So what is the entitlement to an M badge
Discussion
While I can't agree with sticking an eBay //M badge to the boot of my litre 120d coupe (which is an //Msport!) I think it a little unfair to say that the //M sport range is just a trim level, you gennerally get a different body kit to distinguish your car from SEs better suspension developed by the guys ar Garching, a nicer steering, wheel bigger wheels etc etc... All these things add up to a different driving experience to the SE models but with the same running costs as a non M model. I would imagine, most driving enthusiasts would pick a sport model especially if like me they could only own one car and needed reasonable running costs, I run my own business and can only just about justify the purchase cost of my current car without doubling the insurance/tax/fuel costs.... Should I be subject to tiny road wheels, massive steering wheel, and a velour upholstery because I don't want to run a genuine M car?? I find my car great fun to hustle along country roads when the opportunity arises even with its diesel engine and auto box, but those options make more sense for the 95% of actual driving I do which is either on a motorway or round the heart of Birmingham. A genuine 1M I would love but, what a waste I would only be trickling a long at the same speed for twice the running costs....
You have always been able to purchase // M accessorise as long as I can remember my very high spec e39 528i manual was blessed with M tech suspension which made it a very nice car compared to SEs I drove without that option which I found to be very wallowy..
As stated above you could purchase an M535i which was standard running gear with M tech upgrades, so it's not exactly a new idea.
Nearly all manufacturer produce a sport model of each of there cars but they don't all have a stable of thoroughbred history making race cars developed by an in house tuning wing to act as halo models. But those that do are not ashamed to stretch the links either so, how many fake RS escorts and fiestas have been priced together in people's garages over the years from full on whale tail 5 door sierras to RS turbo 1.3 fiesta flights....
I'm not sure why people get so upset over this and it seems most of the people who do don't even drive a BMW of any sort. Lighten up man.
You have always been able to purchase // M accessorise as long as I can remember my very high spec e39 528i manual was blessed with M tech suspension which made it a very nice car compared to SEs I drove without that option which I found to be very wallowy..
As stated above you could purchase an M535i which was standard running gear with M tech upgrades, so it's not exactly a new idea.
Nearly all manufacturer produce a sport model of each of there cars but they don't all have a stable of thoroughbred history making race cars developed by an in house tuning wing to act as halo models. But those that do are not ashamed to stretch the links either so, how many fake RS escorts and fiestas have been priced together in people's garages over the years from full on whale tail 5 door sierras to RS turbo 1.3 fiesta flights....
I'm not sure why people get so upset over this and it seems most of the people who do don't even drive a BMW of any sort. Lighten up man.
vetrof said:
Does anybody really give a s
t? My E34 M5 was debadged from the factory and I couldn't care less what badges anyone else does or doesn't have on their car.
Certainly not me - I rather like the idea of no badges on an M car. If people want M badges or stripes to add a bit of zest to the appearance of their car, good on 'em. I suspect much of the M badging thing came from BMW and alot of folks probably don't even notice the M badge. In my case the key determinant several years back was the most effective way to get sports seats with adequate support below the knees. Badging was immaterial. Still is to me!t? My E34 M5 was debadged from the factory and I couldn't care less what badges anyone else does or doesn't have on their car.Peter
I think people take this sort of thing far to serious, peronal opinion and tatse is just that - One mans meat is another mans poison and all that.
Who is in position to say what they feel as an idividual can only be correct? Live and live - If someone feels adding an M-sport badge to their car looks decent then thats thier choice, it's not a justified reason to rip the crap out of thier personal styling choice.
After all adding an M badge Is hardly like bolting a full blown Seirra Cosworth whale tail onto a Mk2 Fiesta (which I have seen attempted) :-) Now, that I would agree is reason to ridicule! The spoiler angled up in the air from the leading edge because it just doesn't fit! The centre support cut off! Instead of creating downforce it's creating lift and an insane amount of drag! lol Now that deserves a bh slap IMHO
Or how about these beauties eh!
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee219/combivanm...
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4...
http://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z446/rouwer/14...
http://i712.photobucket.com/albums/ww122/walshyij/...
Love this last one, a Nissan NOTE with M power badge amoungst others!
http://img.tapatalk.com/5c28fd71-a7c0-3408.jpg
Who is in position to say what they feel as an idividual can only be correct? Live and live - If someone feels adding an M-sport badge to their car looks decent then thats thier choice, it's not a justified reason to rip the crap out of thier personal styling choice.
After all adding an M badge Is hardly like bolting a full blown Seirra Cosworth whale tail onto a Mk2 Fiesta (which I have seen attempted) :-) Now, that I would agree is reason to ridicule! The spoiler angled up in the air from the leading edge because it just doesn't fit! The centre support cut off! Instead of creating downforce it's creating lift and an insane amount of drag! lol Now that deserves a b
h slap IMHO Or how about these beauties eh!
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee219/combivanm...
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4...
http://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z446/rouwer/14...
http://i712.photobucket.com/albums/ww122/walshyij/...
Love this last one, a Nissan NOTE with M power badge amoungst others!
http://img.tapatalk.com/5c28fd71-a7c0-3408.jpg
Edited by Gremlyng on Wednesday 13th April 16:08
Edited by Gremlyng on Wednesday 13th April 16:08
Theophany said:
I think the only discussion of any merit on M badging is who badged up those X5 M50ds. It looks so messy and sounds more like some kind of military weapon than a car model. First time I saw one in the wild I thought that the owner had let their child apply fridge magnets to their tailgate.
I have recently purchased a new X3 M Sport X Line, its badged either side with M Sport logos, also badged on each wheel including inside M Sport + tri colour door sills with logo on the larger M Sport steering wheel including bucket seats with black headlining, the outside is M Sport body, i.e. black grill, large black air vents etc. the point I'm making is that it doesn't come with an M Tri colour badge on the rear, and I don't really see why it should.
I bought the car because I really wanted one, not to be a poser.
I bought the car because I really wanted one, not to be a poser.
Edited by JGJC on Sunday 8th January 13:01
JGJC said:
I have recently purchased a new X3 M Sport X Line, its badged either side with M Sport logos, also badged on each wheel including inside M Sport + tri colour door sills with logo on the larger M Sport steering wheel including bucket seats with black headlining, the outside is M Sport body, i.e. black grill, large black air vents etc. the point I'm making is that it doesn't come with an M Tri colour badge on the rear, and I don't really see why it should.
I bought the car because I really wanted one, not to be a poser.
Just FYI, bit pointless blanking your number plate as when you click on the picture you can see all your other photo's.I bought the car because I really wanted one, not to be a poser.
Edited by JGJC on Sunday 8th January 13:01
I think i'm going to remove the badges from my ///M140. Would hate to upset anyone!
Read this and get clarification on the issue of badging your BMW with a M-Sport package or M added upgrades.
M-Cars vs. M-badged cars. (From Wikipedia)
There are several BMW models which BMW Motorsport made changes on, without them becoming M-Cars. This succession of styling (M-tech I, M-tech II) and performance cues came from BMW Motorsports; e.g. BMW 530i M packet or 325i M packet etc. Vehicles which have been modified by BMW Motorsport, but are not full M Cars, may feature "M" badges, whilst full M Cars will have "M" badges with the model number (e.g., "M4" or "M5"). Two exceptions would be the M Roadster and M Coupe models, both Z3, Z4 and 1-series variants, which only have an "M" badge with no number displayed on the trunk. These cars are full M Cars. In recent years, there have been 'M'-badged accessories available on BMW's standard fleet as factory options or as part of the "M Sport" package (which is more expensive than the optional Sport package). Examples of this include the E39 and E60 5 series sedans which had optional aerodynamic packages that were strongly influenced by the M5's styling (for example, bumpers with larger intakes). It is not unusual to see "standard" BMW vehicles with "M" badges or ribbons accenting their design. The plain motorsports badge simply stands for the 'M-tech' upgrades equipped on the vehicle (e.g., suspension, brakes, looks or any other modification that has been developed by the M division), therefore the 'M' badge on these vehicles should not be confused with the true 'M' vehicles (except the Z-cars, as mentioned), as they are not fully fledged 'M' cars, just equipped with 'M'-tech upgrades. BMW has offered these 'M' options on their standard vehicles since the late 1970s which explains why these vehicles carry 'M' badges straight from the factory. In comparison, vehicle maker Audi also employs this same type of nomenclature. There are fully fledged 'S' models (S4, S5, S6, S7 and TTS), as well as an optional "S'-line package that can be equipped to their standard vehicle lineup.[23] An example of 'M'-badged vehicles in recent times include the E60 BMW 550i and E63 BMW 650i. The standard BMW 5 Series and 6 Series only had a choice of either a manual or automatic transmission, but the 'M' Sport package had an optional Sequential Manual Gearbox (SMG) (a gearbox shared with the M5 and M6)[24] until after the 2007 model year.
From BMW, (yes the new M sport series come badged, they are not full blown M's)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7SwUGTbXhI
The M badge is used as a marketing tool to sell more cars in the BMW fleet as an add on rather than an exclusive, those days are gone. M performance cues are added. The M series is still the benchmark in BMW's roster but the branding has been shared throughout the years to add a stronger performance cue to the BMW brand. So if people badge their non-M cars, who cares? what matters is that they own a BMW and that is more important over a badge.
M-Cars vs. M-badged cars. (From Wikipedia)
There are several BMW models which BMW Motorsport made changes on, without them becoming M-Cars. This succession of styling (M-tech I, M-tech II) and performance cues came from BMW Motorsports; e.g. BMW 530i M packet or 325i M packet etc. Vehicles which have been modified by BMW Motorsport, but are not full M Cars, may feature "M" badges, whilst full M Cars will have "M" badges with the model number (e.g., "M4" or "M5"). Two exceptions would be the M Roadster and M Coupe models, both Z3, Z4 and 1-series variants, which only have an "M" badge with no number displayed on the trunk. These cars are full M Cars. In recent years, there have been 'M'-badged accessories available on BMW's standard fleet as factory options or as part of the "M Sport" package (which is more expensive than the optional Sport package). Examples of this include the E39 and E60 5 series sedans which had optional aerodynamic packages that were strongly influenced by the M5's styling (for example, bumpers with larger intakes). It is not unusual to see "standard" BMW vehicles with "M" badges or ribbons accenting their design. The plain motorsports badge simply stands for the 'M-tech' upgrades equipped on the vehicle (e.g., suspension, brakes, looks or any other modification that has been developed by the M division), therefore the 'M' badge on these vehicles should not be confused with the true 'M' vehicles (except the Z-cars, as mentioned), as they are not fully fledged 'M' cars, just equipped with 'M'-tech upgrades. BMW has offered these 'M' options on their standard vehicles since the late 1970s which explains why these vehicles carry 'M' badges straight from the factory. In comparison, vehicle maker Audi also employs this same type of nomenclature. There are fully fledged 'S' models (S4, S5, S6, S7 and TTS), as well as an optional "S'-line package that can be equipped to their standard vehicle lineup.[23] An example of 'M'-badged vehicles in recent times include the E60 BMW 550i and E63 BMW 650i. The standard BMW 5 Series and 6 Series only had a choice of either a manual or automatic transmission, but the 'M' Sport package had an optional Sequential Manual Gearbox (SMG) (a gearbox shared with the M5 and M6)[24] until after the 2007 model year.
From BMW, (yes the new M sport series come badged, they are not full blown M's)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7SwUGTbXhI
The M badge is used as a marketing tool to sell more cars in the BMW fleet as an add on rather than an exclusive, those days are gone. M performance cues are added. The M series is still the benchmark in BMW's roster but the branding has been shared throughout the years to add a stronger performance cue to the BMW brand. So if people badge their non-M cars, who cares? what matters is that they own a BMW and that is more important over a badge.
Beardy10 said:
The first ever "M Sport" car BMW made IIRC....I picked mine up new in 1996, it was a great car. I traded it in for an E36 M3 the next year which whilst it was obviously quicker I didn't think worked as well as an overall package as the 328i.
Fair. I currently have an E46 330ci Sport and have always been under the impression it was just that, no mention of M Sport whatsoever, which I am very happy with. It does have an M on the steering wheel, the top of the gear stick, and on each of the MV2 wheels before I swaped to 17" for cheaper tyre options. I even checked with BMW and they verified the gear knob is the right part for the car, and supplied me with a less worn genuine reply.
That said, the car has also aquired Clubsport front spliters and door cills as some point in its life. So even I am not authenticate, not that I care.
Car before that was a 'lowly' E36 316i compact, on paper it's not even half the car, gutless and loud on the motorway, but to drive round the lanes it was a very nice thing, and much more on controlled on the limit than then 330ci.
Daniel
Fox- said:
M Power = The best. Badged ///M3, ///M5, etc
M Sport = The rest. Badged ///M
Thats what BMW say, and they are in charge.
Sigh. That's not what BMW says. Personally, I find the distinction between M and MSport useful as I actually don't want the extreme represented by the M build. I don't track my cars and share with my wife, so MSport works for us as a nice compromise. I've done the Lotus and Carrera 4S and want something that's not so extreme. The full M is not some sort of absolute perfection, it a variant, alongside the MSport, SE etc. M Sport = The rest. Badged ///M
Thats what BMW say, and they are in charge.
Edited by msej449 on Thursday 10th August 21:33
msej449 said:
Fox- said:
M Power = The best. Badged ///M3, ///M5, etc
M Sport = The rest. Badged ///M
Thats what BMW say, and they are in charge.
Sigh. That's not what BMW says. Personally, I find the distinction between M and MSport useful as I actually don't want the extreme represented by the M build. I don't track my cars and share with my wife, so MSport works for us as a nice compromise. I've done the Lotus and Carrera 4S and want something that's not so extreme. The full M is not some sort of absolute perfection, it a variant, alongside the MSport, SE etc. M Sport = The rest. Badged ///M
Thats what BMW say, and they are in charge.
Edited by msej449 on Thursday 10th August 21:33
Personally i think the only thing that should have the M badge on it should be the M2,M3, etc
Which is why it grates that my 240i has them. You cant get rid of the damn things!
I ordered it model debadged at the rear, and trim line debadged on the sides, yet still i have M badges on the wheels as there wasnt an option to remove and who would of though wheels came with M badges. A steering wheel with an M at the bottom of it and a screen that wont stop telling me that im in an m240 (i know this, i bought it, and if im ever in doubt i can open the bonnet and try and find space for a ham sandwich).
Horses for courses, as you can probably tell im not a fan and the wife does often have to listen to me having a laugh at a 114 with badges everywhere, but why o why if you can choose to have them on can i not choose to fully remove them.
And no im not changing my wheels to aftermarket ones, recovering the steering wheel and re-coding the black panel display it should be a factory option to fully remove, not just a factory option to remove the bits they choose to.
Which is why it grates that my 240i has them. You cant get rid of the damn things!
I ordered it model debadged at the rear, and trim line debadged on the sides, yet still i have M badges on the wheels as there wasnt an option to remove and who would of though wheels came with M badges. A steering wheel with an M at the bottom of it and a screen that wont stop telling me that im in an m240 (i know this, i bought it, and if im ever in doubt i can open the bonnet and try and find space for a ham sandwich).
Horses for courses, as you can probably tell im not a fan and the wife does often have to listen to me having a laugh at a 114 with badges everywhere, but why o why if you can choose to have them on can i not choose to fully remove them.
And no im not changing my wheels to aftermarket ones, recovering the steering wheel and re-coding the black panel display it should be a factory option to fully remove, not just a factory option to remove the bits they choose to.
The first car I ever owned with an ///M badge was a silver 323i e21 back in about 1990. It was about as M as my Nan's fridge but it wasn't about the car, it was a reflection of my aspiration to own one.
A couple of years back, whilst refuelling my E30 M3, a chap in an '09 plate M3 made some comment about ''badged up 318's'' and asked ''why do people stick M badges all over what is blatantly not an M car?'' I told him it was factory spec' but he clearly didn't believe me.
Nowadays I just don't really care either way. I do find it odd when I see an M badge on something that isn't even a BMW but it just makes me smile. You can't blame BMW for capitalising on the whole M thing, as they are a business after all. That said, I went to my local dealership yesterday to order a new M badge for the rear and a roundel. The chap serving, who'd seen me pull up and park, said ''sorry, but you'd need a genuine M car chassis number to get one of those''. If dealership staff don't know the difference it's unlikely Joe Public will.
A couple of years back, whilst refuelling my E30 M3, a chap in an '09 plate M3 made some comment about ''badged up 318's'' and asked ''why do people stick M badges all over what is blatantly not an M car?'' I told him it was factory spec' but he clearly didn't believe me.
Nowadays I just don't really care either way. I do find it odd when I see an M badge on something that isn't even a BMW but it just makes me smile. You can't blame BMW for capitalising on the whole M thing, as they are a business after all. That said, I went to my local dealership yesterday to order a new M badge for the rear and a roundel. The chap serving, who'd seen me pull up and park, said ''sorry, but you'd need a genuine M car chassis number to get one of those''. If dealership staff don't know the difference it's unlikely Joe Public will.
e21Mark said:
The first car I ever owned with an ///M badge was a silver 323i e21 back in about 1990. It was about as M as my Nan's fridge but it wasn't about the car, it was a reflection of my aspiration to own one.
A couple of years back, whilst refuelling my E30 M3, a chap in an '09 plate M3 made some comment about ''badged up 318's'' and asked ''why do people stick M badges all over what is blatantly not an M car?'' I told him it was factory spec' but he clearly didn't believe me.
So this car appears to have the correct M badges, but an illegal number plate. Not sure that's so much better than fake M badges...A couple of years back, whilst refuelling my E30 M3, a chap in an '09 plate M3 made some comment about ''badged up 318's'' and asked ''why do people stick M badges all over what is blatantly not an M car?'' I told him it was factory spec' but he clearly didn't believe me.
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