ABS plastic or carbon fibre — it's the first decision you'll make on any body kit purchase, and it affects price, durability, and how the finished car looks. Here's a straight comparison to help you pick the right material for your car and your budget.
ABS Plastic Body Kits
Best for: daily drivers, first-time modifiers, anyone who wants a durable, budget-friendly upgrade.
- Durability: ABS flexes slightly on impact rather than cracking, so it copes far better with kerbs, speed bumps, and stone chips than carbon fibre.
- Cost: Typically 40–60% cheaper than an equivalent carbon fibre panel.
- Finish: Supplied in gloss black or matte, ready to fit — some owners choose to paint-match ABS parts to the car's factory colour.
- Repair: Minor scuffs can be sanded and resprayed; cracked sections are cheap to replace.
Carbon Fibre Body Kits
Best for: show cars, track cars, and owners prioritising weight savings and a premium finish over outright durability.
- Weight: Significantly lighter than ABS — meaningful on track-focused builds where every kilogram counts.
- Finish: The woven carbon weave under a gloss or matte lacquer gives a finish ABS can't replicate.
- Durability: More brittle — a hard impact can crack or delaminate the panel rather than flex, and repairs are specialist and costly.
- Cost: A meaningful premium over ABS, reflecting the material and manufacturing process.
Which Should You Choose?
If your car is driven daily — school runs, motorway miles, tight car parks — ABS is the practical choice. It looks just as sharp as carbon from a few feet away, and a scrape on a speed bump won't mean an expensive repair. If your car is a weekend or show car where weight and finish matter more than day-to-day durability, carbon fibre is worth the extra cost.
A lot of our customers actually mix the two: ABS for high-risk areas like front splitters (the most kerb-exposed part of any body kit), and carbon fibre for lower-risk panels like a rear diffuser or spoiler.
Shop Both Materials
Every product on our site lists its material clearly, so you can compare ABS and carbon fibre options side by side for your exact model. Browse our BMW, Audi A4, and Mercedes C-Class ranges to see both options.