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

[Wills2]

Fox- said:

Who is that the debadged RS6 crowd think care anyway? Enthusiasts and Pistonheads don't need a badge to spot an RS6. Nobody else gives a toss

I get this impression they expect loads of people think 'Oh look at that 2 litre diesel A6, OH WOW ACTUALLY ITS SO FAST' or something. I bet almost nobody thinks that.

Agreed, I did de-badge an M3 once and my old M5 come to think of it, but I wanted to totally de-chrome both rather than pretend the car was something else.

BMW now offer a black M3 badge so I removed the chrome one and put one on the F80 when I de-chromed it.

[popeyewhite]

Kawasicki said:

Alex L said:

Welshbeef said:

Personally I like debadged RS6's and M5's and E63's. Discreet classy - those who know know and when you want to unleash the loud pedal

Ditto, exactly why ours is de-badged

Discreet, except for the huge wheels, brakes and bulging bodywork, not to mention the multiple loud exhausts.

A mere badge pales into the background.

Disagree. To the unknowing pedestrian the badge is confirmation. Any car can have big wheels etc. Incidentally the E63 only has one of the the criteria you mention - it rides on 19s, doesn't have bulging bodywork, has fairly innocuous unpainted brakes....but thankfully does have a nice sound which is quite loud.

[robbiekhan]

At least it's not a 320D... But still :/

[helix402]

M3 3CYL

[Kawasicki]

popeyewhite said:

Disagree. To the unknowing pedestrian the badge is confirmation. Any car can have big wheels etc. Incidentally the E63 only has one of the the criteria you mention - it rides on 19s, doesn't have bulging bodywork, has fairly innocuous unpainted brakes....but thankfully does have a nice sound which is quite loud.

An unknowing pedestrian typically couldn't care less if it was a c180 or a Maybach.

[popeyewhite]

Kawasicki said:

popeyewhite said:

Disagree. To the unknowing pedestrian the badge is confirmation. Any car can have big wheels etc. Incidentally the E63 only has one of the the criteria you mention - it rides on 19s, doesn't have bulging bodywork, has fairly innocuous unpainted brakes....but thankfully does have a nice sound which is quite loud.

An unknowing pedestrian typically couldn't care less if it was a c180 or a Maybach.

The people who put M badges on their cars would very probably hope you are wrong there. I'm puzzled as to how you know what a typical pedestrian would care for anyway.

[Kawasicki]

popeyewhite said:

Kawasicki said:

popeyewhite said:

Disagree. To the unknowing pedestrian the badge is confirmation. Any car can have big wheels etc. Incidentally the E63 only has one of the the criteria you mention - it rides on 19s, doesn't have bulging bodywork, has fairly innocuous unpainted brakes....but thankfully does have a nice sound which is quite loud.

An unknowing pedestrian typically couldn't care less if it was a c180 or a Maybach.

The people who put M badges on their cars would very probably hope you are wrong there. I'm puzzled as to how you know what a typical pedestrian would care for anyway.

Maybe those that debadge have more in common with those who put m badges on their non-m cars than they would like to accept. Both groups consider the badge to be worthy of consideration.

Most people are not particularly interested in car badges. Is that such a radical theory?

[popeyewhite]

Kawasicki said:

Maybe those that debadge have more in common with those who put m badges on their non-m cars than they would like to accept. Both groups consider the badge to be worthy of consideration.

True as far as it goes. However for the false badgers I'd suggest it's nearly an existential experience - for the debadgers it's um....debadged.

Kawasicki said:

Most people are not particularly interested in car badges. Is that such a radical theory?

It's a statement, not any kind of theory. The point is that false badgers' raison d'etre is the hope that as many people as possible will be fooled into thinking their car is actually a superior model. Whether people ARE fooled or not neither you or I could possibly know.

[e21Mark]

Kawasicki said:

popeyewhite said:

Kawasicki said:

popeyewhite said:

Disagree. To the unknowing pedestrian the badge is confirmation. Any car can have big wheels etc. Incidentally the E63 only has one of the the criteria you mention - it rides on 19s, doesn't have bulging bodywork, has fairly innocuous unpainted brakes....but thankfully does have a nice sound which is quite loud.

An unknowing pedestrian typically couldn't care less if it was a c180 or a Maybach.

The people who put M badges on their cars would very probably hope you are wrong there. I'm puzzled as to how you know what a typical pedestrian would care for anyway.

Maybe those that debadge have more in common with those who put m badges on their non-m cars than they would like to accept. Both groups consider the badge to be worthy of consideration.

Most people are not particularly interested in car badges. Is that such a radical theory?

I think the badge is the biggest single reason for BMW being more popular than the equivalent Ford nowadays.

[robbiekhan]

Relevant

https://youtu.be/30QjuT0tHTM?t=581

[RossP]

Nicked off M3 fb group

[HoHoHo]

RossP said:

Nicked off M3 fb group

That's well ///M'd up

Got more ///M than the ///M division

[MWM3]

RossP said:

Nicked off M3 fb group

That's the super rare M3d tuned by bmw motorsport or otherwise known as a standard 320d in se spec with a nobber owner.

[Mosdef]

popeyewhite said:

Kawasicki said:

Alex L said:

Welshbeef said:

Personally I like debadged RS6's and M5's and E63's. Discreet classy - those who know know and when you want to unleash the loud pedal

Ditto, exactly why ours is de-badged

Discreet, except for the huge wheels, brakes and bulging bodywork, not to mention the multiple loud exhausts.

A mere badge pales into the background.

Disagree. To the unknowing pedestrian the badge is confirmation. Any car can have big wheels etc. Incidentally the E63 only has one of the the criteria you mention - it rides on 19s, doesn't have bulging bodywork, has fairly innocuous unpainted brakes....but thankfully does have a nice sound which is quite loud.

The W212 definitely has bulging bodywork. Extract from wikipedia:

'The styling has been altered for both aesthetic and practical purposes: AMG side skirts and rear apron give the E63 more aggressive styling, and the larger air apertures on the front of the car allow for more air intake to the naturally aspirated 6.2 litre V8. Another styling change on the E63 is the wider, flared front wheel arches which accommodate the AMG front axle with a 2.2-inch-wider (56 mm) track.[30]'

And:

'In 2013, the facelifted E63 AMG was launched almost immediately after the facelifted standard E-Class. It has a more sporty, singular front air intakes, sideskirts, rear diffuser and black detailings in the side mirrors, front grille, wheels, and rear apron.'

I didn't find mine to be particularly discreet for the 2 years I had it.

[developer]

Mosdef said:

The W212 definitely has bulging bodywork. Extract from wikipedia:

'The styling has been altered for both aesthetic and practical purposes: AMG side skirts and rear apron give the E63 more aggressive styling, and the larger air apertures on the front of the car allow for more air intake to the naturally aspirated 6.2 litre V8. Another styling change on the E63 is the wider, flared front wheel arches which accommodate the AMG front axle with a 2.2-inch-wider (56 mm) track.[30]'

And:

'In 2013, the facelifted E63 AMG was launched almost immediately after the facelifted standard E-Class. It has a more sporty, singular front air intakes, sideskirts, rear diffuser and black detailings in the side mirrors, front grille, wheels, and rear apron.'

I didn't find mine to be particularly discreet for the 2 years I had it.

However, I've always wished the E63 had more aggresive styling a la RS6 - I don't subscribe to the "sleeper" tag, hence, unlike my good mate "Dave" I'd never debadge mine - particularly being an S.

[Sadface]

so after much debate have we found out why people add or remove M badges..my mind boggles why people do either..

[popeyewhite]

Mosdef said:

The W212 definitely has bulging bodywork. Extract from wikipedia:

Oh well if it's on Wiki it must be correct.

My old one. I'd say there were no 'bulges' particularly. A keen eye might spot the rear and lip spoiler. Before I'd lived with my new 63 for a few months I couldn't have told you of any noticeable differences between it and the standard new model E Class.

[DevonPaul]

Gunk said:

DevonPaul said:

The most common question the wife gets about her Z4 is "Is it really an 'M'?"

I think her standard response is "no, just the badge, bodykit, suspension and drivetrain."

Really? In my experience very few people have a serious interest in cars. Even years ago when I used to own a 964RS very few people used to ask about it or know what it was, it was just a red Porsche

It doesn't get many comments, but that is the most common. Possibly due to the number of M-badges scattered on non-M Beemers (though not generally Z4s from what I've seen), or possibly the rarity of the car, or maybe of a woman in that sort of car.

[Gunk]

DevonPaul said:

Gunk said:

DevonPaul said:

The most common question the wife gets about her Z4 is "Is it really an 'M'?"

I think her standard response is "no, just the badge, bodykit, suspension and drivetrain."

Really? In my experience very few people have a serious interest in cars. Even years ago when I used to own a 964RS very few people used to ask about it or know what it was, it was just a red Porsche

It doesn't get many comments, but that is the most common. Possibly due to the number of M-badges scattered on non-M Beemers (though not generally Z4s from what I've seen), or possibly the rarity of the car, or maybe of a woman in that sort of car.

I always get the raging horn when I see a woman driving a 911

[InductionRoar]

Sadface said:

so after much debate have we found out why people add or remove M badges..my mind boggles why people do either..

Do they know themselves?