[JetBlack330xi]

I have something to say that's been bothering me for a while as I've been reading these boards.

The ultimate "modding fopau (sp?)"...putting an M3 badge on a non-M car......(GASP! the audacity!) I'm sorry, but this is the most provincial mindset, and it pisses me off everytime I hear someone say it. Literally, any thread in which the person intends to make his/her car look like an M3, I know, instantly, that the next post will say "as long as you don't put the M badge on it...you're a poser, etc..." without even looking.
Underlying this issue is the theory behind the economy in the US and capitalism in general...if someone will provide it, someone will buy it. This goes for the real deal (an M3) and the imposter (M3-badged 325/330). The whole point of the market here, is that anyone and everyone with money, no matter what his/her/their "power status," can buy anything. Not to mention, this country is all about freedom of choice, correct? And that's all the false-badging is, an expression of opinion--"I think this looks better on my car, so I'm going to put it there." It's egocentric and insecure to get offended by such an expression. Can't you just be satisfied that you have the money to purchase an M3? You can't just know that you have an expensive car, that it makes you happy, and that's enough? You need to have it AND make sure that NO ONE ELSE has it that can't afford it? Moreover, often others have the money to purchase such an item, but see it better spent on their family or something else...

just my 2 cents, but it just makes such clear sense to me that I can't believe people still get so upset by it...so they're "claiming it is something it is not..." what's the crime in that? It doesn't hurt anyone, and when it comes down to it (performance, etc.) it's not...so why get upset?

You tell me.

 

[Craig]

To each his own imo.... you foot the bill so do as you like to your ride. At the same time don't expect that those who know what their lookin at won't ridicule you for doing so. Just my .02 cents on it...

 

[JetBlack330xi]

i wouldn't personally put it on my car--it looks just the same as a 330 or 325, whatever, badge and I see no reason to spend the money...just theoretically speaking, and for all the others on this board that have...

 

[AVRed1]

Here we go... our monthly non-M wearing M badge thread. i'lll sum it up. Ticks off a lot of guys, some will say "its their car not yours."

it ticks me off
(esp when they leave the old badge on, like an I see around town M325)

 

[GarrettF]

I guess in my mind it is kind of like a woman wearing a cubic-zurconia(sp?). It is real but there are women out there who tell people it is real. People who know that it is fake will say to themsleves "poser" or something a bit more derogatory. While the person who doesnt know it is fake will be impressed. For non enthusiasts, they can see an M3 badge on a 4 door e46 with 15inch wheels and be convinced that is an M3. For us (enthusiats) we know it is fake and would never let it pass. I dont think i am getting anywhere with tihs anology so ill just try to get to my point. The aninimity of the WWW allows us to say how we feel about something without the real risk of social consquenes, so people will say the M3 badge shouldnt be on a non M car when posting on a forum, but at a meet for example if a 4 door 15inch rim e46 with an m3 badge showed up, at least in my experience, no one whould say it out to him that it shouldnt be there but it would be a quiet side discussion that would take place before.. i dont know if my post accomplishes anything or states anythign useful but it was all i could think of..if it is incoherent i dotn know what to tell you other then to disregard it

 

[Craig]

You would think more guys would get pissed about the abundance of M3 bumpers, fenders and hoods that go on lots of modified rides?? :dunno:

 

[Anonymous_FTP]

Here we go... our monthly non-M wearing M badge thread. i'lll sum it up. Ticks off a lot of guys, some will say "its their car not yours."

it ticks me off
(esp when they leave the old badge on, like an I see around town M325)

Funny that you mention that. The other day, I saw an E30 325 w/ an ///M3 badge on the LEFT side of the car. I just wanted to give the girl the finger! :flipoff:

 

[robert6320]

I see what you mean, but that isn't why I don't like it. I don't like it because if somebody races or sees one with an ///M badge that isn't really an ///M, they think of bmw as slower and not as good looking. I have a 325 and don't pretend its a 330 or an ///M3 because I don't want enthusiasts to think I don't know what I'm doing or people who don't know better to think I have something that I dont. Just my $.02

 

[russ330]

Yeah, what's the big deal, I have a 735i badge on the back of my car and no one says anything. :eeps:

 

[SmurfM3]

Imitation is the highest form of flattery.

Don't badge your 330i as an M. It's a 330i, not an M3. Period. You're effectively a liar if you have it, and you're damaging the rep of REAL M3 drivers when you get smoked by STi WRXes and Evo's... Then you read STi forums and you have some Sti owner claiming to have SMOKED an M... when in reality he raced a 323ci with half the power of an M3.

Debadging is fine, but M badging is retarded.

 

[fj0]

If i had an M3 id badge it 318i

 

[SmurfM3]

A few M badges adds up to a CAI, and one M badge surely buys you a tank of gas. In addition to the occasional thumbs-down from people who know their BMW's, it's a waste of money. The ~1lb it adds to your car slows it down, too. LOL.

 

[robert6320]

I can't see why people can't accept what thay have, and have to pretend they have something thay don't.

People w/ false badging is exactly why my friend w/ a 330 show car can't take his symbols off because people will think it's a 323 or something beacuse they are less knowledgeable

 

[JetBlack330xi]

you guys are tough to get through to...

ok, we'll look at another, more convincing argument.

Take Blue-gilled sunfish. these animals cannot think abstractly, and are not (by our definition) conscious. these animals employ 2 types of mating strategies: 1.) the larger sunfish guard the best breeding territories, females come and inspect the territory, and if it's to her liking she mates with the male occupying it.
2.) the alternative mating strategy (sneaker strategy) is employed by the smaller sunfish. these fish are small so appear as females, and either a.) sneak underneath the larger male while he's breeding and lay his own eggs, undetected, or b.) pretend he is a female, and swim next to a large male and a female mating and drop his sperm (appears as though he's dropping eggs)..

BOTH of these strategies exist and are evolutionary successful. evolution, this is the reason we are here. SO, that said, the use of an M-badge on a non-M car is just that: a sneaker strategy, allowing other, non-informed females to THINK the car is an M-car, thus increasing the evolutionary fitness of the sneaker (imposter) and passing on his genes.....this is seen in MANY, many species...

if nature and evolution aren't convincing, then I don't know what is...

 

[robert6320]

the majority of girls I know dont know an ///m from a non-M.

P.S. who wants to be an Imposter

 

[robert6320]

by the way good argument jetblack330xi

 

[GarrettF]

Re: you guys are tough to get through to...

ok, we'll look at another, more convincing argument.

Take Blue-gilled sunfish. these animals cannot think abstractly, and are not (by our definition) conscious. these animals employ 2 types of mating strategies: 1.) the larger sunfish guard the best breeding territories, females come and inspect the territory, and if it's to her liking she mates with the male occupying it.
2.) the alternative mating strategy (sneaker strategy) is employed by the smaller sunfish. these fish are small so appear as females, and either a.) sneak underneath the larger male while he's breeding and lay his own eggs, undetected, or b.) pretend he is a female, and swim next to a large male and a female mating and drop his sperm (appears as though he's dropping eggs)..

BOTH of these strategies exist and are evolutionary successful. evolution, this is the reason we are here. SO, that said, the use of an M-badge on a non-M car is just that: a sneaker strategy, allowing other, non-informed females to THINK the car is an M-car, thus increasing the evolutionary fitness of the sneaker (imposter) and passing on his genes.....this is seen in MANY, many species...

if nature and evolution aren't convincing, then I don't know what is...

Excellent. You figured it out. We say the M badge doesnt belong becasue we want to try an deter the "small fish" from laying its eggs!

 

[bimmerchop]

I could care less for badges, if I had an M3, I would debadge it all the same. I don't like the look of the badges. but IMO, it is wrong to put an M3 badge on a non M3. My friend has an e36, 325, with an M3 engine. All he did was just add an ///M to it. not an ///M3 badge. even he thinks it's disrepectful to people with real M3's to put an M3 badge on it.

 

[otto325coupe]

I don't understand why the larger fish would get upset that the smaller fish are dropping their semen near the females...

unless the larger fish are insecure that they will lose the females to the smaller fish

 

[JetBlack330xi]

firstly, robert, thank you.

secondly, otto, the whole point is that they DO lose the females....the females eggs are fertilized by the sperm of the small fish, and NOT the larger fish...so it is an effective and viable strategy

and thirdly, Garrett, yes, that is why people try to discourage "small fish" from using the false badge, but simultaneously the reason that it can, and should, coexist with the dominant strategy...it allows for genetic variation--the greatest advantage of evolution...
that's why asexual populations are few and far between--sexual populations allow for genetic variation, which gives the entire race the best chance of survival by allowing for adaptation to the changing environment...