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

[Nickbmwcoupe]

Driving around today and noticed a very strange ''M POWERED'' car....

IT WAS A BLOODY TOYOTA AVENSIS!!!!!!! what a c*ck!!! lol

[Tango13]

My last car was a ex-demo 328 coupe which had genuine Alpina alloys, I used to enjoy parking it next to anything with fakes.

I once parked my M5 on the far side of an empty supermarket car park just so it was next to a chavved up 520 with both Alpina and M power badges on the boot. Mind you, I don't think the average chav would know a genuine M car if you ran them over with one,not that I would, might damage the car

[3ftandclean]

How embarrassing is the process of buying an M badge and then actually kneeling down behind a car and approximating the place that it should sit. Do people do it in the dark hoping not to be seen?

[groucho]

I just don't get it.

[Lord Pikey]

I saw one on the way home tonight, less than 4 miles from the home of BMW //M division. Thats just taking the piss

It was a facelift E39 with a //M badge on the back.

Give away was single exhaust.

[jonttt]

Just makes me laugh every time I see a non ///M car with an ///M badge (and I try to make sure they see me laughing and pointing).

I have a 530 M sport as my daily drive and there is no way I would put an ///M badge on it, its not an ///M.

///M badge = ///M engine to me and thats the way BMW do it from the factory.

I've got an ///M roadster (Z3) and to be fair I've only ever seen one non ///M Z3 with an ///M badge on. Even the guys who fit the ///M gills debadge them which is fair enough.

I pull out of my estate most mornings with a guy in a 520d msport, debadged blacked out windows all round and big eBay ///M badge on the rear. I laugh at him but I can't see his face !

[tomvcarter]

I rev it up at people with the fake badge, makes them feel bad & me feel good

[Podie]

While we're on the subject, why do people feel it necessary to precede the M with three slashes..?

[///Mike]

Podie said:

While we're on the subject, why do people feel it necessary to precede the M with three slashes..?

Thats what the emblem looks like.

[Podie]

///Mike said:

Podie said:

While we're on the subject, why do people feel it necessary to precede the M with three slashes..?

Thats what the emblem looks like.

[Lord Pikey]

Another one..

[blitzed007]

lol@kneeling down in the dark to put the badge on hoping not to be seen, that is a belter.

I still don't know why people do it, surely its not to impress women as they haven't got a clue what the differences are between a 523i and an M5. I think its funny when people do it with say a 545i or 550i and badge it as an M5, surely it would be cheaper just to buy an M5 rather than having to fork out money for quad exhausts, interiors, alloys etc...

[Tango13]

[quote] surely its not to impress women as they haven't got a clue what the differences are between a 523i and an M5.
[/quote]

I was out with a young lady Friday night who knew the difference between an M5 and a standard BMW, mind you her dad has an E-type and she was on her third Alfa so it could be something in the genes.

[Ev112]

///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.

Yes, but some Ms just have a plain M symbol with no model designation - so your argument about sticking it on just because it has got some lifestyle branding bits doesn't really work

[FishFace]

People do it because they are stupid s.

[smack]

There is photos (on the M5 board I think), of a spotted UK E39 M5, sporting 520i badges

[Great Pretender]

smack said:

There is photos (on the M5 board I think), of a spotted UK E39 M5, sporting 520i badges

This is almost as bad. What's wrong with simple debadging?

[belleair302]

I saw on the A 405 (Lonodn North Circular) on Saturday outside the huge Ikea an E60 dressed to look like an M5 but was clearly NOT the real deal. Why do these people waste their money on bits and pieces when at the traffic light GP they are caught with their pants down!!!!

[khushy]

its the MOWGLI SYNDROME - ooooo oooo ooooo . . . I wanna be like you-ooooo oooo . . .

LOL

khushy

[M5 Russ]

Talking of crap M Power badges I snapped this last year - and yes it is on a Fiesta