A fake ///M5 spotting? - The Unofficial BMW M5 Messageboard (m5board.com)

Kevmmm · 25th June 2002, 01:02

Unbelievable....
While travelling on the slow moving freeway last week, I suspect I have finally spotted....a ""fake" M5!

What made it appear "like" a ///M5:
1) Exterior color - Royal Red
2) ///M5 front airdam, side skirts
3) Lowered stance
4) M5 badge on rear deck

...and, what made it appear to be a "fake":
1) Rear valance contained only two small exhaust pipes in center of valance, with ill fitting ACS tips to boot.
2) e36 M3 side view mirrors
3) No angel eyes (not on MY2000 M5, but you would think the guy would do this updgrade to be in line with newer 5 series)
4) The giveaway....A rectangular rear view mirror.

Had traffic been clearer, I would have shown him what a real ///M5 can do!

Cheers
Kevmmm

DZeckhausen · 25th June 2002, 01:08

Quote:

Originally posted by Kevmmm
Unbelievable....
While travelling on the slow moving freeway last week, I suspect I have finally spotted....a ""fake" M5!

What made it appear "like" a ///M5:
1) Exterior color - Royal Red
2) ///M5 front airdam, side skirts
3) Lowered stance
4) M5 badge on rear deck

...and, what made it appear to be a "fake":
1) Rear valance contained only two small exhaust pipes in center of valance, with ill fitting ACS tips to boot.
2) e36 M3 side view mirrors
3) No angel eyes (not on MY2000 M5, but you would think the guy would do this updgrade to be in line with newer 5 series)
4) The giveaway....A rectangular rear view mirror.

I have no problem with a 528i or 540i owner doing any of the above modifications EXCEPT for #4, the M5 badge. Now that is tacky. It's one thing to add design elements from the M5 that you consider attractive. But to stick a badge on the car trying to pass it off as something it is not just rubs me the wrong way. What makes it worse is that he didn't even make a credible attempt to have his car look like a real M5. If I were a BMW brand manager, I would shudder when I saw something like this driving by because it weakens the brand image among those who don't know enough to realize it is a fake.

BlueBomber · 25th June 2002, 01:10

Good catch!! I can't understand why someone would want to "mis-badge" their car...

Although the rectangular rear view mirror is not necessarily a dead giveaway. I believe someone on this board once replaced the oval mirror with the rectangular one. I think the reason was that with the rectangular mirror provided a better rear view...

anyone remember who that was?

atomic80 · 25th June 2002, 03:24

I could be wrong, but isn't Royal Red also available on the rest of the 5 series?

Good catch, BTW.

Johnny D · 25th June 2002, 06:23

Just heard that next year 540 with Sport willl feature the smae front and back body treatment as the M5. Maybe last year in an all out effort to boost sales. Hell the Porsche 996 C4S has the same reary body stylings as the TT.

tfung · 25th June 2002, 06:52

I think next year's 5 series would have the M sports package like in Europe.. not exactly the M5 bodykit, but close enough....

TheBigGooch · 25th June 2002, 07:32

Quote:

Originally posted by DZeckhausen

I have no problem with a 528i or 540i owner doing any of the above modifications EXCEPT for #4, the M5 badge. Now that is tacky. It's one thing to add design elements from the M5 that you consider attractive. But to stick a badge on the car trying to pass it off as something it is not just rubs me the wrong way. What makes it worse is that he didn't even make a credible attempt to have his car look like a real M5. If I were a BMW brand manager, I would shudder when I saw something like this driving by because it weakens the brand image among those who don't know enough to realize it is a fake.

Funny you should mention that...last week on the NJ turnpike heading into the GW bridge I saw the opposite case. A 525 with ONLY and M badge very poorly stuck on and of course purple oxidized tint.

young-nyc · 25th June 2002, 08:01

I'm with you dave..i strongly feel
putting a ///M5 badge on a NON-M5 is very tacky indeed...
however i also disapprove ( but not strongly) of people installing M5 body parts to make it look like an M5. I mean i can see why they want it to look like an M5...shoot it looks agressive

but my thinking is...why make it look like something its not?

chazzy · 25th June 2002, 08:49

I'm all FOR people putting on genuine M parts on their cars. Nothing wrong with getting performance upgrades straight from BMW M themselves. After all, it's guaranteed to fit, proven with thousands of sales the world over, and is relatively cheap to acquire if you buy them from M5 owners that have already upgraded. To me, that's an ///M enthusiast without the fortune of a car to match.

But the badge has got to go ...

young-nyc · 25th June 2002, 18:43

like i said..i'm not totally against putting ///M body parts to the car..but won't it be better to make one's Non-M5 car look like a non-M5?
but we all do agree the badge has to go

HELL NO YOU WON'T BADGE
come one everyone say it with me!!!
HELL NO YOU WON'T BADGE
HELL NO YOU WON'T BADGE