Mirror housing II Mansory Carbon for Mercedes GLS X167

Mirror Housing II Mansory Carbon for Mercedes GLS X167

The Mirror Housing II is the more recent, more refined evolution of Mansory's full-replacement mirror sculpture for the Mercedes-Benz GLS X167 — a coachbuilt carbon shell that supersedes the entire painted OEM mirror cap rather than sitting on top of it. Within the wider Mansory Body Kit for Mercedes GLS X167 programme, this is the part that carries the bespoke language of the kit forward into the driver's eyeline: every glance to the wing mirror reads as woven 3K twill instead of body-coloured plastic. Specified by owners of GLS 450, GLS 580 4MATIC and AMG GLS 63 alike, the Housing II keeps the OEM electric folding mechanism, blind-spot LED, signal repeater and surround-view camera fully operational while reshaping the housing for a tauter, more chiselled silhouette behind the upright Mercedes A-pillar.

Construction & Materials

Mirror Housing II is a one-piece autoclave-cured carbon shell, designed to take over the structural duties of the OEM cap rather than ride on it. The geometry is engineered around the X167 mirror's electric fold pivot, blind-spot LED window and 360-degree camera aperture — every functional cut-out is moulded in, not retro-machined.

• 3K twill carbon weave laid up over a high-temperature epoxy tooling buck, vacuum-bagged and autoclave-cured for void-free laminate
• Wall thickness 1.6–2.0 mm with localised reinforcement around the pivot boss and camera/LED apertures
• Mass approximately 240–280 g per side as a finished housing, replacing an OEM painted cap and inner sub-frame of comparable weight
• Mansory deep-gloss UV-stable lacquer over exposed weave; satin finish optional on bespoke order
• Pre-fitted EPDM gasket on the mirror-base mating face for water seal against the door-puddle drain channel
• Stainless mounting hardware and OEM-pattern clips so the housing snaps onto the original sub-frame without bonding
• Aperture cut-outs for blind-spot LED, indicator repeater and surround-view camera lens are CNC-trimmed post-cure for perfect alignment
• Internal ribbing moulded in, supporting the carbon shell against wind buffeting at motorway speed without flex

Design & Visual Function

Mirror Housing II is a full-cap replacement: the painted OEM mirror cover and its inner shell are removed and discarded, and the Mansory carbon housing takes their place as the entire visible exterior of the mirror. That is the central decision an owner makes when specifying this part — there is no underlying body-coloured shell hiding beneath the carbon. The weave is the mirror. The geometry is subtly tauter than the OEM cap, with a sharper trailing edge and a flatter upper plane that reads more aggressively in profile, while the front face still flows into the GLS's upright A-pillar without breaking the production line.

All electronic and optical features the X167 driver relies on are retained. The blind-spot indicator LED on the leading edge keeps its full lens area; the side indicator repeater glows through its own moulded aperture; the surround-view camera lens sits flush in the underside scoop, with its washing channel preserved. Heated mirror glass, electric fold, electrochromic dimming and memory positioning all continue to operate from the OEM mirror module — Housing II touches nothing electrical and adds no draw to the door harness.

The X167 carries three mirror options in the Mansory carbon programme and the differences are real, not cosmetic. Mirror-housing-I is the earlier full-replacement design — same philosophy as Housing II, but with softer, rounder shoulders that echo the original Mansory language from the launch of the X167 programme. Mirror-housing-II, this part, is the refreshed full-replacement: tauter trailing edge, flatter upper plane, slightly more chiselled overall and the choice most often specified on facelift cars and on AMG GLS 63 builds where the tauter language matches the Panamericana grille. Mirror-cover-I is fundamentally different — it is an add-on cover that bonds OVER the existing painted OEM cap rather than replacing it. Cheaper, less invasive, faster to fit, and fully reversible without OEM-part replacement; but it leaves the painted shell underneath, adds a small amount of mass and a visible parting line at the cover's perimeter. Housing II is the choice when the brief is full bespoke replacement and zero compromise on weave depth at the edges.

Compatibility & Fitment

Mercedes-Benz GLS X167 from MY2020 onwards (2019 production start), all variants — GLS 450 with the 3.0 inline-six and EQ Boost mild-hybrid, GLS 580 4MATIC with the 4.0 V8 BiTurbo, and AMG GLS 63 4MATIC+ with its uprated V8 BiTurbo and 9G-TRONIC MCT box. The pre-facelift and facelift X167 share the mirror sub-frame, so Housing II fits both. The OEM mirror folding mechanism, electric adjustment motors, heated glass, blind-spot indicator, side repeater and surround-view camera are all retained without modification. There is no impact on AIRMATIC self-levelling, no impact on the panoramic-roof drainage path, and no clearance issue with the door-puddle lamp. Specification is identical for left-hand and right-hand drive; the housing is handed (driver / passenger side) and supplied as a pair.

Installation & Reversibility

Allow three to four hours per car at a Mercedes-certified body shop. The OEM mirror assembly is detached from the door, the glass and base trim removed, and the painted OEM cap is unclipped from its sub-frame and set aside; the inner sub-frame and electronics module remain on the car. The Mansory carbon Housing II is then snapped onto that original sub-frame via OEM-pattern clips and the supplied stainless hardware, the gasket seated against the mating face, and the assembly reattached to the door. The fold mechanism is reattached and full travel checked, blind-spot LED, repeater and camera are function-tested, and the door-puddle drain is verified clear. Reversibility is full — the original sub-frame and all electronics are untouched; if the owner ever wishes to revert to OEM, the painted cap simply clips back on. No coding, no harness splicing, no dealer reset required.

Pairing within the Mansory GLS X167 programme

Mirror Housing II is most often specified alongside the two other mirror options as part of a deliberate trade-off conversation. For owners weighing the full matrix, the natural cross-references are Mirror Housing I — the earlier, softer-shouldered full-replacement design — and Mirror Cover I, the add-on cover that bonds over the OEM cap for owners who want the woven look without committing to a full housing swap. Housing II also pairs visually with the Front Fender Panel and the Fender Extensions — the three together draw a continuous carbon line from the wing through the A-pillar and into the door's mirror plinth, which is the silhouette most often signed off on AMG GLS 63 specifications.

Maintenance & Durability

The lacquered carbon finish is a deep-gloss two-pack UV-stable system, and it rewards a glass-cleaner-and-microfibre regime more than it rewards aggressive shampoos. A ceramic coating applied at handover gives a multi-year hydrophobic barrier and lifts UV protection further; carnauba is acceptable but needs more frequent reapplication. What kills lacquered carbon is alkaline wheel cleaner overspray, ammonia-based glass sprays, traffic-film removers left to dry on, and abrasive sponges — all of these can haze the lacquer and, in extreme cases, lift the UV layer off the weave. The GLS sees school-run, long-distance and the occasional gravel driveway, and the wing-mirror zone catches stone-chip from front-axle spray, so paint protection film over the leading edge of each housing is a small upfront cost that pays back the first time a 50 mph chip hits. If a panel is ever struck, Mansory and authorised refinishers can re-laminate and re-clear the affected face without replacing the whole housing.

Lead Time & Warranty

Lead time is four to eight weeks from order, reflecting Mansory bespoke production cadence — autoclave slots, lacquer cure and quality inspection are not parallelisable. A twelve-month manufacturer warranty covers laminate defects, lacquer adhesion and dimensional tolerance against the OEM mirror sub-frame. Installation time at a certified shop is three to four hours; if the housings are ordered alongside front-fender panels or fender extensions, a half-day combined slot is sensible.

FAQ

Q: When should I pick Housing II over Housing I or Mirror Cover I?
A: Housing II is the choice when you want the most recent, tauter, more chiselled language and a full-cap replacement with no painted OEM shell underneath — typically on facelift cars and on AMG GLS 63 builds. Housing I is the right call if you prefer the softer-shouldered original Mansory language. Mirror Cover I is the right call if you want the carbon look without committing to a full housing swap, and value lower cost and faster, fully reversible installation.

Q: Does Housing II fit GLS 450, GLS 580 and AMG GLS 63 equally?
A: Yes. The mirror sub-frame is shared across all X167 trims and across pre-facelift and facelift cars, so Housing II fits all three engine variants without trim-specific parts.

Q: How much weight does Housing II save versus the painted OEM cap?
A: Net mass is broadly comparable — the carbon shell takes over the structural job the OEM cap did, so the saving is small (tens of grams per side). The point of Housing II is bespoke material and geometry, not aerodynamic weight reduction.

Q: If a housing is damaged, can a single side be replaced?
A: Yes. The housings are handed and shipped as a pair but can be reordered individually, and minor lacquer or weave damage can be re-laminated and re-cleared by authorised refinishers without a full pair replacement.

Q: How long does the install take and is it reversible?
A: Three to four hours per car. Reversibility is full — the OEM sub-frame and electronics are never modified, so the painted OEM cap can be re-clipped and the car returned to factory cosmetic spec at any point.

Pair Mirror Housing II with the wider X167 carbon programme through a single bespoke conversation — message WhatsApp +44 7488 818 747 or write to [email protected] for a coordinated build sheet across mirrors, fenders and the front-end carbon.