Ted Maul

I'd like your opinion. Is it wrong to debadge a brand new M5 ? mate of mine has done this to his, badge at the back has gone. He says it still looks obvious because of the 4 exhausts, massive wheels and m5 badges on the side.. but I reckon debadging is something 18 yr olds do to their bmw 316 to hide the fact its bottom of the range..

chiark

I'm with your mate on this: I'd rather debadge an M5. There's too many planks that put M badges on their 316s because they've put a foglight or something on it...

And it's still obvious it's the real thing.

Castrol

I agree - debadge. I always had the sticker badges taken off my Classic Turbos. Anyone that needs the badge to see what the car is, doesn't matter.

Cheers

cat7

but a shiny m5 badge is a rather different proposition. The cars hardly overstated compared to a standard 5 m-sport I say the small m5 on the back is a nice touch.

chiark

:wow: Have you seen one???

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Put a 520 badge on it !

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Get rid of the quad exhausts while your at it...that'll really confuse 'em

v15ben

Replace the badge with a 525d one... always makes for good fun. I'm sure there are plenty of lower 5 series model badged as M5 so why not buck the trend!!
I know of an Audi RS6 1.9 TDI (or at least the badge says 1.9 TDI.)
Just a bit of fun after all

Castrol

Seems pretty much the same to me, particularly back in April 1994 when I bought my first Impreza. It attracted more attention than the M5 did at the time.

Each to his or her own however...

Deep Singh

Given the level of car jackings etc it may not be such a bad idea to be a little low profile

sti-04!!

I debadged my 535d when i had it, used to annoy the **** out of the rep mobile guys

GCollier

I'm with your mate. I had the dealer debadge my RS6 before delivery. I like the (relative) anonymity and never really saw the point of "impressing" passers by who I'd never see again anyway. And if it stops any impromptu theft or vandalism, then so much the better.

Gary.

sti-04!!

Going to debadge my new E320 CDi as well. Just for the fun of it

Ted Maul

Thanks for the responses, I'll tell him he's right and I'm wrong

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

If I do get a Fabia VRS and chip it, definitley going to put a 1.2 badge on it, see in my own small way I try too keep up.

kammy

Why buy an M5 and de-badge it?
It is an M5.
Is he ashamed of it? Its great car, aslong as it is not in white with blacked out windows.
Keep the badges on. TBH either way it does not make a difference.

big MO

Mines debadged - replaced by a ring sticker. R-E-S-P-E-K!!!!!

Diablo

I think the appeal of the badging is very much nation dependent.

The Germans (apparently) like to be understated. Its about what the car does thats important, not the badge on the back.

Hence most German manufacturers have "de badge" on the options list.

In many other cultures (including the Uk), it seems that the opposite is true, and for many, having the badge is as important as the actual ability. A function of repmobile culture perhaps?

Some, of course, take it to extremes. I know a guy that had a BMW 325i a few years back, with "M sport" badges on it. When I asked him why, he said that it had a "couple of M sport bits on it"... I remember replying along the lines of "what, the badges?"

Personally, I would rather de-badge (and my 120d is de-badged), because whats under the bonnet is not something I worry about others knowing,

Jamesemt

The exhaust gives the game away


I believe that if you can afford to buy and run an M5, you should be proud of it - leave the badges on

Jonathan Davies

I think the really classy option would be to get some stickers for the side showing the list price, including options obviously.

De-badging appeals to me, but each to his own.

Andy M3

Debadge all the way for me

Jamescsti

I'd leave the badges on an M5 everytime, same with an RS4/6

dome

My e28 535iSE is debadged, it does have M badges on the seats though and the gearknob, but they are genuine M parts so I ain't taking the badges off them.

I like the fact that people have to guess what it is, and if folk think it's a 518 then that's fine by me, they'll soon find they're wrong

Carl2

Debadging is (or at least was a while back ) a factory option on some cars, the simple idea being you don't know what model it is, so may not have it stolen so readily.

tath

There's a 12sec Corsa bumbling around on steelies with Merit 1.5D badges

Understated is cool, leaving the badges on, also cool.

Sticking BMW M5 in 12" italics down the side, a la Cavalier SRI, not cool

Dracoro

Unless it's clear that it's the top of the range, a de-badged car shouts "I'm ashamed of my puny 1.8 litre engine"

carl

I suppose I could always put a "Speed Six" badge on the back of the Cerbera

I'm actually a big fan of debadging. I mean, you don't see Bentleys with "6.0 W12 turbo" on the back, or Ferraris with "4.3 V8 40V", do you?

^Qwerty^

Put a fishey Jesus badge on it.

Edcase

Seriously contemplating debadging the RS6 at the moment largely to not draw too much unwanted attention.

Maybe I shouldn't have gone for Misano red

banny sti

iTrader: (68)

Anybody with an ounce of motoring knowledge wouldn't need the badges to know models they are. The exhausts, bulging arches, vents etc give it away anyway. Unless it is a replica in which case they would more likely have added badges.