bumper. I google xenon uk and it shows a site called www.xukltd.com and the same search also shows a site called
https://www.xenonz.co.uk. Can you please help me out here? I dont want to be scammed.

[nhracecraft]

I purchased from xenonz.co.uk, but I don't think it matters which one you use. You might want to go most of the way through the checkout process on both to see what the differences are. Based on your OP, I'm assuming these are the bumpers you would be considering:

https://www.xenonz.co.uk/store/p180/...5-2-doors.html
https://www.xukltd.com/product/audi-...umper-upgrade/

When I purchased, I had converted the pricing to US$ on my own prior to ordering in order to figure my actual cost, and then requested a shipping quote. After I received the quote and decided to purchase, they sent me a PayPal Invoice for the order. Just FYI - Freight costs can be a 'moving target' sometimes (usually they go up as time goes on!), so once your ready to purchase, I would not delay in placing the order. Also, make sure the bumper cost/options are correct for what you were quoted and expect to receive. I just checked on the xenonz.uk website and noticed there's a fairly substantial difference when selecting gloss black vs. a silver lower lip, with the former having an add'l premium. Honestly, as the whole bumper should really be prepped/sanded & primed prior to paint anyway, I'd go with the cheapest option, unless you plan to 'wrap' it, and want the black lower lip.

When I purchased (in March 2022), I don't believe the xukltd.com website actually existed. I see it has PayPal logos all over it, and is likely set up to be more transactional. but I assume you'll still need to get a shipping quote. Hope this helps...

[A5rider]

I purchased from xenonz.co.uk, but I don't think it matters which one you use. You might want to go most of the way through the checkout process on both to see what the differences are. Based on your OP, I'm assuming these are the bumpers you would be considering:

https://www.xenonz.co.uk/store/p180/...5-2-doors.html
https://www.xukltd.com/product/audi-...umper-upgrade/

When I purchased, I had converted the pricing to US$ on my own prior to ordering in order to figure my actual cost, and then requested a shipping quote. After I received the quote and decided to purchase, they sent me a PayPal Invoice for the order. Just FYI - Freight costs can be a 'moving target' sometimes (usually they go up as time goes on!), so once your ready to purchase, I would not delay in placing the order. Also, make sure the bumper cost/options are correct for what you were quoted and expect to receive. I just checked on the xenonz.uk website and noticed there's a fairly substantial difference when selecting gloss black vs. a silver lower lip, with the former having an add'l premium. Honestly, as the whole bumper should really be prepped/sanded & primed prior to paint anyway, I'd go with the cheapest option, unless you plan to 'wrap' it, and want the black lower lip.

When I purchased (in March 2022), I don't believe the xukltd.com website actually existed. I see it has PayPal logos all over it, and is likely set up to be more transactional. but I assume you'll still need to get a shipping quote. Hope this helps...

Thank you! For the help I greatly appreciated it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk