Why do people put "M" badges on non-M cars?

Why do people put "M" badges on non-M cars?

Author
Discussion

_rubinho_

1,237 posts

184 months

Tuesday 26th July 2016
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It's a 645i...


NelsonM3

1,687 posts

172 months

Tuesday 26th July 2016
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RichardM5 said:
CoolHands said:
I don't know much about bmw models, so this could be real? But it didn't look it, it looked faintly ridiculous in real life.

Is it a real model?

It's real, just as it left the factory unfortunately.
Took me a while to realise these weren't put on by the owners. It looks awful. I can't believe BMW didn't put any effort into making smaller badges.

The GMan

2,508 posts

256 months

Wednesday 27th July 2016
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_rubinho_ said:
It's a 645i...

Its also an SE, you can tell by the chrome around the Windows.

thebraketester

14,256 posts

139 months

Wednesday 27th July 2016
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Just for fun!

Neither is it a TDI.

Thermobaric

725 posts

121 months

Wednesday 27th July 2016
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I was wondering why I kept seeing a bunch of these around. Crazy it's factory badging. I just thought it was same berk.


HoHoHo

14,987 posts

251 months

Wednesday 27th July 2016
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Thermobaric said:
I was wondering why I kept seeing a bunch of these around. Crazy it's factory badging. I just thought it was same berk.

I thought you lot were petrolheads......it's an off-the-shelf model and that's how it comes wink

Mine arrives in 6 weeks complete with its model inscription smile

Thermobaric

725 posts

121 months

Wednesday 27th July 2016
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HoHoHo said:
I thought you lot were petrolheads......it's an off-the-shelf model and that's how it comes wink
That's my excuse :P

HoHoHo

14,987 posts

251 months

Wednesday 27th July 2016
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Thermobaric said:
HoHoHo said:
I thought you lot were petrolheads......it's an off-the-shelf model and that's how it comes wink
That's my excuse :P
laugh

robbiekhan

1,467 posts

178 months

Thursday 28th July 2016
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It does look pretty dumb though to be fair!

HoHoHo

14,987 posts

251 months

Thursday 28th July 2016
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robbiekhan said:
It does look pretty dumb though to be fair!
It's the model designation, why does it look dumb confused

Have you seen the back of any Porsche for the last few years ;

_rubinho_

1,237 posts

184 months

Thursday 28th July 2016
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The GMan said:
_rubinho_ said:
It's a 645i...

Its also an SE, you can tell by the chrome around the Windows.
Good shout thumbup

robbiekhan

1,467 posts

178 months

Thursday 28th July 2016
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HoHoHo said:
It's the model designation, why does it look dumb confused

Have you seen the back of any Porsche for the last few years ;
Styling consistency is the key. It's not a proper M car, so doesn't warrant the M car badge, the mashup of text looks like a needlessly busy watch dial or a shopping list often found on body panels of Max Power cars.

This is just my opinion, but it looks messy and aftermarket.

I don't really care if it's factory, just look at it! The "designation" takes up an entire quarter of the rear track width!

You can't point at Porsche either, their designations and badges are elegant and tasteful and consistent with the Porsche design style that has been there since the very start, as opposed to BMW's recent BADGE ALL THE THINGS!!! ethos to appease customers, and so they can tell their mates at the pub that they have an M car innit.

Edited by robbiekhan on Thursday 28th July 13:45


Edited by robbiekhan on Thursday 28th July 13:46

HoHoHo

14,987 posts

251 months

Thursday 28th July 2016
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robbiekhan said:
HoHoHo said:
It's the model designation, why does it look dumb confused

Have you seen the back of any Porsche for the last few years ;
Styling consistency is the key. It's not a proper M car, so doesn't warrant the M car badge, the mashup of text looks like a needlessly busy watch dial or a shopping list often found on body panels of Max Power cars.

This is just my opinion, but it looks messy and aftermarket.

I don't really care if it's factory, just look at it! The "designation" takes up an entire quarter of the rear track width!

You can't point at Porsche either, their designations and badges are elegant and tasteful and consistent with the Porsche design style that has been there since the very start, as opposed to BMW's recent BADGE ALL THE THINGS!!! ethos to appease customers, and so they can tell their mates at the pub that they have an M car innit.

Edited by robbiekhan on Thursday 28th July 13:45


Edited by robbiekhan on Thursday 28th July 13:46
I don't give a st about bragging to my mates about what car I have (currently an F10 M5 by the way smile ) and the badge is just the badge to me, it means nothing more or less than the model name and the last thing I would personally do is try and pass it as an M car - that said BMW feel it's worthy of it as is they do the 135 and 235 et al.

I guess we're all different and that's a good thing thumbup

Edited by HoHoHo on Thursday 28th July 13:55

robbiekhan

1,467 posts

178 months

Thursday 28th July 2016
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No no, M cars should only have ///MX and nothing else!

HoHoHo

14,987 posts

251 months

Thursday 28th July 2016
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robbiekhan said:
No no, M cars should only have ///MX and nothing else!
There is clearly a two tier M selection with the upper tier being the M2, 3 or whatever and the others M135, M235 etc. which have still had some fetteling from the M division hence they are not simply a 135M Sport for example.

I totally understand why they've done it and it can't be done any other way currently.

bigkeeko

1,370 posts

144 months

Thursday 28th July 2016
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Asked this question to a guy at work that has the much revered 320d why it was plastered in M badges and the ///M number plates etc. His answer ( and I sh*t you not) was "It has nearly 200hp, name another diesel around here with that much power. I can take most things"

Needless to say he is a bit of a walloper and drives like a complete tool.

Here's the thing though. I have a slightly tweaked R34 GTR and he has the four door 320d. Even if I was to drive like a maniac on the public road on the way home from work (which I wouldn't obviously), getting into 3 figures and weaving in and out of traffic he'd take massive risks to keep up and stupid attempts at overtaking. That is because that is the way he drives and by keeping up with other idiots or passing older guys in say, Jaguar Type Rs he genuinely thinks he has an awesome faster car.

Being stupid is like being dead. Everyone knows but you.

JohnG123

623 posts

131 months

Thursday 28th July 2016
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The biggest culprit is BMW themselves.

HoHoHo

14,987 posts

251 months

Thursday 28th July 2016
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JohnG123 said:
The biggest culprit is BMW themselves.
yes

Liam9300

3 posts

93 months

Tuesday 2nd August 2016
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I have a 2L 2011 E92 coupe it is branded as the "msport" package and has all of the little ///M badges inside. As soon as you open the doors there is an aluminium plate on the seals, badges on the steering wheel, gear stick and on my wheels. Does this mean I have a car that is on the same level as an e92 M3? No of course not not so if I were to put an ///M badge on my boot I would look and feel like a giant tit.

Now my car also has the complete E92 M3 drivetrain, breaks and suspension, the total cost of buying my car and doing all of the M3 upgrade work on it totalled more than the cost of buying a genuine 2011 E92 M3 (at he time of purchase and work completion in 2015) and yet I still wouldn't put a M3 badge on it even if if is M3 powered, why? Because it still isn't an M3 but what it is, is a car that looks like the completely standard 320i (apart from the big brake upgrade) and when a little kid in his fiesta ST or someone in a 335d wants to try and show off a little I can rev up the V8 and watch them in my mirrors wink

Long story short do not put M badges on your car unless it is a genuine factory M car and before anyone asks no "Msport" package cars don't count

Edited by Liam9300 on Tuesday 2nd August 12:09

HoHoHo

14,987 posts

251 months

Tuesday 2nd August 2016
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Liam9300 said:
I have a 2L 2011 E92 coupe it is branded as the "msport" package and has all of the little ///M badges inside. As soon as you open the doors there is an aluminium plate on the seals, badges on the steering wheel, gear stick and on my wheels. Does this mean I have a car that is on the same level as an e92 M3? No of course not not so if I were to put an ///M badge on my boot I would look and feel like a giant tit.

Now my car also has the complete E92 M3 drivetrain, breaks and suspension, the total cost of buying my car and doing all of the M3 upgrade work on it totalled more than the cost of buying a genuine 2011 E92 M3 (at he time of purchase and work completion in 2015) and yet I still wouldn't put a M3 badge on it even if if is M3 powered, why? Because it still isn't an M3 but what it is, is a car that looks like the completely standard 320i (apart from the big brake upgrade) and when a little kid in his fiesta ST or someone in a 335d wants to try and show off a little I can rev up the V8 and watch them in my mirrors wink

Long story short do not put M badges on your car unless it is a genuine factory M car and before anyone asks no "Msport" package cars don't count

Edited by Liam9300 on Tuesday 2nd August 12:09
However, the M235, M135, X5 M50d and X6 M50D have all been fettled by M Division hence they are not simply M Sport......your car hasn't and regardless of the money you've spent it's simply a 320D.

Like it or not, those are the facts. They are not trying to be an M, they are simply confirming they are a part of the family yes

Blame BMW not the driver or car!