Bumper structure for a motor vehicle

A bumper cross member 1 for a motor vehicle encompasses an inlay 3comprised of fiber-reinforced composite material. The bumper has grooves 4 forward and rear facing which have reinforcing structures 2, 8 contained within them, i.e. the groove or channel on the front or back of the bumper can be filled with the inlay. The reinforcing structures may be in the form of mesh or grid shaped ribs 8 which can either be flush with the cross member or extend outwardly from the cross member and protrude onto the bumper skin (14, fig. 4). The ribs can define a plurality of open chambers (20) that can house distance or parking sensors (21). The bumper may also have crash boxes either end which have a tapering wall thickness toward its open end facing away from the bumper cross member.