Cars We Drive!

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Yea, I've seen M badges added to all sorts of BMWs that were never M series cars. I've seen old 1980's 318i's (the smallest engine that was available at the time) with M badges, and I also recently saw a diesel model that someone put and M badged.

I saw an M on a civic once.

I believe there was a M Sport 318ti that had M emblems on the sides but none on the rear

 

[Dino944]

The 740i can be an M Sport now, so it isn't fake badges. This is from the manufacturer gaudy. I did see someone driving a C250 with the badge "MODERN" on it today as well.

I've seen a 740i with the M Sport Package and I did not see any M badges on it. So I wondered if on the car you saw owner did it himself or if on the car I saw there was some debadging. See the link below a new 750 with the M sport option package but no badge. There is no shortage of old 7 Series BMWs in my area where owners just added an M badge. So far the only 7 series I've seen with a factory M badge is the M760Li.

https://www.southshorebmw.com/new/B...r-boston-e10da39f0a0d04fe2daf54017c24173a.htm

I saw an M on a civic once.

I believe there was a M Sport 318ti that had M emblems on the sides but none on the rear

I've also seen a Corolla on Instagram that actually had an M5 badge on the back of the trunk lid.

Yes, there was an Msport 318Ti, but it just had tiny M badging on the side, and no M badge on the back.

 

[Thrift Vader]

But when you see a civic that walks its own way.. .

@ Rollcage, zero interior, race buckets, suspension lift, harnesses,straight pipe,O.Z wheels???

for a driver? this could be the baddest car posted in this thread.
and somebody daily's this....

 

[brokencycle]

I've seen a 740i with the M Sport Package and I did not see any M badges on it. So I wondered if on the car you saw owner did it himself or if on the car I saw there was some debadging. See the link below a new 750 with the M sport option package but no badge. There is no shortage of old 7 Series BMWs in my area where owners just added an M badge. So far the only 7 series I've seen with a factory M badge is the M760Li.

https://www.southshorebmw.com/new/B...r-boston-e10da39f0a0d04fe2daf54017c24173a.htm




I've also seen a Corolla on Instagram that actually had an M5 badge on the back of the trunk lid.

Yes, there was an Msport 318Ti, but it just had tiny M badging on the side, and no M badge on the back.

Interesting. There were two M badges on the rear. It was like a 50+ year old dude driving it. Maybe he did put badges on -- not typically the demographic that I would expect, but certainly possible. I remember there was a discussion around the concept M7 that had Ms plastered in several places including the center console, so I just assumed it was BMW doing it here too.

 

[HRoi]

I think it’s time to face the fact that the M and the AMG badges on their own are totally meaningless now, and have been for some time.

Not that those houses can’t still make good cars, but the badges by themselves don’t mean the car they’re attached to are anything special.

 

[bawlin]

I think it’s time to face the fact that the M and the AMG badges on their own are totally meaningless now, and have been for some time.

Not that those houses can’t still make good cars, but the badges by themselves don’t mean the car they’re attached to are anything special.

///M has been dead for a while. What's really a shame, however, is that Mercedes is diluting the AMG badge, a badge that was previously reserved for an over-engineered car with a hand-built engine, by putting it on their 6-cylinder "43" models.

 

[Dino944]

I think it’s time to face the fact that the M and the AMG badges on their own are totally meaningless now, and have been for some time.

Not that those houses can’t still make good cars, but the badges by themselves don’t mean the car they’re attached to are anything special.

BMW M series and AMG were much more important in the world of automobiles many years ago. The only M cars I really like are the original 1979 BMW M1 and the (e24) M635CSI/M6. Those were cars that were night and day different from the standard BMW fare, especially in terms of performance. As for AMG I think they made more interesting cars, with more custom features and performance that truly distinguished themself from MB back in the 1970s and 80's before they were purchased by MB. Here in the US, back in 1981/82 US spec BMWs offered about 182hp in their top of the line 633CSI/733i. With American consumers being so concerned about fuel economy, for 1981 MB killed off their 450SEL 6.9 making 250hp and only offered US consumers of S class cars a 3.8 liter V8 pumping out a meager 150hp (and all other models had less power). So for people craving sports coupes and sedans with significant performance increases well beyond 200 hp, M series cars or AMG cars made a huge difference.

Today, you can get a basic 2.0 liter 4 cylinder MB C300 that makes about as much hp, more torque, and out performs the late 80's flagship MB 560SL. The same can be said of BMW's 2 liter 330 relative to their old flagship 635. Today, for an M series or AMG car to impress people it has to offer monster horsepower that is unusable except at the track. They seem to have loss some of their finesse and become more like blunt instruments for drag racing.

///M has been dead for a while. What's really a shame, however, is that Mercedes is diluting the AMG badge, a badge that was previously reserved for an over-engineered car with a hand-built engine, by putting it on their 6-cylinder "43" models.

I don't think AMG has made anything truly amazing in a long time. As for diluting the AMG name with the 6 cylinder, AMG hasn't always used V8s and V12s. AMG previously offered the AMG 190 3.2 which was a 6, and the C32 which was a 6 with a supercharger. If spending under 80K for an AWD daily driver sports sedan, IMHO its tough to beat...Audi didn't do anything for us, and if you want a BMW 340/440 with similar power you have to get their BMW dealer installed power upgrade plus exhaust and the M trim option/suspension...which I think has little M badges here and there and isn't an M series car anyway.

The handmade V8 is really nice, but personally, for a daily driver I'd rather have a car that is AMG enhanced rather than a full AMG if it limits the cost of maintenance plus it may help with resale (as people aren't afraid to own one). I'd have bought it for my wife even if it it didn't have the AMG badge. If the main down side is that some people say it's not a real AMG or its diluting the brand...that's a first world problem I can live with.

 

[TheFoo]

I don't think AMG has made anything truly amazing in a long time. As for diluting the AMG name with the 6 cylinder, AMG hasn't always used V8s and V12s. AMG previously offered the AMG 190 3.2 which was a 6, and the C32 which was a 6 with a supercharger. If spending under 80K for an AWD daily driver sports sedan, IMHO its tough to beat...Audi didn't do anything for us, and if you want a BMW 340/440 with similar power you have to get their BMW dealer installed power upgrade plus exhaust and the M trim option/suspension...which I think has little M badges here and there and isn't an M series car anyway.

What about the current C63, E63, and GT? I think those comprise some of AMG's best work yet. The engine alone is a gem.

While the semi-AMG x43 cars may be somewhat dilutive, I think Mercedes and AMG deserve praise for steadily improving both quality and driving dynamics over the past decade. The C43 may not be a real AMG and caters toward more mainstream tastes, but the GT-R is the best pure AMG car ever made. I won't complain about stretching downward when they stretch upward as well.

BMW and M are a different story. While AMG cars have only become better over time, as handling and balance approach par with engine quality, each subsequent M car seems dynamically weaker than the last. Who would have ever thought that a C63 would put down power better than an M3? Hard to see why would even want the latter car these days.

 

[bawlin]

On the topic of AMG, I test drove a G63 today and much to my chagrin, I loved it. I was really hoping I wouldn't, due to the sheer absurdity of the vehicle, but it was actually quite enjoyable. Sufficient power. Nice interior (though it's cramped). Good driving position. Perfect balance of old and new (something I love about my GT3, and why I opted for that instead of a 991).

The major downside to the G is the horrific steering. I've never encountered something so vague in my life. You could literally turn the wheel 90 degrees in either direction and the car would hardly move. The ride is also very bumpy, but anything is better than my GT3 so not too bothered.

Now to convince myself that spending $90k on a 5 year old SUV is a good idea

 

[Dino944]

What about the current C63, E63, and GT? I think those comprise some of AMG's best work yet. The engine alone is a gem.

While the semi-AMG x43 cars may be somewhat dilutive, I think Mercedes and AMG deserve praise for steadily improving both quality and driving dynamics over the past decade. The C43 may not be a real AMG and caters toward more mainstream tastes, but the GT-R is the best pure AMG car ever made. I won't complain about stretching downward when they stretch upward as well.

BMW and M are a different story. While AMG cars have only become better over time, as handling and balance approach par with engine quality, each subsequent M car seems dynamically weaker than the last. Who would have ever thought that a C63 would put down power better than an M3? Hard to see why would even want the latter car these days.

I do think the C63 and E63 are nice cars. If the C63 had been available with AWD, it might have been something to consider when we were buying. I don't really have any desire to own any of the larger/heavier AMG E, S, SL, or even the GT. The GT offers great performance, but there is nothing I love about it...to be honest, I don't even like its looks but that is purely subjective.

As for the M3, the only thing going for it is if someone wants a manual, it offers one.

My point wasn't that AMG or M cars are bad cars... but that the standard products do offer so much more performance than what the standard models used to offer, that AMG or M options aren't quite as necessary as they used to be.

 

[HRoi]

The last great AMG was the CLK63 Black Series

 

[Dino944]

The last great AMG was the CLK63 Black Series

That was a nice car...and its one of the few AMGs you can't pick up 10-15 years later for $20K.

 

[Texasmade]

I do think the C63 and E63 are nice cars. If the C63 had been available with AWD, it might have been something to consider when we were buying. I don't really have any desire to own any of the larger/heavier AMG E, S, SL, or even the GT. The GT offers great performance, but there is nothing I love about it...to be honest, I don't even like its looks but that is purely subjective.

C63 will never have AWD. Current AMG CEO has said the C63 will always remain RWD as that's the character of the car.

 

[Dino944]

C63 will never have AWD. Current AMG CEO has said the C63 will always remain RWD as that's the character of the car.

I wasn't expecting them to offer the C63 with AWD, I was merely saying that if it had been available with AWD we might have considered it. We already have dedicated sports cars with rear wheel drive so we don't need a sedan with RWD. We live in the northeast where we often get lots of snow in a single storm and my wife has to be able to get to work regardless of the weather, so she only wants a daily drivers with AWD.

 

[TheFoo]

I wasn't expecting them to offer the C63 with AWD, I was merely saying that if it had been available with AWD we might have considered it. We already have dedicated sports cars with rear wheel drive so we don't need a sedan with RWD. We live in the northeast where we often get lots of snow in a single storm and my wife has to be able to get to work regardless of the weather, so she only wants a daily drivers with AWD.

That's where the E63 comes in. By all accounts it's quite something.