Is ///M badge on a 540i sport rice?

[sunnywala]

I have a 540 its a sport and has the ///M on the wheels, steering wheel and shift knob. Besides the emblems there are other things that are different than a non-sport version. It was an upgrade, people payed for it. So why is it considered rice on a 540 that was not made in 2003? I understand the bumpers and headliners are different, I'm sure there are other things as well.
I'm new to BMWs so I dont know much.

I will do what I want(I have not decided yet, though I have already bought the badge). But I just want an explanation of why people call it rice.

[LBMotoring]

Because its fake?

Like a TYPE RRRRRRawrrr on a civic,

I mean its not that bad,

but some people dont like it,

me? I dont care. Its your car, I'm sure if someone saw it they wouldnt care, I mean if its a clean car, its a clean car.

[dinan e39]

the ///m badge on the back of the car means something completely different than cosmetic upgrades. it means that you have a mechanically superior car than the rest of us. by putting the badge on the back yourself, you are misrepresenting what you actually have. if the badge ain't applied at the factory, it doesn't belong there. just my opinion.

[sunnywala]

so the ///m badge has nothing to do with sport models? does it only represent the items the badge is on? does the suspension and different gearing have nothinng to do with the ///m badge? I thought it was all tied together into one package

please do take my rebuttal personal. I am only asking to gain factual knowledge.

[Bucketman]

I wont put any badges on the back of my car that were not applied by the factory. I drive a 540 sport with all the M steering whee, and rims too. I am not an M5 poser, thats all.

[MartinV]

The M in the trunk means a M engine in the bay. No engine no M.

[themadhatter]

The M in the trunk means a M engine in the bay. No engine no M.

and if it didn't come with that motor from the factory then it didn't come with the badge from the factory either.

[azaytsev]

check this link out, wtf
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2000-...QQcmdZViewItem

[sunnywala]

sorry I got some of the answers while I was writing the post...then why ///m on the wheels, they werent from the m5

Nobody is talking about posing, the topic is about the validity of the ///M badge on a sport model 540. I do not and would not pose either, hence the poll. I still have not got any definitive answers regarding my questions.

"so the ///m badge has nothing to do with sport models? does it only represent the items the badge is on? does the suspension and different gearing have nothinng to do with the ///m badge? I thought it was all tied together into one package"

Only answers I have received are posing/rice etc.
I'm craving actual knowledge of why it is posing. If it is fake or not put on at the factory than wouldn't that be the same for 540 made in 2000 with 2003 replica bumpers?

[sunnywala]

The M in the trunk means a M engine in the bay. No engine no M.

so i guess that sums it up huh? I was thinking that the M was related to the package. I don't see the harm, as long as you don't remove the 540. But at least I have a better understanding. thanks guys

[LeMansGTS]

so i guess that sums it up huh? I was thinking that the M was related to the package. I don't see the harm, as long as you don't remove the 540. But at least I have a better understanding. thanks guys

it is your car, do what you want. just because you have some m components on your car does not mean that your car becomes an M540i. You lack the engine and that is what matters the most. if most enthusiasts saw you driving around with one on, we would have a moment of laughter at your expense.

[dinan e39]

you've got to understand what the m badge represents when it is applied to the back of the car. yes, there are some parts of our cars that have the m badge on them. yes, that is part of the sport package that was offered for that model year. however, there was never a standard or sport package e39 offered with the m badge on the back. that m badge represents the best (performance) possible products that bmw was able to produce. it is a privelage to own an m car. to just go and apply that badge on the back of your car means that you might POSSIBLY be trying to make others think you have something you don't.

[LeMansGTS]

I just don't understand why you would want to. You drive what you drive, and that is a 540i. If BMW designated your car a 540i, then it is NOT a 528i, NOT an M540i, NOT an M5, hell not a 540iMZ06 Corvette (because your car may or may not have some GM components installed that are shared with a corvette).

[NikosX]

I call people out when they have M badges on standard models. Pisses me off because, well...my badge isnt fake.

[fragzem]

Why add any badge? DEBADGE!!

compared to a 540 and 528 and 530 an M5 is a WHOLE OTHER CAR. Putting an M badge on a 540 is like putting "TRANS AM" on a Firebird. Just something you do not do! I'd laugh just as hard at you as I would if someone put "300ZX TURBO" on top of a 240SX...

[Gumbi4u]

This is a debate and I always find it odd at how many people are your typical band wagon jumpers. If one person says the badge is bad, so does the next person. The OP isnt looking to put on an M5 badge. That would be completely gay. He is talking about the M and M alone. BMW just put the "M" on the wheels and steering wheel because its an M package. Should the buyer yank off the other original M badges too? What about the door sill trim? should that be yanked off too? So pretty much everyone is saying, as long as the M emblem isnt visible to them, then its fine?

Some people need to get their head out of their ass and start talking for themselves. I bet alot of guys on this board would have loved to pop on just the M badge on their M-sport bimmers but now they are so conditioned to say an M-badge on a non M5 is a no-no.

Do what you want to do sunny, as long as you dont try to pass of your car as an M5, you will be just fine. Or if you want to go with these run of the mill haters, then go ahead and start yanking off ALL you M emblems. The car isnt an M or M package because you car doesnt have the M5 engine........so be it........rant off......over and out.


Im with Fragzem, debadge is better then any badge. Nice and clean!

[Qsilver7]

One aspect of M badging that might not have been clearly discussed is...the individual pieces are parts that have M badging...why are they allowable but the M badge on the trunk isn't.

As previously stated in just about every reply in this thread...slapping an M badge on the trunk would symbolize that there is an M engine under the hood. But if the car ain't an M...don't do something that makes it appear that it is...especially to the unknowing.

But if you modify or upgrade to an M badged part such as M wheels, an M steering wheel, or M bumpers...it is an actual upgrade to an original M part which is NOT posing or representing something that it's not. A 540i or 540iT with M bumpers isn't recognized as an M5 or M5Touring nor is it considered as the owner trying to represent it as one...even if you mounted M5 wheels...it is seen as the owner upgrading/modifying his regular ol' 540i/iT with a stronger, lighter forged alloy wheel.

An upgrade is "allowable" and not frowned upon. For instance, installing an M 3 spoke steering wheel is considered an upgrade to an actual M part that has real upgrade application...but sticking an M badge on a regular 4 spoke steering wheel is a no no. Same if you were to stick an M bagde on regular bottlecap alloy wheels...that too is a no no. How about sticking M badges on the regular basic cloth or leather seats....uh huh...you guessed it...that's a no no.

The disdain is for slapping an M badge on something that is not an M part. Not that you can't have an M badge anywhere visible on the car.

[fragzem]

Well I didn't actually debadge for fear of maybe the paint being faded on the car more than underneath the badge..... as it were a Florida car originally and it must've gotten beaten on..

[BKphoto]

exactly, putting an M steering wheel or door sills is just plain upgrading...these parts are higher quality than the OE and look better, bumpers, etc...

look on the F1 car, it says M POWER which means "bad ass motor" from BMW Motorsport...same thing applies to the street car...

if you have a M badge on the boot you better have one under the bonnet...

[54ODell]

is this poll 'rice'? *sigh*

[sunnywala]

If I were to put the M badge on the Trunk, it would be to show that I have the Sport package or to show that it is a six speed. I dont think anyone would think that I have a m5 motor in the car, and I am not sure that many in people in Texas would associate the badge with the motor. Dont worry i'm taking everyones thoughts in to consideration ( and am gaining an understanding). I'll be sure to ask my mechanic what he thinks as well.

[BKphoto]

read into the history of BMW Motorsport than ask that question again...

by the way, don't ask your mechanic, he might laugh you out of the building...

[azaytsev]

I dont think anyone would think that I have a m5 motor in the car, and I am not sure that many in people in Texas would associate the badge with the motor.

Do you think they will associate ///M with the sport package? Do you think they care? This your car just put whatever you want on it. If you like to put ///M put them as many as you would like. Everytime I see non M car with the M on it I laugh hard. Just be one more of them.

[azaytsev]

No, 530i with sport pack does not come with the M badge, it comes with 530i badge. Somebody removed the original badge and put the M one.

[Boober]

As others have said, it's YOUR car man, do what you want. Why should you care what others think, unless you want to put the badge on BECAUSE you care what others think!? Hmmmm..

A somewhat unrelated story, I was working in Cleveland last year and brought my M5 up for a few days. I had been seeing a black e39 5-series with an M5 badge on the back parked at the hotel I was staying at. I was getting out of my M5 and saw the other black 5-series owner walking to his car. He glanced ever so quickly my way, and the look of shame on his face was unmistakable. I wasn't going to say anything, other than maybe "nice car".

Boober