People who put M Badges on standard BMW's

[boardinscotland]

Please help me understand this one.

As my girlfriend said for someone who doesn't know about cars then they won't be noticed and for those who do you know its not a M BMW so why. There is even a guy round here who has painted his grill in the M colours on a 320d.


Don't get it myself so can someone explain please.

G

[MethylatedSpirit]

To prove to their mates their car is awesome

For me it gives an indication that the person is best avoided.

[S2red]

Having been looking at and buying one recently some have an M badge when it has M sport suspension package

But some delusional folk do put M badges on for show

[Sy1441]

Up until recently it was generally done as a cheap mod by people who wish they owned the real M car but couldn't stretch to it, daft.

Now it seems they're rolling off the forecourt with them attached if they have the M-Styling/Suspension.

[boardinscotland]

I know some have the M sport badges but definitely seen a loyt more with the M power badge stuck on the back.

G

[m3coupe]

This has been my pet hate for years. An ex work colleague years back told me he had a M3 replica, all he'd done was stick M badges on the front and back of a totally standard 320 saloon. Took all my self control not to hit him.

Strangely I was speaking to my wife about this the other week, she couldn't work out why you'd do it either, her comment went along the lines of if I stick a Ferrari badge to the front of my car, it would still be a VW but people would laugh at me.

[monthefish]

M-Sport vehicles, like mine, are fitted with many M badges from the factory.
I am not, in any way, under the impression that my car is an M3, although there are more components shared than the M fan-bois would like to believe , and the misplaced snobbery of M3/M5 drivers is quite laughable.

I'm amazed at the level of anger it seems to atract on PH. Yes, the ones added to the bootlid etc do look a bit daft, but I pity those that choose to do this more than anything else, as it suggests that they don;t have the car they really want. I'm certainly not angry at them.

m3coupe said:

Took all my self control not to hit him.

WTF?
You have issues.

[Shenanigans]

Seen many bmw's stickered/badged up with M stuff.

As much as its funny to see, I don't know why it would make someone angry. Each to their own.

[northnoble]

.......then again, you could simply ram raid Halfrauds and fit a pointless big exhaust.

Some people obviously have more money than sense (or at least want people to think they have more money!)

Saying that my X35D MSport did come with quite a few M badges (steering wheel, sills etc) none of which were specified or added!

[750turbo]

In a similar vein, I once put the massive Triumph sticker (from the bonnet of a TR7 I think) on the bonnet of my Dolomite, I thought it was fabulous.....at the time.

(It was 32 years ago )

Oh, and have a read.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Couple of pages there

[boardinscotland]

750turbo said:

In a similar vein, I once put the massive Triumph sticker (from the bonnet of a TR7 I think) on the bonnet of my Dolomite, I thought it was fabulous.....at the time.

(It was 32 years ago )

Oh, and have a read.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Couple of pages there

There is a fair amount of ranting on that one and thats only on the first page ;-)

G

[boardinscotland]

m3coupe said:

This has been my pet hate for years. An ex work colleague years back told me he had a M3 replica, all he'd done was stick M badges on the front and back of a totally standard 320 saloon. Took all my self control not to hit him.

Strangely I was speaking to my wife about this the other week, she couldn't work out why you'd do it either, her comment went along the lines of if I stick a Ferrari badge to the front of my car, it would still be a VW but people would laugh at me.

Off to find a ferrari badge for my barge

G

[Monaro5.7]

boardinscotland said:

Off to find a ferrari badge for my barge

G

G why not put a RANGE ROVER Badge on your TVR same engine

[Newro]

monthefish said:

M-Sport vehicles, like mine, are fitted with many M badges from the factory.

Yes. When you buy a new BMW, the Aufpreisliste is full of more or less desirable trimming options. Like sports seats, or sports suspension. Often, ticking one of these option comes with an "M Badge", which gets fitted at the factory.

I personally would rather have an M3 with no badge than an 320 with sports seats and a badge, but there you go.

Lots of people will stick M badges all over their second hand car, no doubt. But the bulk of shiny new BMW's bearing the M are probably factory fitted.


BMW is by far not the only one who does that. Mercedes for example will sell you the C180, with exactly the same BlueMotion engine, as AMG version. In that case I would actually be happy to pay extra for AMG, as it comes with the much nicer grill in the front. Also, Merc used to (and probably still does) charge you extra for the AMG badge ... even if you bought a proper AMG! And not cheap either, used to be close to €100! Makes you wonder who would pay that kind of money for a badge? Given that on a 100K car, 0.1% does seem like a drop in the ocean, but at face value, that is one hell of a rip-off.

[douglasgdmw]

Done the opposite on my M-Sport 335D X-Drive Tourer.

Only badges are the M ones on the side, the rear is de-badged. Majority of people think its a 320D until the realise they can't keep up.

Only those in the know realise its either a 330 or 335 by the twin pipe exhausts.

George

[monthefish]

Newro said:

monthefish said:

M-Sport vehicles, like mine, are fitted with many M badges from the factory.

Yes. When you buy a new BMW, the Aufpreisliste is full of more or less desirable trimming options. Like sports seats, or sports suspension. Often, ticking one of these option comes with an "M Badge", which gets fitted at the factory.

I personally would rather have an M3 with no badge than an 320 with sports seats and a badge, but there you go.

Well I would rather have my 320d than an M3, otherwise I would have bought an M3 (in fact, the car that the 320d replaced was a BMW with a bigger V8 engine than the M3)

I couldn't give a stuff about the badges on it, or even no badges at all.

However the M-Sport 'extras' are all excellent, specifically the seats and the exterior looks, and it all comes as part of the M-sport model.

Edited by monthefish on Wednesday 29th October 13:39

[Newro]

monthefish said:

Well I would rather have my 320d than an M3, otherwise I would have bought an M3 (in fact, the car that the 320d replaced was a BMW with a bigger V8 engine than the M3)

I couldn't give a stuff about the badges on it, or even no badges at all.

However the M-Sport 'extras' are all excellent, specifically the seats and the exterior looks, and it all comes as part of the M-sport model.

Edited by monthefish on Wednesday 29th October 13:39

No criticism intended. My current run around is an XF with a 3.0D rather then a 5.0 V8 (or even 3.0L V6 petrol), probably for the same reason.

Been a couple of years now since I was at a BMW dealership. And most of the options were quite desirable, or at least a matter of taste. The sports seats for example were lovely, and I wish I could have them, or at least something similar, on the Jag. But from the 3 suspension options to choose from, one I remember to be diabolically hard for Scottish roads. Sales person at the time said that the run-flats they just started to fit as standard were not helping that either. While I am willing to believe that, one would hope they would have adjusted to suspension to compensate the ride for the harder tyres, especially if they start fitting them as standard now.

Other ornamental things and gadgets that I thought to be silly, other people might like. But that is the same with pretty much every manufacturer these days. If you drill through the option lists, some you fancy others just don't float your boat.

[Kiltie]

m3coupe said:

This has been my pet hate for years. An ex work colleague years back told me he had a M3 replica, all he'd done was stick M badges on the front and back of a totally standard 320 saloon. Took all my self control not to hit him.

You should have hit him.

Definitely.

[GetCarter]

I de-badged my M3 E46 (!) and met a bloke on a track day who had shoved an 'M' onto the back of his 318.

Overtaking was never such fun.

[boardinscotland]

Monaro5.7 said:

G why not put a RANGE ROVER Badge on your TVR same engine

Oi lol