This has never been an issue for me, until now.
I’m not the type of car enthusiast who frets over having holes in the front bumpers of his cars. Obviously I concur with the viewpoint the styling of the front end gets absolutely ruined by having to fit a license plate, and drilling holes into a pristine bumper is a complete antithesis to my obsession with vehicular perfection, however Sisyphean that may be. But rules are rules, and California is a state that requires a front plate. I much rather follow the law, suffer that slight bit of blemish to the front end of my cars, and lessen the probability of getting pull over by highway patrol.
In my two previous cars, the decision to run front plates was made for me: both the WRX STI and the MX-5 Miata was purchased new, and the dealership have already drilled holes onto the bumper before delivery. With the deed having been done, using a front plate was the only option, because otherwise having two holes out front where the plate should be is even more unsightly.
The GT3 presents a conundrum: I bought it used, and the previous owners have elected to not run a front plate. Therefore there aren’t holes in the front bumper, no provisions at all for me to affix a plate. The selling dealership didn’t even have the original plate holder that screws into the bumper, figuring buyers of 911s and its ilk aren’t wont to run front plates anyways. They would be correct, but I guess I’m not the typical 911 owner.
My full intention was to put the front plate on the GT3, to avoid as much extra attention as possible in a car that innately grabs attention. However, for the first time ever I have a vehicle with an unmolested front bumper, and I wasn’t exactly keen to drill fresh holes into it; another solution was required. After some research, I decided the best non-destructive method to run a front plate was via the tow-hook, in the form of a specialized mount. $100 dollars later, I had a CravenSpeed Platypus mount ready for the actual plates to arrive.
Well, it’s been three solid weeks since the plates came in the mail, and yet I’ve only had the rear license plate mounted to the GT3. When it came time to actually put on the front plate, I can’t seem to be bring myself to do it, and there are reasons. Primarily it’s because I don’t commute in the car, only pleasure driving on the weekends, so the chances of running into cops hunting for plate offenders are very slim. No meter-maid is ever going to ticket me because I hardly ever park the GT3 in a metered spot.
Praying on the fact there are fewer cops on the weekends, and those who are out there aren’t bothered enough to stop cars for lowly plate violations, I am willing to risk not having a front license plate. Indeed, the GT3 looks immensely better without it, the purity of the iconic styling preserved.
I’ll put on the front plate when I go on road trips, but for now, I shall live on the edge…