misbadging cars
Discussion
donkmeister said:
WarrenB said:
Idly pondering, but could Ford have the right idea? ST Line for those who want the sporty body kit and associated tat with run of the mill engines, but then having the RS brand as a proper performance version. If you see an RS you know it's more than likely an RS, the brand hasn't been diluted with 'RS-line' option packs on 3 cylinder EcoBoost cars.
What if you see an ST though? 
If some marketing bod can make the maths work, they'll do an RS line for sure. Or possibly RS-lite and RS-whole (the latter being full-fat).Arguably Ford are the ones who started this nonsense when they put ST badges and slightly smaller but same-style wheels on a diesel Mondeo and called it a day. I don't recall factory misbadging before that.
Even back in the Escort days they did insurance-friendly sporty lookalikes, e.g. the Escort Eclipse, they just didn't call it an XR3-line or similar.
I have a 1 series M sport, and have never once thought of it as anymore than what it is, a smart looking car that looks better than the standard car.
I understand that some people do need educating and that just because it says AMG or M or S line on it doesn't mean it's the full fat variant, but i don't get why some people get their tits in a twist over it, there is people out there like me who know exactly what they have and exactly what they don't have.
I understand that some people do need educating and that just because it says AMG or M or S line on it doesn't mean it's the full fat variant, but i don't get why some people get their tits in a twist over it, there is people out there like me who know exactly what they have and exactly what they don't have.
What I assume is the security guard (given the hours they're there) at the place opposite my work has a collection of Omegas - I've counted 4 so far.
Every one of them is a 2.2 badged as an MV6 using Halfords characters and with the Vauxhall badges replaced by Lotus ones....
Oh, and the owner appears to be a fan of Midge Ure....
Every one of them is a 2.2 badged as an MV6 using Halfords characters and with the Vauxhall badges replaced by Lotus ones....
Oh, and the owner appears to be a fan of Midge Ure....
ChemicalChaos said:
What I assume is the security guard (given the hours they're there) at the place opposite my work has a collection of Omegas - I've counted 4 so far.
Every one of them is a 2.2 badged as an MV6 using Halfords characters and with the Vauxhall badges replaced by Lotus ones....
Oh, and the owner appears to be a fan of Midge Ure....
The weirdest of flexes. The originals don’t even have that badging.Every one of them is a 2.2 badged as an MV6 using Halfords characters and with the Vauxhall badges replaced by Lotus ones....
Oh, and the owner appears to be a fan of Midge Ure....
A v6 omega would eat my brothers heart pumping, a strange love for them.
Are the smoked lights part of it?
illmonkey said:
ChemicalChaos said:
What I assume is the security guard (given the hours they're there) at the place opposite my work has a collection of Omegas - I've counted 4 so far.
Every one of them is a 2.2 badged as an MV6 using Halfords characters and with the Vauxhall badges replaced by Lotus ones....
Oh, and the owner appears to be a fan of Midge Ure....
The weirdest of flexes. The originals don’t even have that badging.Every one of them is a 2.2 badged as an MV6 using Halfords characters and with the Vauxhall badges replaced by Lotus ones....
Oh, and the owner appears to be a fan of Midge Ure....
A v6 omega would eat my brothers heart pumping, a strange love for them.
Are the smoked lights part of it?
White painted towbar = council.
Obviously there is no correct answer as to what, subjectively, counts as a ‘real M car’.
But the objective fact is that BMW says that its M cars are made up of M Performance Models (eg the M340i) and its M High Performance Models (eg the M3).
See here:
https://www.bmwblog.com/2022/01/13/bmw-m-record-sa...
Similarly, in the current issue of Top Gear magazine, it has a special supplement called 50 Years of M Power, which ranks the “50 greatest BMW M cars ever”.
At number 44 is the M135i and at number 30 is the M550d.
So, the M Performance cars are, of course, not the highest power, most hardcore versions, but they are - objectively - M cars.
Which is some distance away from eg a base spec 3 series which comes in M Sport trim.
I see the M Performance range as the equivalent of Audi’s S range (eg S3); it is the junior member of the performance offering compared to the more senior member (eg the RS3).
But the objective fact is that BMW says that its M cars are made up of M Performance Models (eg the M340i) and its M High Performance Models (eg the M3).
See here:
https://www.bmwblog.com/2022/01/13/bmw-m-record-sa...
Similarly, in the current issue of Top Gear magazine, it has a special supplement called 50 Years of M Power, which ranks the “50 greatest BMW M cars ever”.
At number 44 is the M135i and at number 30 is the M550d.
So, the M Performance cars are, of course, not the highest power, most hardcore versions, but they are - objectively - M cars.
Which is some distance away from eg a base spec 3 series which comes in M Sport trim.
I see the M Performance range as the equivalent of Audi’s S range (eg S3); it is the junior member of the performance offering compared to the more senior member (eg the RS3).
Bobupndown said:
illmonkey said:
ChemicalChaos said:
What I assume is the security guard (given the hours they're there) at the place opposite my work has a collection of Omegas - I've counted 4 so far.
Every one of them is a 2.2 badged as an MV6 using Halfords characters and with the Vauxhall badges replaced by Lotus ones....
Oh, and the owner appears to be a fan of Midge Ure....
The weirdest of flexes. The originals don’t even have that badging.Every one of them is a 2.2 badged as an MV6 using Halfords characters and with the Vauxhall badges replaced by Lotus ones....
Oh, and the owner appears to be a fan of Midge Ure....
A v6 omega would eat my brothers heart pumping, a strange love for them.
Are the smoked lights part of it?
White painted towbar = council.
To badge it as something it never was is pointless. Those that don't know will wonder why some old saloon has Lotus badges on it, and those that do know will know it's a Vauxhall.
Luis Nazario said:
Obviously there is no correct answer as to what, subjectively, counts as a ‘real M car’.
But the objective fact is that BMW says that its M cars are made up of M Performance Models (eg the M340i) and its M High Performance Models (eg the M3).
See here:
https://www.bmwblog.com/2022/01/13/bmw-m-record-sa...
Similarly, in the current issue of Top Gear magazine, it has a special supplement called 50 Years of M Power, which ranks the “50 greatest BMW M cars ever”.
At number 44 is the M135i and at number 30 is the M550d.
So, the M Performance cars are, of course, not the highest power, most hardcore versions, but they are - objectively - M cars.
Which is some distance away from eg a base spec 3 series which comes in M Sport trim.
I see the M Performance range as the equivalent of Audi’s S range (eg S3); it is the junior member of the performance offering compared to the more senior member (eg the RS3).
That article clearly separates M models from M Performance models (m-lite) in the 4th paragraph. Similar to S to RS or C43 to C63. No different to a Ford RS to an ST or VW GTI to an R. But the objective fact is that BMW says that its M cars are made up of M Performance Models (eg the M340i) and its M High Performance Models (eg the M3).
See here:
https://www.bmwblog.com/2022/01/13/bmw-m-record-sa...
Similarly, in the current issue of Top Gear magazine, it has a special supplement called 50 Years of M Power, which ranks the “50 greatest BMW M cars ever”.
At number 44 is the M135i and at number 30 is the M550d.
So, the M Performance cars are, of course, not the highest power, most hardcore versions, but they are - objectively - M cars.
Which is some distance away from eg a base spec 3 series which comes in M Sport trim.
I see the M Performance range as the equivalent of Audi’s S range (eg S3); it is the junior member of the performance offering compared to the more senior member (eg the RS3).
BMW have always clearly stated that in their own words the ‘true’ M models stand alone hence the M2, M3, M4.
Personally just leave the badges on the car as the manufacturer intended and stop trying to convince people that they are real M cars when they aren’t.
Like would you seriously say to someone with an M3 that you drive an M car if it was an M340i? An M5 owner that your M550d is an M car?
Why feel the need to remove the 340i but leave the M badges. Audi drives don’t remove the S3 or S5.
Edited by CG2020UK on Monday 11th July 10:25
ChemicalChaos said:
What I assume is the security guard (given the hours they're there) at the place opposite my work has a collection of Omegas - I've counted 4 so far.
Every one of them is a 2.2 badged as an MV6 using Halfords characters and with the Vauxhall badges replaced by Lotus ones....
Oh, and the owner appears to be a fan of Midge Ure....
They're tragic. The Omega was a good car in it's own right. It's not as if there's a massive premium on an actual V6 one nowadays.Every one of them is a 2.2 badged as an MV6 using Halfords characters and with the Vauxhall badges replaced by Lotus ones....
Oh, and the owner appears to be a fan of Midge Ure....
Luis Nazario said:
Obviously there is no correct answer as to what, subjectively, counts as a ‘real M car’.
But the objective fact is that BMW says that its M cars are made up of M Performance Models (eg the M340i) and its M High Performance Models (eg the M3).
See here:
https://www.bmwblog.com/2022/01/13/bmw-m-record-sa...
Similarly, in the current issue of Top Gear magazine, it has a special supplement called 50 Years of M Power, which ranks the “50 greatest BMW M cars ever”.
At number 44 is the M135i and at number 30 is the M550d.
So, the M Performance cars are, of course, not the highest power, most hardcore versions, but they are - objectively - M cars.
Which is some distance away from eg a base spec 3 series which comes in M Sport trim.
I see the M Performance range as the equivalent of Audi’s S range (eg S3); it is the junior member of the performance offering compared to the more senior member (eg the RS3).
It used to be the case that proper M cars had a BMW Motorsport chassis number (inc 850 CSI IIRC). I’m not sure whether that still holds true?But the objective fact is that BMW says that its M cars are made up of M Performance Models (eg the M340i) and its M High Performance Models (eg the M3).
See here:
https://www.bmwblog.com/2022/01/13/bmw-m-record-sa...
Similarly, in the current issue of Top Gear magazine, it has a special supplement called 50 Years of M Power, which ranks the “50 greatest BMW M cars ever”.
At number 44 is the M135i and at number 30 is the M550d.
So, the M Performance cars are, of course, not the highest power, most hardcore versions, but they are - objectively - M cars.
Which is some distance away from eg a base spec 3 series which comes in M Sport trim.
I see the M Performance range as the equivalent of Audi’s S range (eg S3); it is the junior member of the performance offering compared to the more senior member (eg the RS3).
COM31E said:
ChemicalChaos said:
What I assume is the security guard (given the hours they're there) at the place opposite my work has a collection of Omegas - I've counted 4 so far.
Every one of them is a 2.2 badged as an MV6 using Halfords characters and with the Vauxhall badges replaced by Lotus ones....
Oh, and the owner appears to be a fan of Midge Ure....
They're tragic. The Omega was a good car in it's own right. It's not as if there's a massive premium on an actual V6 one nowadays.Every one of them is a 2.2 badged as an MV6 using Halfords characters and with the Vauxhall badges replaced by Lotus ones....
Oh, and the owner appears to be a fan of Midge Ure....
a really sad case this one.
Truckosaurus said:
Fermit said:
...The Omega is a good car, underrated IMO, should have sold better. Every bit a match for the Germans of the time....
To be fair, the Omega is a German car Without the silly badging and childish smoked rear lights then those Omegas would be pretty cool cars.
There's only three for sale on Autotrader so seeing one at all would be novel. Those two are pants though!!
Alex_225 said:
My granddad had one in the mid-90s. Was an M reg, in a light gold colour and to be honest I was impressed with it at the time. Admittedly, we didn't have a car with a CD player, electric windows or aircon so I was easily pleased. But we went on holiday in it at least a couple of times and I thought it was a good car.
There's only three for sale on Autotrader so seeing one at all would be novel. Those two are pants though!!
Smashing old barges. The last one I had was a sort of red/brown 2.0 GLS auto. Didn't have a lot of kit, and it had acres of velour inside. Slower than walking but it was SO comfy.There's only three for sale on Autotrader so seeing one at all would be novel. Those two are pants though!!
surveyor_101 said:
Oh a z4m wow congrats on your success bet you smell terrific, at best had 338bhp many moons ago 0-60 3.8 top speed, I can't drive around in a car that old I am afraid.
I know, as you get on a bit it is hard dealing with a proper old fashioned analogue sports car. It is far better to stick to 2 pedals like your nan's Jazz and let the electronics deal with everything.No idea how my wife manages to drive her Z4MC, and she's over 60 now. Still get people coming up and asking "is it really an M?" She days "No, just the bodykit, engine, and chassis."
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