Radu530d

I pray I never catch one of those because I will go to prison after that...

And about the badge.. If you debadge your 545.. people will say you have a 520i
Here in Romania... the 530d if far far better than the average. Haven't seen any 545i arround, because of the fuel consumption. So my car will be in the first league anyway Even if the M5 goes out guys.. let's be serious.. How many can afford one?

JDN

You are probably right about people underestimating a debadged 545. I had a E39 530i challenge me yesterday, stealth style. I let him go. IMO, he would have had his hands full with a 525.

amigo525

i removed mine.
I left the 'i' but i am removing that too.

Iceman

I've seen a real cool one yesterday. An E39 where the guy put the M badge on, not the M5 badge(!). But he installed it upside down, making it a "W" badge... I was ROFLMAO, almost forgot to drive...

alohalc

i personally don't really care badged or debadged. i don't wash my car so even debadged won't benefit me a bit...except for the clean look (but my car is hardly clean ). i've seen some young kids put bodykits, lower the cars, big exhausts, dark tints, and with the m badges on their older 3 series...but with the same tiny stock rims ! what comes in my mind is, "come on! save enough money and do everything at once. now the car looks hilarious !" i'm not being mean but just look too lame :bashwall:! i also have another story. my friend used to have a infiniti q45 (previous body style) about six years ago. the car had all the options and he added the bbs rims...and a "t" next to the q45 badge. he traded his car after a few months for a new e-class and the guy in m.benz thought he has a q45t (touring model) . the guy gave him a better trade-in price ! don't ask me why the guy didn't look at the registration. i just think my friend is a lucky bastard .

Jack-E61

Generally, I bought the E61 V8 for my pleasure, not for the others. Therefore I debadged the car, because I do remember.
In addition, Germans (neighbors) are very often strange as to their opinions on cars. Might be that the "No speed limit" in Germany makes them more jealous than folks in other countries.

V8 or not is my personal affair, none should recognize whether I can afford or not. Neither I like competion on road with the "gasoil Ferraris" trying to test your torque.

In addition showing the strength of your car in Germany in the so called "upper class" lets people easily conjecture the owner could have an inferiority complex, being deprecated. My familiy is living in such a prosperous village, I do not want having the friends of my son joking on his father.

By the way, in Germany scratching the car does not depend on the engine's power mostly, because the majority of cars have already been debadged. It is mostly a matter of type, wheels, metallic and other features added.

I personally do not bother badging or debadging for aesthetic reasons - living in Germany I debadged, BMW free of charge

Regards

Jack-E61 (V8)

CRRobert

Debadged would be nice. Now if they could get rid of that keyhole, would look sweeet.

Iceman

For the E39 you could buy a cover, painted in the color of the car, to put over the keyhole in the drivers door. That might come out for the E60 as well. I don't think there will ever be a solution for th keyhole in the trunk lid.

Iceman

Jack-E61,
one day we should meet and take pics of our babys next to each other.

Jack-E61

Hi Iceman,

nice idea, could have been that we have already seen eachother in F without knowing ...

Taking photos means I have the car getting washed before, that could become a problem since Black is never clean more than a few minutes ...

Compensating I will polish the chrome pipes, kidney and window frames before, they will reflect on the photos ...

Nervertheless, I would like to meet, any idea where (outside of Frankfurt, Taunus ?)

Only evenings, preferred Wednesday, will be possible for me - job has priority - you know ... :winkcool:

Regards

Jack-E61