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

[sjj84]

There's a 320 that I've seen locally with the number plate NICE M.

[ben]

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/1378778.htm

[NicoG]

mat205125 said:

Great Pretender said:

///Mike said:

Nothing wrong with an ///M badge on a BMW with M Sport bits.

M3 badge should be reserved for M3s though etc etc.

Apart from the fact it signifies nothing other than some plastic tat and an overly firm ride you mean?

Tat is probably a little harsh. The M Sport cars are invariably good looking cars.

Its a shame that "Sport" wasn't enough for these cars, and "M" had to be included at the same time .... The M brand was cheapened, and the "Sport" models lost some of their individual merit that the E34, E36, and E30 had, for example.

^^ He's so right - coming from someone who has owned all the of the above mention 'Sport Platforms' they're special in their own right they didn't need 'M'ing then so why now?

One only has to peruse the classifieds to see that a decent E36 328 Sport is commanding strong money. My E34 525 Sport was an absolutely brilliant car - I was gutted when the guy sold it to emailed me to tell me that it sailed thru the MOT when the last 2 had cost me £600 each !!

[groucho]

Great Pretender said:

Daz507 said:

Ha!! Well at least my car now says "M5" on the back and it is one :-)

Good man.

Ironically, 99% of people will think it isn't

Well, they can come and test us then.

[paulm3]

i see a chap in a 08 plate 320i single exhaust nearly every day, he has a M3 badge on the back, and under the indicators. I laugh at him and try and ask him why every time i see him... but he always drives away or sticks his finger up at me!!

also seen an X3 with huge ebay type ///M badges on the boot, in teh front grill, doors etc!! the driver had a fake ///M jacket on too with huge logo's. oh how me and my friend laughed, even got a pic somewhere of it.. i'll dig it out.

Edited by paulm3 on Tuesday 2nd February 09:37

[RVVUNM]

Saw am M3 with 318i badges on once.............Thats not so bad.

[///Mike]

NicoG said:

mat205125 said:

Great Pretender said:

///Mike said:

Nothing wrong with an ///M badge on a BMW with M Sport bits.

M3 badge should be reserved for M3s though etc etc.

Apart from the fact it signifies nothing other than some plastic tat and an overly firm ride you mean?

Tat is probably a little harsh. The M Sport cars are invariably good looking cars.

Its a shame that "Sport" wasn't enough for these cars, and "M" had to be included at the same time .... The M brand was cheapened, and the "Sport" models lost some of their individual merit that the E34, E36, and E30 had, for example.

^^ He's so right - coming from someone who has owned all the of the above mention 'Sport Platforms' they're special in their own right they didn't need 'M'ing then so why now?

One only has to peruse the classifieds to see that a decent E36 328 Sport is commanding strong money. My E34 525 Sport was an absolutely brilliant car - I was gutted when the guy sold it to emailed me to tell me that it sailed thru the MOT when the last 2 had cost me £600 each !!

I have to dissagree, its not plastic tat is it? For example, an M steering wheel does enhance the driving experience of your 316i over the stadard steering wheel with the thumb grips etc etc. In the case of the steering wheels its the same product that you would find on the real M. It gives the buyer who wants to experience some of the feel of an M, some of the feel of an M without the running costs even if it is only a very tiny part of the overall experience. The M Sport kit on the e36 for example is pretty much exactly the same as the M3 bar the slats in the air dam on the front bumper. Therefore giving the looks and aerodynamic efficiency of the M3.

I don't have an M badge on my car but it is registered as an M Sport.If it would have come with an M badge from factory I would have had no problem with it as it does have many parts that are from the ///M department that enhance the look and performance and have been specifically designed for the car. For example, the M sport front bumper with fog light delete in favour of brake cooling, the 6 pot brakes that are actually better than those found on the E9* M3 etc etc.

M3 badge on an car that is not an M3 is a big no no but an M badge is fine if its wearing M goodies. They were expensive options.

It like saying that S Line A3 2.0TDI should not wear an S badge as its not an S3. I don't get it.

[threesixty]

///Mike said:

NicoG said:

[quote=mat205125
It like saying that S Line A3 2.0TDI should not wear an S badge as its not an S3. I don't get it.

Well no, the S-line badges are standard on S-line cars.

[Daz507]

There's a massive difference between "M sport" and real M cars, just as there is with "S line" and S models.

That wasn't the original post though, putting an "M" badge on an M Sport car is acceptable (I suppose) but putting an M3 / M5 badge on a car that clearly isn't is just wishful thinking and wrong.

[Funk]

I have an M-Sport which has standard 'M' badges (steering wheel, gearstick, kickplates and wheels). Wouldn't dream of putting an M badge on the back of a 123d though - it's pathetic.

[Great Pretender]

///Mike said:

NicoG said:

mat205125 said:

Great Pretender said:

///Mike said:

Nothing wrong with an ///M badge on a BMW with M Sport bits.

M3 badge should be reserved for M3s though etc etc.

Apart from the fact it signifies nothing other than some plastic tat and an overly firm ride you mean?

Tat is probably a little harsh. The M Sport cars are invariably good looking cars.

Its a shame that "Sport" wasn't enough for these cars, and "M" had to be included at the same time .... The M brand was cheapened, and the "Sport" models lost some of their individual merit that the E34, E36, and E30 had, for example.

^^ He's so right - coming from someone who has owned all the of the above mention 'Sport Platforms' they're special in their own right they didn't need 'M'ing then so why now?

One only has to peruse the classifieds to see that a decent E36 328 Sport is commanding strong money. My E34 525 Sport was an absolutely brilliant car - I was gutted when the guy sold it to emailed me to tell me that it sailed thru the MOT when the last 2 had cost me £600 each !!

I have to dissagree, its not plastic tat is it? For example, an M steering wheel does enhance the driving experience of your 316i over the stadard steering wheel with the thumb grips etc etc. In the case of the steering wheels its the same product that you would find on the real M. It gives the buyer who wants to experience some of the feel of an M, some of the feel of an M without the running costs even if it is only a very tiny part of the overall experience. The M Sport kit on the e36 for example is pretty much exactly the same as the M3 bar the slats in the air dam on the front bumper. Therefore giving the looks and aerodynamic efficiency of the M3.

I don't have an M badge on my car but it is registered as an M Sport.If it would have come with an M badge from factory I would have had no problem with it as it does have many parts that are from the ///M department that enhance the look and performance and have been specifically designed for the car. For example, the M sport front bumper with fog light delete in favour of brake cooling, the 6 pot brakes that are actually better than those found on the E9* M3 etc etc.

M3 badge on an car that is not an M3 is a big no no but an M badge is fine if its wearing M goodies. They were expensive options.

It like saying that S Line A3 2.0TDI should not wear an S badge as its not an S3. I don't get it.

Well I'm afraid I disagree.

///M stands for motorsport. Back in the day a BMW adorned with such used to signify it as a car with direct lineage to proper racing kit.

I'm firmly in the old school camp and believe that an ///M badge should only grace a car that has come out of Garching and not Munich (E39 excepted).

BMW's Next suit wearing marketing department think otherwise of course.

As for the Audi S-lines; well I don’t think you can possibly compare the two.

[0836whimper]

426Hemi said:

ben said:

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/1378778.htm

Is it even possible to get anymore M badges on that car?

It's the SMG part I don't get....

[deano23]

I can handle the //m badge on a car if it is indeed //m sport trim, but m3, m5 or m6 on anything that obviously isn't worries me a little.

How deluded must these people be in other areas of life? I;ve seen some real shockers in the past, not just with //m delusion but 'rs' on a mk1 s3 (I think he'd stuck the 'r' on), R32 badge on car blatantly not an R32 golf.

Saw an E36 3.16 with both the 316 badge and also an m3 badge. Not good.

[Zod]

Daz507 said:

There's a massive difference between "M sport" and real M cars, just as there is with "S line" and S models.

That wasn't the original post though, putting an "M" badge on an M Sport car is acceptable (I suppose) but putting an M3 / M5 badge on a car that clearly isn't is just wishful thinking and wrong.

S-Line and S are not that different. RS is different.

[NickXX]

///Mike said:

NicoG said:

mat205125 said:

Great Pretender said:

///Mike said:

Nothing wrong with an ///M badge on a BMW with M Sport bits.

M3 badge should be reserved for M3s though etc etc.

Apart from the fact it signifies nothing other than some plastic tat and an overly firm ride you mean?

Tat is probably a little harsh. The M Sport cars are invariably good looking cars.

Its a shame that "Sport" wasn't enough for these cars, and "M" had to be included at the same time .... The M brand was cheapened, and the "Sport" models lost some of their individual merit that the E34, E36, and E30 had, for example.

^^ He's so right - coming from someone who has owned all the of the above mention 'Sport Platforms' they're special in their own right they didn't need 'M'ing then so why now?

One only has to peruse the classifieds to see that a decent E36 328 Sport is commanding strong money. My E34 525 Sport was an absolutely brilliant car - I was gutted when the guy sold it to emailed me to tell me that it sailed thru the MOT when the last 2 had cost me £600 each !!

I have to dissagree, its not plastic tat is it? For example, an M steering wheel does enhance the driving experience of your 316i over the stadard steering wheel with the thumb grips etc etc. In the case of the steering wheels its the same product that you would find on the real M. It gives the buyer who wants to experience some of the feel of an M, some of the feel of an M without the running costs even if it is only a very tiny part of the overall experience. The M Sport kit on the e36 for example is pretty much exactly the same as the M3 bar the slats in the air dam on the front bumper. Therefore giving the looks and aerodynamic efficiency of the M3.

I don't have an M badge on my car but it is registered as an M Sport.If it would have come with an M badge from factory I would have had no problem with it as it does have many parts that are from the ///M department that enhance the look and performance and have been specifically designed for the car. For example, the M sport front bumper with fog light delete in favour of brake cooling, the 6 pot brakes that are actually better than those found on the E9* M3 etc etc.

M3 badge on an car that is not an M3 is a big no no but an M badge is fine if its wearing M goodies. They were expensive options.

It like saying that S Line A3 2.0TDI should not wear an S badge as its not an S3. I don't get it.

I don't like the M badges as I think they are a little OTT and don't really add anything to the style.

I love the M sport kit, but why badge every single item? My 330d had an M badge on each will, each kick plate, steering wheel, gearknob etc.

My M3 has the same M badges, but on top of that: One on engine, strut brace, EACH of the 4 callipers, the headrests(!), side grilles, bootlid and probably a few more places. Just seems a touch excessive.

[Wayne King]

M3RMS said:

Spot the error here (from a Manchester car park a few months back).....

It's parked within the lines..

[rassi]

I chose to debadge my M5, looks cleaner and just reinforces the stealth element (obvious M5 give-aways excluded, of course)

[Tango13]

I'm not sure if you can still buy them but a while back BMW were selling polo shirts with the ///M badge on the rear of the right shoulder. And yes I bought one

[Wayne King]

Tango13 said:

I'm not sure if you can still buy them but a while back BMW were selling polo shirts with the ///M badge on the rear of the right shoulder. And yes I bought one

Did i just read that correctly? Rear right shoulder..

[Tango13]

YUP!, I'll try and post a picture.