Sorry, not sorry

[Zed Baron]

After 9 months of owning mine, just noticed the side is debadged - note to oneself open eyes every now and then

Don't worry Sean, I've got the badges in the garage in the box of junk that includes the whippy etc. if you are really desperate for them. When you stick them back on you could transform it into a 32i! :w00t:

 

[Ole gits rule]

After 9 months of owning mine, just noticed the side is debadged - note to oneself open eyes every now and then

Don't worry Sean, I've got the badges in the garage in the box of junk that includes the whippy etc. if you are really desperate for them. When you stick them back on you could transform it into a 32i! :w00t:

Sorry can't accept the junk - you need it to put the whippy back on for that stubby

No badges staying off - quite like the clean look, only change I am going to make is the LCI indicators at some point

32i - I really can't believe people do crap like that, makes you look a clown to people who know something about cars

 

[enuff_zed]

After 9 months of owning mine, just noticed the side is debadged - note to oneself open eyes every now and then

Are you sure someone hasn't nicked the badges? :lol:

Or maybe, due to the extra 'M' performance, they have all slid back in the airflow and are now on the boot?

 

[Ole gits rule]

After 9 months of owning mine, just noticed the side is debadged - note to oneself open eyes every now and then

Are you sure someone hasn't nicked the badges? :lol:

Or maybe, due to the extra 'M' performance, they have all slid back in the airflow and are now on the boot?

Maybe they are stuck in the rear wheel well - will check later

 

[sars]

I think Badge removal started in Germany - I believe to hide the perceived “stigma “ of buying a low spec / base model that doesn’t boast M / Turbo / Sport etc

Just buy the best you can sensibly afford and be happy!

Okay dilemma time, read more below

M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M6, M8 I think?

Answer - 'M' performance cars (with an 'M' badge on the rear) traditionally include modified engines, transmissions, suspensions, interior trims, aerodynamics, and exterior modifications to set them apart from their counterparts. Again, no sarcasm meant.

No sarcasm here either but where does this sit in those theories. ///M badge on mine and not added by me and has many of the things mentioned above

So I’m in two minds here to de-badge my car on order or not. The M40i variant is the pinnacle of the range for Z4, but I like the of a clean de-badged car and I don’t really care that people who don’t know might think I’ve done it because it is a lower model, those who are interested will know what it is by the exhausts and rear diffuser. Like many I don’t like how BMW has used the M moniker as a marketing tool to fool people into parting with money, and that’s it Marketing, see it is for what it is. Look at the difference between an M light, say a M240i and a pucker M2, yes the M240i is a good car but it ain’t an M car. This is how I feel about mine, it’s an M light done for marketing purposes because there’s no intention of making another Z4M and I want to get rid of the outside visible marketing stuff and de-badge

Anyway, as for the OP, why would you buy into this marketing crap, you’re actually spending money to buy in to it. Seriously go ahead personalise it, I’m all for that by changing the wheel colour, add some carbon fibre on the wing mirrors etcetera, but please don’t fall for a BMW marketing scam and stick ///M badges on it.

 

[tiglon]

I think Badge removal started in Germany - I believe to hide the perceived “stigma “ of buying a low spec / base model that doesn’t boast M / Turbo / Sport etc

Just buy the best you can sensibly afford and be happy!

Okay dilemma time, read more below

M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M6, M8 I think?

Answer - 'M' performance cars (with an 'M' badge on the rear) traditionally include modified engines, transmissions, suspensions, interior trims, aerodynamics, and exterior modifications to set them apart from their counterparts. Again, no sarcasm meant.

No sarcasm here either but where does this sit in those theories. ///M badge on mine and not added by me and has many of the things mentioned above

So I’m in two minds here to de-badge my car on order or not. The M40i variant is the pinnacle of the range for Z4, but I like the of a clean de-badged car and I don’t really care that people who don’t know might think I’ve done it because it is a lower model, those who are interested will know what it is by the exhausts and rear diffuser. Like many I don’t like how BMW has used the M moniker as a marketing tool to fool people into parting with money, and that’s it Marketing, see it is for what it is. Look at the difference between an M light, say a M240i and a pucker M2, yes the M240i is a good car but it ain’t an M car. This is how I feel about mine, it’s an M light done for marketing purposes because there’s no intention of making another Z4M and I want to get rid of the outside visible marketing stuff and de-badge

Anyway, as for the OP, why would you buy into this marketing crap, you’re actually spending money to buy in to it. Seriously go ahead personalise it, I’m all for that by changing the wheel colour, add some carbon fibre on the wing mirrors etcetera, but please don’t fall for a BMW marketing scam and stick ///M badges on it.

It cost near enough nothing for an M badge and it now has fewer M badges than when new. So actually I've spent an insignificant amount of money on a net reduction of BMW's marketing presence on my car. Relax, my M badge should be the least of your worries if you're concerned about consumerism.

How is putting carbon fibre over my mirrors any better or different? If anything it's worse, I'd be spending money to make my car look lighter, while actually making it slightly heavier...

I have no problem with people telling me it looks sh1t, we all have different tastes and I'm more than happy to be a mbadgewanker (can I get that on a badge?) but please don't try to make moral arguments for being angry about the positioning of a letter on a car.

 

[Ole gits rule]

While it is a marketing scam, it is not just BMW that do it - all manufacturer use the same with Merc its AMG Line/ Ford ST Line / Audi S Line, would it be better if BMW went with M Line as every other manufacturer.

So they are all at it but I wonder if their forums are so annoyed that some guy in his A4 S Line puts an S4 or RS badge on the car?

Yes it does come across as fakery but for me Msport is basically a Sport model with some M bits included (suspension / steering wheel and a few body parts changed typically), everyone has their own opinions and can do as they like with their own car, me personally I would not add an M badge as standalone item but Tiglon is welcome to without judgement from me.

The M40i is the pinnacle of the G29 range and has the badge, I would leave it on, the 35iS is the same for the e89 so should it have been M35i as BMW did use iS a replacement for M at certain points I believe

 

[sars]

Yes you can class adding fake carbon fibre to exterior/interior trim in the same league as adding badges, however I don’t, though I wouldn’t do it either. People who do, do so to make their car unique and personal to them, adding a badge that doesn’t actually belong, how does that make it more personal, especially when you know it’s not real. As a previous poster pointed out them that know, know it doesn’t belong, those that don’t know don’t care and I would also add that only those of a certain prepubescent age would be impressed, in the same way that a really big spoiler improves any car.

I would also add that I love the colour and adding a darker colour to the alloys would look great

 

[BeeEmm]

I'm more than happy to be a mbadgewanker (can I get that on a badge?)

Just turn the 'M' badge round, that'll do it.

 

[tiglon]

I've been 50/50 whether to keep the badge, from a purely how-I-think-it-looks point of view. The fact that so many people got so forthright about it tipped the balance to 51% in favour of keeping it - if people tell me I should do something, I'm going to do the opposite 99.9% of the time. I had a play with the exact positioning this morning and, due to the curve of the back of the boot, can't find a spot that I'm entirely happy with - it either looks too high or too low.

On Thursday night I had an encounter with an old Alpina whose driver decided to tailgate me while doing 70 on a single carriageway A road - then overtook me so that he could sit in front of me doing 70. I might have risen to the bait if I hadn't been so tired at midnight on a pitch black road that I'm not familiar with, and had the other half asleep in the passenger seat. Bearing in mind some of the strong responses on here, and the fact that the owner of a 1999 Alpina is more likely than anyone to see him/herself as a bit of a BMW purist/anorak and be offended by a badge, I suspect there's a possibility that his driving was a response to my badge. Or maybe he was just a b3llend, there's plenty of those around.

Those two things together have made it 51% in favour of losing the badge, so it came off this morning. If anyone wants a M40i badge (partially used) for free it'll be in the buy & sell section later - free postage as well, but only if you promise to put it on the back of a car that didn't have a ///M badge on the boot when it came out of the factory. #teamMbadgewank3rs

P.S. I'm slightly disappointed that no one got wound up about my new signature.

I would also add that only those of a certain prepubescent age would be impressed, in the same way that a really big spoiler improves any car.

Completely agree, but then I already have an orange sports car with a shouty exhaust, it's not exactly a mature and sensible choice of car as it is. I take large parts of my life very seriously, but I bought the Z4 as something to make me smile and laugh. Even without the badge, most people over the age of 16 will still think I'm a car-wank3r as I cruise past with the roof down and the exhaust crackling.

 

[tiglon]

I'm more than happy to be a mbadgewanker (can I get that on a badge?)

Just turn the 'M' badge round, that'll do it.

I tried that, but it wouldn't stay on with the sticky bit pointing outwards

 

[Marcoose]

Does anybody know where to buy the sDrive35is badge in all glossy black?

 

[tiglon]

Does anybody know where to buy the sDrive35is badge in all glossy black?

I think you would struggle to find one, as far as I'm aware BMW never made them and it's a bit niche even for Chinese knock offs. I believe BMW did some M135i badges in black - you could use the 35 from one of those but the "i" wouldn't look right and I'm not sure if you could get the "s" from another model? Would probably only be available in the larger boot badge size.

Could the originals be painted?

 

[Scubaregs]

Black plasti dip would do the trick.

 

[BeeEmm]

Completely agree, but then I already have an orange sports car

err, not really, you have a BMW Valencia Orange which leans heavily towards brown.

This is orange:

 

[BeeEmm]

On Thursday night I had an encounter with an old Alpina whose driver decided to tailgate me while doing 70 on a single carriageway A road - then overtook me so that he could sit in front of me doing 70. I might have risen to the bait if I hadn't been so tired at midnight on a pitch black road that I'm not familiar with, and had the other half asleep in the passenger seat. Bearing in mind some of the strong responses on here, and the fact that the owner of a 1999 Alpina is more likely than anyone to see him/herself as a bit of a BMW purist/anorak and be offended by a badge, I suspect there's a possibility that his driving was a response to my badge. Or maybe he was just a b3llend, there's plenty of those around.

All this is in your head, it's what you thought about what another driver might be thinking. How do you know that the driver of this old car was not pissed of with you driving under the speed limit and decided to pass you and drive at 10mph more than the maximum speed limit? You said earlier that you were not bothered about what other people thought of your badge, not quite true, was it? Essex, you say! You need a balanced view on your posts, you now have it. I am glad that you have removed the badge from the rear.

 

[tiglon]

Thanks for your comments BeeEmm

 

[Ole gits rule]

This is a brown car -



VO may not be bright orange but it is more orange than brown IMHO

 

[tiglon]

This is a brown car -

Screenshot 2021-07-03 at 14.44.46.png

VO may not be bright orange but it is more orange than brown IMHO

Or is that bronze? Either way, it would look 99% better in Miami Blue and with a few badges removed!

 

[BeeEmm]

Thanks for your comments BeeEmm

You're welcome and I hope that you didn't feel badgered by me and others who thought it was wrong to put an 'M' badge on the rear of a non 'M' car.