[lazyrhino]

Seems an odd question, but my M235i has come fitted with the front wing M badges in bright chrome/silver, as opposed to the 'dark chrome' colour of the boot lid badge.

Is this correct that they differ in colour, or should the wing badges be in dark chrome also?

My dealer is telling me this is correct, and that there is only the one part number, but I'm not sure I believe them, as even the original price list for the vehicle states...
"M logo designation in unique Dark Chrome on left and right front wings"

Can anyone shed any light on this?

[lazyrhino]

Just to update this, having investigated the issue at length (and checking out some other M235i/M135i cars at my local dealership), I was able to confirm that, the side accents that had been fitted to my car were indeed wrong!
They're not meant to be bright chrome, they're supposed to match the 'Smoked Grey' colour of the boot badge! I raised this with the dealership, and after showing them the evidence, they agreed that the badges fitted were indeed wrong. For some reason though, their parts search was only bringing up the badges in bright chrome for the car, none in the smoked grey. The situation looked as though I might either have to leave the current badges applied, or just go without, but after a week or so of my dealership doing some digging however, they did fortunately manage to find the correct part number, but listed under only one model of car - the current shape X5 M Sport, bizarrely enough!
These were then ordered and fitted yesterday (26/10/2014), so it's now resolved!

[Enovoc]

Curious on why mine doesn't have front wing m badges is yours a 2014?

[lazyrhino]

Originally Posted by Covo_M

Curious on why mine doesn't have front wing m badges is yours a 2014?

There's a badge delete option on the original spec list, did you select this? Or was your car pre-built with this option selected? That's what happened with mine, hence why I had them re-applied when I bought it.

[worktolivelife]

Jul 14 build mine from the factory came like that ( bootlid smoked side chromed)
Dont really care though!

[lazyrhino]

Originally Posted by worktolivelife

Jul 14 build mine from the factory came like that ( bootlid smoked side chromed)
Dont really care though!

I wish it hadn't bothered me as much as it did, but hey! It does say in the original spec list that the side accents are in the 'Smoked Grey' colour, so they should be.

[chaswyck1]

I agree. You should care. When you go to sell the car the bright chrome will look like an add on. The car should be "right" according to the specs.

Originally Posted by KurtCrisco

I wish it hadn't bothered me as much as it did, but hey! It does say in the original spec list that the side accents are in the 'Smoked Grey' colour, so they should be.

[lazyrhino]

Originally Posted by chaswyck@yahoo.com

I agree. You should care. When you go to sell the car the bright chrome will look like an add on. The car should be "right" according to the specs.

Totally agree with you. The original spec list denotes the colour specifically as a 'unique' feature on the M235i, and the bright chrome badges looked as exactly as you say - like an add on someone had bought from some cheap eBay shop!

[F80_M]

Pic?

[chaswyck1]

From reading through some older posts in other threads it seems like they must have run short of the correct darker badges and put the bright chrome ones on a lot of cars. I've seen several people questioning their bright chrome badges. I think it's kind of crummy that they would do this and not say anything. They should have either shipped them with no badges or the chrome badges and directed buyers to have them put on or replaced by the dealer when the correct part became available. That's a lot more honest than shipping the car with an incorrect part.

Originally Posted by KurtCrisco

Totally agree with you. The original spec list denotes the colour specifically as a 'unique' feature on the M235i, and the bright chrome badges looked as exactly as you say - like an add on someone had bought from some cheap eBay shop!

[five3three]

Originally Posted by Covo_M

Curious on why mine doesn't have front wing m badges is yours a 2014?

It's b/c the OP doesn't have a US spec car. I believe 2015's still maintained the side badges in other countries.

[lazyrhino]

Originally Posted by chaswyck@yahoo.com

From reading through some older posts in other threads it seems like they must have run short of the correct darker badges and put the bright chrome ones on a lot of cars. I've seen several people questioning their bright chrome badges. I think it's kind of crummy that they would do this and not say anything. They should have either shipped them with no badges or the chrome badges and directed buyers to have them put on or replaced by the dealer when the correct part became available. That's a lot more honest than shipping the car with an incorrect part.

I really hope that isn't the case, because that's truly terrible! I'd be shocked and appalled if a company as large and as well respected as BMW attempted to do something like that on the sly, counting on the majority of people simply "not noticing" the difference.

I thought I was fairly unique in my experience with the side accents, but it seems a lot of people have noticed it actually, most of whom are from the US - maybe this is an issue affecting US spec cars more than cars over here in the UK.

I should really have asked for it at the time, but I'll speak to BMW tomorrow and get the right part number, so at least people can order them and change them if they wish!

[BradF]

So much concern about M badging on the M235i in this forum (from 'where are my fender mounted badges on the '15 to what finish should they be)...It's almost as if the M badges are the most important part of the car for some folks. It's a helluva car, certainly...but it's just not an M car and we all know that...why all the concern over badging?

[2+3=5]

Originally Posted by KurtCrisco

Seems an odd question, but my M235i has come fitted with the front wing M badges in bright chrome/silver, as opposed to the 'dark chrome' colour of the boot lid badge.

Is this correct that they differ in colour, or should the wing badges be in dark chrome also?

My dealer is telling me this is correct, and that there is only the one part number, but I'm not sure I believe them, as even the original price list for the vehicle states...
"M logo designation in unique Dark Chrome on left and right front wings"

Can anyone shed any light on this?

Got pics?

[Enovoc]

Originally Posted by five3three

It's b/c the OP doesn't have a US spec car. I believe 2015's still maintained the side badges in other countries.

ah didn't see that haha thank you!

[RobNH]

Originally Posted by BradF

So much concern about M badging on the M235i in this forum (from 'where are my fender mounted badges on the '15 to what finish should they be)...It's almost as if the M badges are the most important part of the car for some folks. It's a helluva car, certainly...but it's just not an M car and we all know that...why all the concern over badging?

Frankly, I'm getting sick of hearing people comment that it's just not an M car.

It's called an M235 for a reason. It's not some slap on M-sport package like the ones they're throwing on to 328s and 335s.

I would have liked the extra M-badges on my 2015, but because a bunch of primadonnas got together and bitched to BMW that the car has too many M-badges on it and it's not a "true M car" they stopped putting them on the 2015 U.S. spec cars.

I love BMWs, but I now know why the general public considers BMW owners to be a bunch of snobs.

[overcoil]

Doubt it's a case of BMW trying to pull a fast one over on the customer.
I do believe BMW catalogues state that that small changes may be made from specs listed in the online or paper brochure - one reason may be as documented here; if one part is in short supply, it's important that the manufacturer be able to substitute for a similar part as opposed to shutting the assembly line down.
The benefit of modern production is that changes can be made quickly without major interruptions and that this is not a monetary problem of exchanging a more expensive part for a cheaper part.

And I agree with the poster who disliked that BMW eliminated some of the 'M' badges probably due to journalist or blog complaints.

[BradF]

[QUOTE=RobNH;16839533]Frankly, I'm getting sick of hearing people comment that it's just not an M car.

It's called an M235 for a reason. It's not some slap on M-sport package like the ones they're throwing on to 328s and 335s.

QUOTE]

The M235i is clad with lots of M Performance bits, but lets not kid ourselves: its not an M car, unless "M" stands for "Marketing". There's nothing wrong with that, as the M division needs to be profitable - so why not take what would otherwise have been a 235i and cram it full of M Performance goodies while the world waits for the M2 (which will be a true M car)?

I drove the car and absolutely loved it (still haven't decided which way to go), but I really did feel that the M theme was a bit overdone - bordering on tacky. But, a fantastic car nonetheless.

[chaswyck1]

Somewhere earlier in this thread, I believe, is the part number for the side badges. If you really want them on your 2015, you can order the 2014 badges and put them on.

Originally Posted by RobNH

Frankly, I'm getting sick of hearing people comment that it's just not an M car.

It's called an M235 for a reason. It's not some slap on M-sport package like the ones they're throwing on to 328s and 335s.

I would have liked the extra M-badges on my 2015, but because a bunch of primadonnas got together and bitched to BMW that the car has too many M-badges on it and it's not a "true M car" they stopped putting them on the 2015 U.S. spec cars.

I love BMWs, but I now know why the general public considers BMW owners to be a bunch of snobs.

[chaswyck1]

I contributed to the thread because I think people should get what they were promised, not just what they happened to have available when the car was built. I actually couldn't care less about the badges because I ordered a 228i Sport line.

Originally Posted by BradF

So much concern about M badging on the M235i in this forum (from 'where are my fender mounted badges on the '15 to what finish should they be)...It's almost as if the M badges are the most important part of the car for some folks. It's a helluva car, certainly...but it's just not an M car and we all know that...why all the concern over badging?

[lazyrhino]

Sorry it's taken me so long to come back with another reply on this thread, been snowed under with work!

BMW never came back to me about the part number for the badge (typical of my local dealership), but I managed to find it myself fortunately - http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...30&hg=51&fg=20

As I stated earlier in the thread, the correct 'Smoked Grey' side accents can only be found listed under one model of car in the current F series range - the X5 M50d
The part number for these is - 51148058882

Looking under the VIN for my own M235i, the part number that's given for these badges is different - these are of course the bright chrome ones, which shouldn't actually be applied to the car. Very weird that the parts are listed this way, but hey, such is life! Of course the same situation will apply to other similar vehicles such as the M135i.

Furthermore, just a final point - it's a real shame that such a light hearted, generally informative thread, has encouraged such negativity from certain individuals. Some advice:
Unless you have something of any value to add to a thread where people are having a genuinely sensible discussion, don't post at all. Keep your irrelevant opinions to yourself, rather than using them to get at others in a small minded, ignorant fashion.

[ORIGIN M.]

Good to know.

They are called Fenders, not Wings!