Car enthusiasts often face a troubling dilemma when it comes to protecting against nuisances like rock chips and salty slush: how do you keep your vehicle safe without jeopardizing the looks you bought the car for?
You could opt for mud flaps, sure, but they look better on a semi-truck than on a Honda Civic. Many other solutions prioritize functionality over form, but fortunately, Megachip Solutions balances the two with vehicle-specific mud guards for cars.
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How Car Splash Guard Design Began: Addressing Real-World Problems
Megachip came about after the founder attended an autocross event and noticed visible rock-chip damage on a Honda S2000, a common problem among sports car owners. That day, they developed a quick, homemade solution that worked well enough and informed later designs, which incorporated better materials and refined templates. Over time, this product made its way onto the forum sales and eventually into full production across over 20 vehicle applications.
Part of what makes Megachip’s car mud flaps unique is their use of a rubber-based material rather than rigid plastic. The flexibility in this design has helped it perform well in the company’s CFD and aerodynamic testing, both conducted to ensure that each car splash guard has minimal effect on vehicle performance.
Further improving their utility is the splash guards’ signature 45-degree outer edge, called the AeroEdge, intended to be both functional and visually distinctive.
Splash Guards Car Design: The OEM+ Fit and Finish Philosophy
Megachip describes its products as OEM+, meaning the company actively sources the materials for its splash guards.
It also designs and engineers its own aesthetics and performance enhancements to oversee these traits firsthand. This approach gives Megachip greater control over the manufacturing process, resulting in splash guards of such high quality that they seem to be created by the automaker itself.
Much of the brand’s dedication to quality is clear in its product design. While it isn’t terribly difficult to make mud flaps that protect cars against rock chips and dirt, doing so in a way that makes those flaps look like a natural part of the car itself is significantly more challenging. It’s this aspect of design that the company prides itself on most, as its splash guards are custom-fit to complement the vehicle’s design.
For example, the splash guards Megachip designs for cars, such as a splash guard for Honda Civic Si and a Honda Civic Type R, still differ because those vehicles differ, even if only a little. Since car enthusiasts can make those distinctions, Megachip does too.
This attention to detail becomes valuable when considering the nuances of modified cars. Their use of wider wheels and tires can increase the amount of debris thrown at the bodywork, making it imperative that the mud flaps they use account for these nuances. When splash guards are designed specifically for their unique dimensions, sports cars see fewer rock chips, less splash on the sides of the vehicle, less cleaning, and a better long-term appearance.
Industry Endorsements and Growth for Premium Mud Guards for Cars
Of course, none of these claims would mean much without some proof to back them up. To date, Megachip has worked with both Flyin’ Miata and IND Distribution on various splash guard sets, enabling the company to create splash guards for Miata and BMW models.
Megachip also created carbon fiber guards for the GR Corolla with Limit+1, in partnership with Toyota Parts Provider.
As the company continues to grow, the brand aims to either be acquired by or work directly with a wheel-and-tire-focused aftermarket company. Such a partnership would allow Megachip to pair its splash guards with new wheel purchases, a practical pairing, as widening one’s wheels and tires creates more opportunities to encounter rock chips and splashes.
Although Megachip Solutions’ offerings can look somewhat niche, they do so by design. Generic rock chip solutions do a reasonable job of keeping cars safe from mud and dirt. Still, Megachip recognizes that car enthusiasts care as much about the look of their cars as they do about protecting them. With its emphasis on OEM+ fit, finish, and performance, the company’s products are designed to keep cars clean with a minimalistic design.