# Debadged cars in Europe



## basiluf (Dec 16, 2010)

Americans do the opposite here. There is a guy driving around in a 528i with an M5 badge. I see him all the time and it makes me laugh.


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## BimwadM3 (Apr 11, 2011)

We took our plant tour yesterday and noticed that cars coming off the line do not have rear badges. I asked the guide and she said that most people in Europe donät want the badges so they don't put them on.

Sitting in the Welt, counting down to delivery in 10 minutes. And it's raining outside, but it's sunny in here.


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## Gran Turismo (Aug 7, 2006)

Most debadged "higher-end" cars in Europe definitely have the bigger engines! 

So there are a multitude of factors / reasons for debadging - in my case all do apply:

1. Cleaner look 
2. Fear of envy / greed (or also militant greenies damaging parked cars with big engines)
3. "Mistery" look ("find out at the next multi-lane traffic light, if you dare...")
4. No need to brag around with the engine size (same as with annual income, property value, penis size, etc.), it's absolutely sufficient if only the owner knows it!
5. No cost option which can be simply ticked when configuring / ordering a new car


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## 3ismagic# (Mar 17, 2011)

Originally I was thinking about de-badging my soon to be picked-up E90. However, now that I switch from the 328xi to the 335d I'm thinking I might keep it so I can be an evangelist for the big d.


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## Peel (May 31, 2011)

Are the badges held on with a double stick tape or glue, or drilled/plugged into the trunk metal? Not sure that I'd want to debadge my car, but if I did, just wondering what the proceedure would be.


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## ChuckE89 (May 15, 2011)

On the Z4 all badges except the Roudels, are mounted with doublesided foam tape, a bit a heat front a hair dryer will allow you to pull them off with your fingernails, the remove the residue with some "GooGone", a bit of wax and you're done.


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## SD ///M4 (Jan 24, 2011)

Peel said:


> Are the badges held on with a double stick tape or glue, or drilled/plugged into the trunk metal? Not sure that I'd want to debadge my car, but if I did, just wondering what the proceedure would be.


Most badging is held on by super sticky double sided thing foam tape. Dental floss is generally used to take it off. You just "saw" it off using the dental floss. Lots of rubbing with GooGone or a similar solvent might be required to remove the rest of the foam tape.

I bought smoke colored logos for the sides of my S2000 to replace the chrome ones. It was so much work and I pulled back the quick on all of my fingers doing it that I never did the second side!


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## Peel (May 31, 2011)

SD 335is said:


> I bought smoke colored logos for the sides of my S2000 to replace the chrome ones.


I've painted out badges before to match the body color. Just slipped card stock behind the edges and taped together, then scuffed to badge with steel wool, and painted using OEM touchup paint in an artists airbrush. It worked well, and the results were good. Subtle, but you could tell what the car was if you looked close.


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## BimwadM3 (Apr 11, 2011)

Dental floss debadges nicely.


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## dunderhi (Dec 10, 2006)

*Just remember, debadged is good, but rebadged is bad. *:tsk:

For of you MB fans out there, I saw this today. :rofl:
(Also noticed that the letters are crooked)


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## Alfred G (Apr 1, 2007)

Rare sight:

Most 760i-drivers debadge - this one did not. Saw it today.




























Color reminds me of 1980s Mercedes...


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## SteVTEC (Feb 16, 2005)

The last time I was in Germany in 2004/2005, I noticed the same thing. Almost all of the Audis, BMWs, and Mercedes were debadged. I asked someone about this and they confirmed what others said in this thread that the badging is actually optional, so the cars appear to come without badges by default. And no badge is just the "thing to do" over there I guess.


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## Andrew*Debbie (Jul 2, 2004)

Last week I saw a Smart ForTwo with AMG and S550 badges. I took a snapshot with my cell but it isn't clear.


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## Gran Turismo (Aug 7, 2006)

SteVTEC said:


> Almost all of the Audis, BMWs, and Mercedes were debadged. I asked someone about this and they confirmed what others said in this thread that the badging is actually optional, so the cars appear to come without badges by default.


Actually it's the other way round: The default is WITH badges, but "badge delete" is a no-cost option in the car configurator.


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## Alfred G (Apr 1, 2007)

Gran Turismo said:


> Actually it's the other way round: The default is WITH badges, but "badge delete" is a no-cost option in the car configurator.


Korrekt!


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## rsc0711 (Jun 8, 2010)

I ordered my E93 with no badge from the factory, not sure what code the CA uses for that though... 
I think Germans like the "sleeper" look, whereas the Americans like to show off (See AMG photos posted earlier in this thread) 
Another thing you will never see in Germany is chrome BMW rims, I see them all the time in California ..... looks terrible if you ask me.


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