//M Badge ettiquette?

[Rosc0PColtrane]

Thing is, a M-Tech badge adds at least 15bhp at the wheels, Chinchilla!!!

[munky30]

until you come up next to a real one and get blown away by it. Leaving you looking like a numpty and wishing you'd kept your ego in check and not put a fake badge on it.

Not every one is a red light drag racer munky.

If I'm pulling away normall and some tw*t blasts off the line next to me I usually think, "who the f*ck does he think hes racing?"

very true.. I was just associating the 'make my car look better than it is' mentality with the red light racer mentality.

I myself dont traffic light drag. I'm a motorway muncher.

[Jhonno]

Badging your car up as somethin it isnt, is so wrong n council. Sure someone who doesnt know what they are lookin at might think nice M but you will look like a council wannabe to ppl 'in the know'

[munky30]

whereas badging your car as less than it is is fun. 316i badges on a 325 are amusing.

As was proven when I pulled into an event the other day to a comment of 'no way is that a f*cking 316'.

[chinchilla]

grrr im in a dilemma now, should i shoudnt i

[Jhonno]

whereas badging your car as less than it is is fun. 316i badges on a 325 are amusing.

As was proven when I pulled into an event the other day to a comment of 'no way is that a f*cking 316'.

I would agree.. My S50 E30 has a 316i badge on the back and just looks like a lowered 316i visually.. Unless you know what your looking for..

[munky30]

you shouldnt.

What car do you have? I've only just noticed that it says 'not my car' under your sig.

[chinchilla]

pre-facelift 320i Cab, standard at the mo..

[munky30]

then NO!!!! good god no.

[CaesarBob]

Aren't you missing the point slightly??

Surely there's a world of difference between sticking an "///M3" badge on the back of a 316i and sticking an "///M" badge on your 325iSport.

The "///M" badge was merely to denote upgraded spec, like M-Tech suspension or a Tech I or II kit where as the "///M3" badge was the full-on Motorsport version vaguely resembling a standard car.

If your E30 is sporting a few M-Tech mods there's scope to badge it as an "///M" even if they were added later. But unless it was handbuilt in Garching (sp) it has no right to an "///M3" badge.

[munky30]

I know the difference between an M badge and an M3 badge

As I have said a few times. IMHO if it didnt come out of the dealership with an M (or M3) badge on it, it shouldnt have one.

[SDM]

M badges are for M cars in the same way a ferrari badge is for a ferrari

Fake M cars look stupid and devalue the brand

agreed,

otherwise you get a post on nova forum "i killed an M3 today"

[Rosc0PColtrane]

do you really care what some brain dead moron posts on some chavvy, Buckfast fuelled forum about crappy vauxhalls?

You know a nova cannot 'kill' an M3 so why worry about it? Surely it's just vanity?

[chinchilla]

well im gonna get some badeges for my grill and boot after seeing this 316i, looks nice with the badges

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... light=316i

alot of people saying 'wouldnt even know its a 316'

well until they try and race someone!

[march109]

Got to say I prefer these
http://www.detailhaus.com/GERMANY.html
Got them on m sport in the place of //M badges.

[greentouring]

Those German badges are pretty neat.

My Touring's only a 316i and yes, I've debadged her completely, as I like the minimal look. However, she's in perfect condition and I'm proud to own her as is. However, I plan a few subtle mods which you can see on my blog below. Maybe I'll get one of these German grill badges though ..............

[bryang]

You have to say if anyone has devauled the M brand, its BMW , they stick it on anything nowadays...M badge on a M Tec equiped car is OK IMHO...M3 or M5 or anything other than the genuine article is plain wrong.

[tim-ix]

bryang - good point.

At least they haven't taken it as far as Merc with the AMG and Brabus series but a 520d with big wheels and some plastic skirts doesn't really deserve M badging surely?

I think I'll get a D badge for the back window of my car. Don't know about MoT compliance but I'm hoping it'll be okay.

[Jhonno]

that 520d will also have sports M-tech suspension tho

[tim-ix]

It's still not the real thing though in my eyes. I wish BMW could have kept the M division more separate from the mainstream. I think the M cars should be halo cars which you rarely see out on the streets but give you a buzz when you do see one which colours your whole view of the BMW brand. I'd prefer the above 520d to be badged up more like AUDI has it's S-line which isn't confused with the S cars or RS cars.

[CHRISP]

///M are for ///mpower car !!!
If you want one do what i did and bye a M5

[munky30]

Finally found a pic I have been desperate to use in this topic...



Priceless.

[fuzzy]

Finally found a pic I have been desperate to use in this topic...



Priceless.

whats wrong with that ?

[Cotty]

Badging your car up as somethin it isnt, is so wrong n council. Sure someone who doesnt know what they are lookin at might think nice M but you will look like a council wannabe to ppl 'in the know'

So my car is council is it

[herman]

Don't care what they put on their cars.....But

Why nick my M3 badge... 3 gone so far and 1 on my white M3

[e30bmlover]

iv got a schnitzer grille badge on her. i also have a rear badge(yet to put on) schnitzer stripes and schnitzer decals(the @uck off big ones, genuine of course) they are not going on till the car is finished, im going to be spending silly money on her!

[Cotty]

schnitzer decals(the @uck off big ones, genuine of course)

Quality Big decals rock

[tristan325]

///M badges should only be on MPower cars. Just because a car has a bodykit, c/r gearbox and LSD doesn't make it an M car.

So what about the e28 M535i. That's effectively just a sport as it has a standard M30 with close ratio box LSD M-Tech suspension.

However BMW denote that the car is an M535i.

[BillyWiz]

No E30 came factory standard with an "M" badge, it was a fashion fad in the 80's to add half of the M3 badge to make the car look a little more exotic. It does not represent M-Tec, a true M-Tec badge has the word "M-Technic" with horizontal lines through the background. The truth is the "M" badge does not belong on your car however if you like it put it on, it wont be original to the car but who cares lol. Hope that helps

[Alburglar]

Or I've got an Austin/Rover Badge you can have for a quid.

[gIzzE]

BMW have never put an M badge on a non M car, they have //M door sills, //Logo on the gear stick and steering wheel and that is about it.


Putting an //M badge on a non M car is stupid in my view, those that don't know that it is not an M car won't even know what the badge is and won't look twice, and those that do know what an M car is will just think "COCK!".

[Ian_M]

But what about Motorsport option miester cars? The //M Means Motorsport (Does it not? I'm probably wrong but please tell me what it means if I am!)

If it's a Motorsport in my opinion should be sporting a badge. My iS has M-technic on the door sills, gear knob etc (genuine factory fitted stuff, no badge though, wouldn't dream of putting one on).

On the spec print out of my car it's got 'M-sport pack' 'M-sport suspension' so that's where my assumptions come from.

[pacerpete]

If it didn't leave the factory with an M badge it isn't entitled to one , simple, end of

[Fushion_Julz]

I hear that the M badge on a 318i makes it faster than a 325 without a badge

personally...who cares..If it is an M3, it will be obvious if it's an M5 it is also obvious to those in the know...

[BillyWiz]

Im not certain about the small badges inside the car eg clock badge, shift gator etc but i think these are custom parts added later rather than factory fitted although i might be wrong. I do know the "M" badge often fitted to the outer of the car is not factory fitted ever, people added them in the 80's to make their cars look a little more exotic and many still do. I suppose if you wish to keep your car original they should be avoided.