Just drove home in a 2012 Continental GT, and I am really enjoying it.

Before I left the dealership, the dealer handed me the front license plate bracket, and said they did not want to install it as that would require that they sink two screws through the front bumper. They added that "all" of their owners avoid installing the front plate, and that getting pulled over for a front plate violation is quite rare.

I too don't want to drill through my front bumper, but also worry about getting unnecessary front license plate violation tickets or increase my changes of being pulled over.

The popular "no drill" front bumper tow hook mounting options (Gomingo) seem like a good product, but after looking all over the front bumper of my car, I simply cannot locate the front tow eye mounting location anywhere in the lower grill work. Even the Bentley owners manual shows the tow hook mounting location on the passenger side of the lower front grill, and it is simply not there....

Does anyone know where the front tow hook mounting location is hidden?

And what do you all do about your front license plate?

Thanks

 

It has been a while since I lived in Ca. and don't miss that front plate requirement. I would really hate to add anything to the front bumper of the GT. Have you seen the other Bentley owners mounting the front plates?

Knowing me I would not mount it until I had a problem with the law. Surely the first ticket or two are minuscule offenses but I'd check with the the DMD to find out what the penalties were. The Bentley looks good and clean on the front and would hate to garbage it up.

Congratulations on the the new ride. Just curious what did you drive before the GT?

 

Thanks for your feedback Dr....

I agree with you - I don't want to mark up the front of my car, and am happy to pay a few $25 tickets if I eventually get pulled over and cited.

My previous car was a 2008 Audi A8 with the "sport" option. 20' wheels, adjustable air suspension etc. A great car, solid performance, and it really hooked me - Audi just knows how to make cars.

And that's one of the things that caught my eye with the Bentley - some of the buttons, their positions in the drivers space, user interface of certain systems, and the way things work in the Bentley are either modeled after Audi's systems, or actually have come from Audi, since Bentley and Audi are part of the same company.

That made my transition from the Audi to the Bentley very easy and very enjoyable.

Safe driving to you....

 

I just bought my wife a new 2012 A7 and she loves it. When the weather is to rainy nasty to drive my black GTC we dirty up her new white Audi.

When we drive it and find a less than perfect trait we jokingly say "it ain't no Bentley".

The look of the R8 is what started my whole desire for a super car but after seeing some of the prices for new and used I fell out of love for it. Then as my insane mind took a breath I bought a Bentley.:c onfused:

I never did drive an R8 and still hope to but the decision has been made. After driving several cars I began to value the luxury ride and spacious interior over racing type performance. I mean after all I am driving public roads and trying to stay out of jail.

 

Hey Eric maybe you should just go to the courthouse and offer the judge a $100/year for four tickets just to be left alone?

Sort of like a pre-paid maintenance program.

 

Too Funny Dr.....

Looks like you are driving the best of both worlds....A7 on days when you don't want to take the GT out, and the GT on great driving days.

And I do like the pre-paid program idea....I'll post any follow up here if I do get any "feedback" from the local police on the no-front plate issue.

Fingers are crossed.

 

I see the reason for plates is identify the driver owner. In my town there are few, ok none, other Bentleys to get mixed up.

If guy drives a Bugatti Veyron then he needs no plates at all.

Oh I'm sorry the government will never be denied their(my) money.

 

Is it practical to install the license plate bracket on the lower grill? It looks like it can be done and thus not drill holes in the Bentley. The question that I have is would this location significantly obstruct the flow of air to the radiator.

 

I have been working with a manufacturer who specializes in "no drill" license plate mounts for Ferrari's.

http://chairpilotproducts.com/

He has customized one of his existing models (the VX3) to fit the lower grill on the GT, and went so far as to do several test fittings at a local dealer.

The product is being shipped this week, and I will post photos and other info once I have it on the car. From the photos I have seen, I do no think it will obstruct the radiation as the license plate will only cover part of the lower half of the grill and therefore still allow some airflow.

From what I have seen, this is the most professional and best build solution on the market. No twist ties, velcro, or double sided tape, or using the tow eye to set the license plate to the side. This unit is stainless steel and looks very solid and is easily removable when you don't want a front license plate.

 

Can't wait.

 

While I was waiting for Eric777 to show us his solution next week, I decided to try come up with an alternative way of attaching the license plate holder without drilling any holes. I temporarily attached the license plate holder to the lower grill (see attached photos).

I can't see why the bracket could not be attached, in that position, with toggle bolts. Any comments?

 

Well, I was on a mission and could not stop, I had to mount the front license plate this weekend. So, what could go wrong?

I mounted the license plate bracket with, of all things, 5 black cable ties and some stainless wire pieces I had on hand. The license plate bracket has 5 holes in it and the holes perfectly matched parts of the bottom grill to which I wanted to attach the license plate holder. Photo attachment 1 shows the holder without a license plate. Photo attachment 2 shows the holder with a Texas license plate. And photo attachment 3 shows the holder with the plate that came with the car from the Bentley dealer (if I want to show the car in a local Houston "Coffee and Cars" event). I figured this method probably cost a couple of dollars and it attained the objective of not drilling holes in my Bentley.

The reason I decided to attach the front license plate is that I recently got stopped in a school zone for going 32 mph in a 25 mph zone. I did not get even a warning but the cop acted weird. It was almost like he had stopped Jimmy Hoffa. FYI -I haven't had a ticket in 20 or 30 years. Also Texas just changed the license plate law and there is a lot of confusion regarding what is allowed and the fine may go up to $500 due to the confused law change. Lastly, my wife and I are planning to take some road trips around the great state of Texas. And Texas, like many other states (maybe all of the states) have their little communities that like to make money off of traffic violations. I just wanted some peace of mind.

So what went wrong? It turns out that the license plate holder screws that I got from the Bentley dealer did not fit. So the job will not be finished until I get the correct screws sometime next week. I used temporary screws so I could take the attached pictures.

 

"Jimmy Hoffa"

Plate mount looks as good as it could but can't say I love it. No plate looks better to me but gotta obey the gov. bro.

 

Sorry for the delay in my review of this "no drill" license plate mounting option.

First, the product arrived exactly as it was promised, and its quality and construction are better than I could have ever imagined.

The thought that went into the design is amazing - pads on the back of the bracket to keep it from rubbing the grill, soft plastic sleeves on the "arms" that grab and hold the grill and tight springs to keep the device holding tight to the grill. The device is made from very strong stainless steel - it won't ever bend or degrade over time.

Installation is not really installation - just line up the arms in the grill, and then pull the plate up and attach the top arms. The springs do the rest and grab the grill and hold tight. That's it. And if you want to remove the device for a car show, or to wash your car, it comes off just as easy. No screws, twist ties etc.

I've included pics below - please feel free to reply if you have any questions, or contact Bob at Chairpilot to order one for yourself. Of all the solutions I saw, this is far and away the best one.

 

Son of a gun and Bentley looks good does't it? Even if it has to have a front plate. Glad to hear of quality workmanship.