I will soon be purchasing an LS460 (currently own a 2002 LS430).

I am contemplating a leather bra to protect the front bumber and hood. The dealer is trying to convince me to get a "clear" plastic that will cover the bumber, hood, and side mirrors. It will survive the car wash, will not yellow and is guaranteed for the life of my ownership of the car. It reminds me of clear contact paper. I am concerned about the fading on the rest of the car AND I have never seen this approach used with cars in the past.

Since my freeway driving is the bulk of my driving and I don't mind taking it off for my "weekend" driving (which is largely local) I am inclined to get the bra vs. keeping the clear plastic on the car in a permanent fashion.

Would appreciate any comments from those who have or have not tried either approach. Thanks in advance ...

 

Get the clear bra. 3M is one of the big players in that arena. They can cover the bumper, headlights, and as much of the hood as you want. I had it on my Audi S4 and the front end looked great when I sold it with 32K miles. I did not get it on this car and I regret it. The Lexus paint has to be the easiest chipping paint I have ever had. I would never put one of those leather ones on. Ruins the nice look of just about any car. Good luck!

Bruce

 

Definitely get the clear bra. It is so transparent that 95% of the people that look at your car won't know it's there. It's not permanent, it's just like window tint, you can peel it off at anytime. My only caution is to be selective in the installer, since the film is somewhat generic, it's the installer that can make or break the final outcome (no streaks, stretch marks, air bubbles, foreign particles or bad corners). The black leather bras are a thing of the past, the 3M clear bras are definitely the present & future. You can search the IS250/350 forums, clear bras are discussed ad nauseum . . .