[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by bladeomatic

Ah ha! I got it now! Completely acceptable reason. My bad.

No worries. My only point that I may not have made clear is I literally don't care if the car is an M, an IS, a ABC, XYZ whatever. Got it because it's the best thing out there for what I want. For the way I drive and how much use I will get out of it (less than 5k per year in the city) getting anything faster, better, more track worthy, pure-M or whatever the heck you want to call it is completely ridiculous. I am already flirting with ridiculous as-is, the 228 would be more than sufficient for my needs. But sufficient doesn't get us hot and bothered, does it?

[xbook]

Originally Posted by epic

Nailed it. Best post in the thread.

This 100 times over!

[dmboone25]

As someone who has had their M235 a few days, I have to admit that I don't notice the M badges. I thought I would be more "put off" by them, but for whatever reason, I'm not.

It was suggested earlier in the thread that the M badges on the fenders looked like a 2 year old had put them on - an alternative view would be that they were kept small intentionally, in order to create an understated (and middle of the road) connection to the M brand. Like the car - an in-between choice of no M to full on M.

None of the M badges are large or ostentatious, at least IMO. This seems to be, like the car, and evolution in the way that BMW presents itself to the masses.

With that being said, I can understand why someone would take them off - it just doesn't bother me to go to that level. My $.02

[bimmerfile]

For those buyers of the M235i, but feel it's not worthy of the letter "M", would it be too difficult to remove the letter with some dental floss?
Why would anyone else care?

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by bimmerfile

For those buyers of the M235i, but feel it's not worthy of the letter "M", would it be too difficult to remove the letter with some dental floss?
Why would anyone else care?

That's the whole point, no one other than crazy people like us give a damn to begin with anyway. The M, or lack thereof, isn't getting anyone laid

[dmboone25]

Originally Posted by BEM-S4

That's the whole point, no one other than crazy people like us give a damn to begin with anyway. The M, or lack thereof, isn't getting anyone laid

[darcivic00si]

Originally Posted by BEM-S4

That's the whole point, no one other than crazy people like us give a damn to begin with anyway. The M, or lack thereof, isn't getting anyone laid

[five3three]

Originally Posted by BEM-S4

The M, or lack thereof, isn't getting anyone laid

Are you sure a Dinan badge and a couple of more M's wouldn't do the trick?

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by five3three

Are you sure a Dinan badge and a couple of more M's wouldn't do the trick?

Attachment 996527

That, good sir, could very well do the trick! Although the particular girls that would do the trick for ought not be messed with

[epic]

Originally Posted by five3three

Are you sure a Dinan badge and a couple of more M's wouldn't do the trick?

I've seen my fair share of embarrassing stuff at our dealership. So many M badges slapped on anything and everything in the most odd of spots. Very egotistical license plates that make you want to slap the owner. Fake carbon wrap done in half-assed manner. Front wheels colored differently from the rear.

I just hope nobody here is guilty.

[spmd11]

From today's Bimmerpost lead headline:

Motortrend comparison, MB CLA45AMG, BMW M235, WRX STI -

The Bavarian Ballerina
Whereas the CLA45's audacity broadens AMG's reputation and reach, the M235i's 15-plus M badges do little to enrich that of M GmbH's. It's embarrassing overkill that's almost as disingenuous as a 750i wearing M placards won on eBay.

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...#ixzz2wYOiVZst

[five3three]

Originally Posted by spmd11

From today's Bimmerpost lead headline:

Motortrend comparison, MB CLA45AMG, BMW M235, WRX STI -

The Bavarian Ballerina
Whereas the CLA45's audacity broadens AMG's reputation and reach, the M235i's 15-plus M badges do little to enrich that of M GmbH's. It's embarrassing overkill that's almost as disingenuous as a 750i wearing M placards won on eBay.

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...#ixzz2wYOiVZst

The whole comparison with the CLA45 seems very silly in my opinion, given that the CLA45 is a full blown AMG car. For it to be so closely matched by the M235i (or 235is as it actually is), that was not tuned by M division only means that M's response with the M2 is going to destroy the CLA45.

I frankly think it's embarrassing for a full AMG car to be getting compared to a normal non-M vehicle. This kind of comparison is like the M3 sedan being compared to the IS350F.

Unlike some of the other ridiculous comparisons that can be made, the M235i is actually holding its own to the point where it's almost even matched to a true AMG car. If anything, AMG should be insulted by these kinds of results.

[xbook]

Originally Posted by spmd11

...the M235i's 15-plus M badges do little to enrich that of M GmbH's. It's embarrassing overkill that's almost as disingenuous as a 750i wearing M placards won on eBay...

I see 3 badges on the outside of my M235i, and 3 inside (2 are on the door sills). Where do you get 15 badges?

Maybe BMW shorted me, I should call my sales person and sort this out

[five3three]

Originally Posted by xbook

I see 3 badges on the outside of my M235i, and 3 inside (2 are on the door sills). Where do you get 15 badges?

Maybe BMW shorted me, I should call my sales person and sort this out

Well there's one on each wheel and one on each brake caliper for 8 total. Then there's one on the steering wheel, 2 on the door sills, one in your instrument cluster. Then there's 1 on the back and the 2 on the sides like you said. That's 15 so far.

[Duster]

I don't think BMW is devaluing the M brand at all. I think the MPA series will have 2 effects.

1. Owners of "Real M" cars are going to go out of their way to highlight the small differences between their cars and the MPA cars, increasing the value of those small differences.

2. It's going to bring more people into the "M" brand who wouldn't otherwise spring for a "Real M" car. After a taste of "watered down" M, I will bet you that the biggest buyers of M2's are going to be former M235 owners.

Both of these effects actually increase the brand recognition and value of the M brand, and will help sell more "Real M" cars as well as more MPA cars.

Anyone who thinks this will cheapen the M brand is implicitly saying that there isn't a big enough difference between the MPA cars and the M cars. I think BMW has left enough of a gap to help them sell lots of both.

[five3three]

Originally Posted by Duster

I don't think BMW is devaluing the M brand at all. I think the MPA series will have 2 effects.

1. Owners of "Real M" cars are going to go out of their way to highlight the small differences between their cars and the MPA cars, increasing the value of those small differences.

2. It's going to bring more people into the "M" brand who wouldn't otherwise spring for a "Real M" car. After a taste of "watered down" M, I will bet you that the biggest buyers of M2's are going to be former M235 owners.

Both of these effects actually increase the brand recognition and value of the M brand, and will help sell more "Real M" cars as well as more MPA cars.

Anyone who thinks this will cheapen the M brand is implicitly saying that there isn't a big enough difference between the MPA cars and the M cars. I think BMW has left enough of a gap to help them sell lots of both.

Excellent post. I agree with you 100%. The whole point of all of these initiatives by MB, Lexus and BMW is to hook younger buyers to the brand at an earlier age so they can be brand loyal and keep coming back.

[Duster]

Originally Posted by five3three

Excellent post. I agree with you 100%. The whole point of all of these initiatives by MB, Lexus and BMW is to hook younger buyers to the brand at an earlier age so they can be brand loyal and keep coming back.

This is a very common tactic, and I'm sure there's a name for it among the professional marketers. I call it the brand-within-the brand strategy.

The earliest I can remember it being used was when Levi's started changing the colours of the labels on their jeans. Red label jeans were slightly better made and tailored, but commanded a big premium over orange label, or whatever other label colours they had. It raised brand awareness across the line and they sold a heck of a lot of product.

Make a slight difference, make it visible through branding/colouring/badging, and charge a big premium. Apple does it when they charge more for a white phone. Many companies do it when they have a "special edition" or what have you. People think it will cannibalize sales, but it usually doesn't.

So much of the discussion around this car has been around how the 235 compares with the 335, or the 435, or the 228, or the 1M, or the M135. The discussion has been much less about how it compares to other brands of car. What's a better outcome than having your brand compete with itself?

[BEM-S4]

Wow... Just wow. Group buy anyone? I threw up in my mouth a little.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/191073016820