Front license plate mounting options (E53)




I have a sickness. My notes:
OEM
Pros: factory item
Cons: have to drill / make hole prominent place on painted part of bumper
STO-N-SHO
Pros: secure fit, does not interrupt light ring around grill, very easy to remove
Cons: decreased ground clearance (minor), maintenance required (occasionally supposed to oil the pin used to remove it). At first I thought airflow might be a con, but after seeing it installed, I am not concerned.
PLATYPUS
Pros: boy-racer looks, very high quality item
Cons: interrupts light ring around grill, boy-racer looks, held in place with one bolt and if it loosens, plate would swing down and scratch bumper)
CARBONIO
Pros: adhesive mount
Cons: interrupts light ring around grill, very difficult to mount perfectly centered (adhesive super strong so make sure you get it right the first try)
Last edited by E53DadWagon; Apr 25, 2026 at 12:07 PM.
There may still be two other options for this location, one being the non-AMG e class mount (unconfirmed if it will fit but it would still block grill light) and a "flipped" Carbonio mount as described by their customer service rep "the plate holding section can be rotated 180 degrees so that the plate is hanging downwards infront of the grille - though this position hasn't been tested and may not be ideal" which may not block the grill light but would block more of the lower air intake.
Anyone with a Carbonio able to test this?
https://4bumpers.com/duo.html
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