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

[InductionRoar]

HoHoHo said:

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

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

Blame BMW not the driver or car!

M division or not it sounds an interesting proposition.

I want to see pics.

[Gunk]

InductionRoar said:

HoHoHo said:

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

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

Blame BMW not the driver or car!

M division or not it sounds an interesting proposition.

I want to see pics.

Sounds a bit bananas to me, why on earth would you want to turn a E92 320d coupe into an M3 when you can buy one off the shelf, I can understand building your own M3 touring or shoehorning an M3 V8 in to a 135i but converting a standard coupe just doesn't make any sense

[InductionRoar]

Gunk said:

Sounds a bit bananas to me, why on earth would you want to turn a E92 320d coupe into an M3 when you can buy one off the shelf, I can understand building your own M3 touring or shoehorning an M3 V8 in to a 135i but converting a standard coupe just doesn't make any sense

I agree and I wouldn't but I would be interested to see it. The amount of supporting work required would I would have thought made it a very difficult job. No mention of the gearbox?

[Thermobaric]

You must be in a country with weird car tax laws or something and cheap labour to do that right? Only reason to do a stealth M3 like that.

[AW10]

Years ago I met someone at the Ring who had build a complete E30 M3 from a standard E30 even installing the special rear screen assembly. It was a combination of high vehicle tax (one of the Scandinavian countries, probably Sweden), long dark winters cooped up indoors, access to cheap (relatively speaking) second hand parts from Germany and the tools and skills to hand.

[Gunk]

InductionRoar said:

Gunk said:

Sounds a bit bananas to me, why on earth would you want to turn a E92 320d coupe into an M3 when you can buy one off the shelf, I can understand building your own M3 touring or shoehorning an M3 V8 in to a 135i but converting a standard coupe just doesn't make any sense

I agree and I wouldn't but I would be interested to see it. The amount of supporting work required would I would have thought made it a very difficult job. No mention of the gearbox?

The M3 has a completely different drive train and a wider track.

[Wills2]

Gunk said:

InductionRoar said:

Gunk said:

Sounds a bit bananas to me, why on earth would you want to turn a E92 320d coupe into an M3 when you can buy one off the shelf, I can understand building your own M3 touring or shoehorning an M3 V8 in to a 135i but converting a standard coupe just doesn't make any sense

I agree and I wouldn't but I would be interested to see it. The amount of supporting work required would I would have thought made it a very difficult job. No mention of the gearbox?

The M3 has a completely different drive train and a wider track.

I think you'd also need to fit the wheel arches from an M3 as well to accommodate the new axles and wheels etc...

[InductionRoar]

Wills2 said:

Gunk said:

InductionRoar said:

Gunk said:

Sounds a bit bananas to me, why on earth would you want to turn a E92 320d coupe into an M3 when you can buy one off the shelf, I can understand building your own M3 touring or shoehorning an M3 V8 in to a 135i but converting a standard coupe just doesn't make any sense

I agree and I wouldn't but I would be interested to see it. The amount of supporting work required would I would have thought made it a very difficult job. No mention of the gearbox?

The M3 has a completely different drive train and a wider track.

I think you'd also need to fit the wheel arches from an M3 as well to accommodate the new axles and wheels etc...

The exhaust would be a fabrication job too if using the same 320D rear valance.

[Wills2]

InductionRoar said:

Wills2 said:

Gunk said:

InductionRoar said:

Gunk said:

Sounds a bit bananas to me, why on earth would you want to turn a E92 320d coupe into an M3 when you can buy one off the shelf, I can understand building your own M3 touring or shoehorning an M3 V8 in to a 135i but converting a standard coupe just doesn't make any sense

I agree and I wouldn't but I would be interested to see it. The amount of supporting work required would I would have thought made it a very difficult job. No mention of the gearbox?

The M3 has a completely different drive train and a wider track.

I think you'd also need to fit the wheel arches from an M3 as well to accommodate the new axles and wheels etc...

The exhaust would be a fabrication job too if using the same 320D rear valance.

Indeed to do it properly you'd need to change just about everything!

[MikeyM135i]

Can't say I'm overly keen on the fact my M135i is a "M" and not just a135i, having had a couple of "proper" / full fat M cars in the past for me it dilutes the brand. The 135 is a great little car but not special enough for a M badge, just a really good BMW.

Edited by MikeyM135i on Wednesday 3rd August 23:35

[Gunk]

MikeyM135i said:

Can't say I'm overly keen on the fact my M135i is a "M" and not just a135i, having had a couple of "proper" / full fat M cars in the past for me it dilutes the brand. The 135 is a great little car but not special enough for a M badge, just a really good BMW.

Edited by MikeyM135i on Wednesday 3rd August 23:35

You should have called yourself "Mikey135i" as a protest

[diehardbenzfan]

Sometimes you see E220 cdis with amg on the back of them too, doesnt make sense

[Wills2]

HoHoHo said:

I don't give a st about bragging to my mates about what car I have (currently an F10 M5 by the way ) 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

Edited by HoHoHo on Thursday 28th July 13:55

Regardless I'd be taking all of that off, not because it's not a proper M but because it doesn't very look good, but I'm sure the car will be a cracker.

I nearly got a 50d this year when I changed the M5 but went for an M3 instead but next time I might try the 50d I really like them.

[e21Mark]

If I ever bought a new M car I would probably opt for the free 'badge delete' option. I can understand BMW cashing in on the whole M thing even if I don't really approve. I doubt they care what I think anyway!?

Halfrauds ///Power badges are a bit 'special' though.

[ecain63]

Are there any BMW's without M badges now? I rarely see them without, old or new. Usually wonky (see wky also).

Is the new and equally shoddy trend the //M or German coloured front grille? WTF is that about? It's like the Dub scene is migrating to BMW land.

So glad i'm in an AMG now lol........... although I know it's a turning tide.

[Maracus]

ecain63 said:

Are there any BMW's without M badges now? I rarely see them without, old or new. Usually wonky (see wky also).

Is the new and equally shoddy trend the //M or German coloured front grille? WTF is that about? It's like the Dub scene is migrating to BMW land.

So glad i'm in an AMG now lol........... although I know it's a turning tide.

Mercedes are one of the worst! 'The AMG line'

They are as bad as BMW for the ///M badges.

[ecain63]

Maracus said:

ecain63 said:

Are there any BMW's without M badges now? I rarely see them without, old or new. Usually wonky (see wky also).

Is the new and equally shoddy trend the //M or German coloured front grille? WTF is that about? It's like the Dub scene is migrating to BMW land.

So glad i'm in an AMG now lol........... although I know it's a turning tide.

Mercedes are one of the worst! 'The AMG line'

They are as bad as BMW for the ///M badges.

Really? I see very few non AMG cars sporting AMG badges. AMG body kits maybe. //M badging is epidemic!

[Maracus]

ecain63 said:

Maracus said:

ecain63 said:

Are there any BMW's without M badges now? I rarely see them without, old or new. Usually wonky (see wky also).

Is the new and equally shoddy trend the //M or German coloured front grille? WTF is that about? It's like the Dub scene is migrating to BMW land.

So glad i'm in an AMG now lol........... although I know it's a turning tide.

Mercedes are one of the worst! 'The AMG line'

They are as bad as BMW for the ///M badges.

Really? I see very few non AMG cars sporting AMG badges. AMG body kits maybe. //M badging is epidemic!

On older BMWs I agree, ///M badging is epically out of control.

On newer stuff, the AMG badges are everywhere on the AMG Line xxxCDIs, albeit factory badges.

[Alex L]

I'd say there are more misbadged BMWs but I still see tonnes of Mercedes too.

Here's one from the North Circular this evening complete with 4 exhausts

[RossP]

This one had a huge M badge on the front grille too