The M Badge on non-M cars debate, a slightly different twist
Discussion
My new beemer has no external M badges however, due to having the m-sport package has M-sport lip sills, gear lever and steering wheel. Not something that really bothered me as at least it hasn't got them externally but the first thing the old man said when he saw the open door and M sill badges was, "It isn't an M1 though is it?". Good lad! At least he has some values.
Nigel Worc's said:
Gosh, chaps, it's just a badge.
Nobody really cares.
If young Johnny can only afford to insure a 316i or something, and he wants to spend time and money making it look a little like an M3, or whatever, then good luck to him
I agree, what does it REALLY matter?! The whole thing is a contrived marketing exercise, one that clearly works really well, to make "M" so routed in the psyche that to replicate something that is owned by a major German car manufacturer, when it shouldn't be used cause such an ongoing debate is akin to miracle making in terms of a commercial business offering...I wish I could come up with an "M" equivalent in my business world, I could be minted!!Nobody really cares.
If young Johnny can only afford to insure a 316i or something, and he wants to spend time and money making it look a little like an M3, or whatever, then good luck to him
dustystylus said:
Is putting an AC Schnitzer badge alongside the 318 really that big a deal when it's got AC Schnitzer parts on?!
Isn't it the same thing as an M badge when the car has M parts on?People seem to forget there is more to 'M' than just the M3. I think M badges stuck on the back look tacky - but only because they look tacky, not because, I dunno, whatever reason you guys hate them for
Fox- said:
Isn't it the same thing as an M badge when the car has M parts on?
People seem to forget there is more to 'M' than just the M3. I think M badges stuck on the back look tacky - but only because they look tacky, not because, I dunno, whatever reason you guys hate them for
to an extent yes. There are already M badges on M parts though (e.g. trim). In some ways what do people expect when BMW have just the 'M' Badge available separately as a retro-fittable item, the logical place for it would be on the boot!People seem to forget there is more to 'M' than just the M3. I think M badges stuck on the back look tacky - but only because they look tacky, not because, I dunno, whatever reason you guys hate them for
I just think there is a difference between putting an M badge on compared to a tuning badge .. maybe because putting an M badge on the back of the car is perceived as having a version of the car that you don't really have (ie. M3).
it's a trivial pointless observation I know, but I tend to think less of a BMW owner which just has an M badge on (in replace of say 318) on a non-M car (ie. M3 / M5 etc) than I do with a 318 with an AC Schnitzer bodykit and an AC Schnitzer badge opposite the 318.
dustystylus said:
I just think there is a difference between putting an M badge on compared to a tuning badge .. maybe because putting an M badge on the back of the car is perceived as having a version of the car that you don't really have (ie. M3).
But an M badge isn't an M3 badge, it's an M badge.[quote]
it's a trivial pointless observation I know, but I tend to think less of a BMW owner which just has an M badge on (in replace of say 318) on a non-M car
Fox- said:
dustystylus said:
I just think there is a difference between putting an M badge on compared to a tuning badge .. maybe because putting an M badge on the back of the car is perceived as having a version of the car that you don't really have (ie. M3).
But an M badge isn't an M3 badge, it's an M badge.I guess I should declare my conflict of interest here.
In 2006, I fitted an M badge to the back of my then 4 year old 530i Sport. I did this because I was young and excessively proud of what I thought was a particularly awesome 530i Sport. I loved it. I loved the fact it was the Sport. I loved the M branded door sills. I loved the little M badges on the steering wheel. I loved the M-Tech bodykit, fitted as standard. I was proper chuffed with it so I finished it off with an M badge on the left hand side of the boot, leaving the 530i on the right hand side of the boot.
I didn't do it to pretend it was an M5. I didn't want it to be an M5 - I was over the moon with what it was - a 530i Sport. I felt it finished off the factory badging and bodykit really nicely.
I was, of course, completely wrong - and as I grew up a bit I realised that far from finishing it off nicely, it made a nice car look ever so slightly tacky. So the badge went and the car was much the better for it.
But the point was the original motive was not to decieve or pretend, it was simply because I liked it. It wasn't an M5 badge, it was an M Badge. The same as the 12 other M badges BMW had fitted from the factory and nothing more. Nowhere did it give the impression it was anything other than a 530i Sport.
I suspect this is the case with many others who have yet to realise that outside they're own little bubble it just looks crap.
In 2006, I fitted an M badge to the back of my then 4 year old 530i Sport. I did this because I was young and excessively proud of what I thought was a particularly awesome 530i Sport. I loved it. I loved the fact it was the Sport. I loved the M branded door sills. I loved the little M badges on the steering wheel. I loved the M-Tech bodykit, fitted as standard. I was proper chuffed with it so I finished it off with an M badge on the left hand side of the boot, leaving the 530i on the right hand side of the boot.
I didn't do it to pretend it was an M5. I didn't want it to be an M5 - I was over the moon with what it was - a 530i Sport. I felt it finished off the factory badging and bodykit really nicely.
I was, of course, completely wrong - and as I grew up a bit I realised that far from finishing it off nicely, it made a nice car look ever so slightly tacky. So the badge went and the car was much the better for it.
But the point was the original motive was not to decieve or pretend, it was simply because I liked it. It wasn't an M5 badge, it was an M Badge. The same as the 12 other M badges BMW had fitted from the factory and nothing more. Nowhere did it give the impression it was anything other than a 530i Sport.
I suspect this is the case with many others who have yet to realise that outside they're own little bubble it just looks crap.
Steff said:
not this s
t again 
he he he. To be fair I don't really think the OP wanted it to go the way it has, but it was inevitable. I have an M3 and my missus has a 330ci sport - both are festooned with badges that were factory fitted. I'm not really sure what all the fuss is about really.t again 
KP said:
Leave things as the manufacturer intended.
What's annoying is that BMW seem hell bent on cheapening their M brand in this cheap marketing exercise.
An M badge deleriously stuck on the bootlid does not make an M car. Ford show more respect to their RS badge than BMW do to the M!
What's annoying is that BMW seem hell bent on cheapening their M brand in this cheap marketing exercise.
An M badge deleriously stuck on the bootlid does not make an M car. Ford show more respect to their RS badge than BMW do to the M!
But with BMW so intent on making M mean anything but M car, are you really suprised when customers follow the lead? Heck, you can buy a 316 M Sport - it even has M in the model name and on the V5 now.
That said with the exception of M1, the first road car to ever wear an M badge wasn't an M car, it was effectively a 'Sport' model like today - the M535i, with a conventional engine wearing pretty much just a bodykit, some nice suspension, some nice seats...
Perhaps BMW should introduce a new 'brand' for their motorsport offerings? Audi are no different with S Line.
It's a cheap marketing exercise. IMO an M branded plastic splitter cheapens the time, effort and cost put into say an S54 engine which bears the same M badge!
Feel like taking all of the M badges off my M3 as I didn't buy it for them which is the exact opposite stance taken by someone specifically buying an M badge for their 316i!
I wonder if you can buy own M branded hubcaps?
It's a cheap marketing exercise. IMO an M branded plastic splitter cheapens the time, effort and cost put into say an S54 engine which bears the same M badge!
Feel like taking all of the M badges off my M3 as I didn't buy it for them which is the exact opposite stance taken by someone specifically buying an M badge for their 316i!
I wonder if you can buy own M branded hubcaps?
Small d#ick syndrome and elitism is the reason people get so upset about seeing an M sport badge on the rear of a car they deem as a non qualifier.
Styling is a personal thing 'One man’s meat is another man’s poison' Live and let live FFS. I saw a shocking Pink Maserati recently and though quietly to myself, why on earth would someone buy that! But I didn’t take to the Maserati forum to criticise! I just figured the owner bought it and obviously likes it that way, who am I to judge.
The trouble is, the owners of the more prestigious proper M cars are often wanting to make the statement 'I have done well in life, and have lots of money, look at my M badge’ Sadly many have a PCP or HP agreement the same size as their home mortgage! They get angry if someone else is sharing the road at the same time as them in a lesser BMW adorned with their hallowed M badge. Again, short man syndrome and elitism!
I entered this same sort of debate before on another forum back when I was contemplating sticking an M badge on the boot of my 320d M sport. It's not a bad looking car and has some nice upgrades from the factory, being arctic white I was debating whether or not to stick the matt black M badge on the boot. It opened a can of worms and really disappointed me that so many BMW owners were so bloody horrible.
My circumstances are, my car is a means to an end. It's a lovely car to drive and it's reasonably nippy after a rolling road re-map up to 230bhp, but still it’s not an M3 and never would I try to get the car to pose as one! I bought it because it drives well and to me feels much nicer than lots of other cars that I test drove beforehand.
For Performance and fun I ride a superbike, and to be honest after driving many fast production cars including the M3 and M5 there is very little with 4 wheels that would out perform a second hand £2,000 motorbike for 15 years ago.
It’s all very amusing to see how many BMW owners get so very upset and angry over a little M badge, so much so that I’d possibly consider not buying another BMW as it’s not the sort of association I want.
Styling is a personal thing 'One man’s meat is another man’s poison' Live and let live FFS. I saw a shocking Pink Maserati recently and though quietly to myself, why on earth would someone buy that! But I didn’t take to the Maserati forum to criticise! I just figured the owner bought it and obviously likes it that way, who am I to judge.
The trouble is, the owners of the more prestigious proper M cars are often wanting to make the statement 'I have done well in life, and have lots of money, look at my M badge’ Sadly many have a PCP or HP agreement the same size as their home mortgage! They get angry if someone else is sharing the road at the same time as them in a lesser BMW adorned with their hallowed M badge. Again, short man syndrome and elitism!
I entered this same sort of debate before on another forum back when I was contemplating sticking an M badge on the boot of my 320d M sport. It's not a bad looking car and has some nice upgrades from the factory, being arctic white I was debating whether or not to stick the matt black M badge on the boot. It opened a can of worms and really disappointed me that so many BMW owners were so bloody horrible.
My circumstances are, my car is a means to an end. It's a lovely car to drive and it's reasonably nippy after a rolling road re-map up to 230bhp, but still it’s not an M3 and never would I try to get the car to pose as one! I bought it because it drives well and to me feels much nicer than lots of other cars that I test drove beforehand.
For Performance and fun I ride a superbike, and to be honest after driving many fast production cars including the M3 and M5 there is very little with 4 wheels that would out perform a second hand £2,000 motorbike for 15 years ago.
It’s all very amusing to see how many BMW owners get so very upset and angry over a little M badge, so much so that I’d possibly consider not buying another BMW as it’s not the sort of association I want.
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