Quote:
Originally Posted by blue dragon
It might not be an issue to the OP, but anyone who knows what a real X5M is will be snickering. Why do manufactures not have all X5s look the same if the differentiation doesn't matter? BMW doesn't say that the M135 is an M car, it simply has some M parts.
If you see an X5 with an X5M bumper, the assumption is that it must be an X5M with an M motor, M brakes and the whole rest of other parts. Its not just an issue of cosmetics.
To use an analogy you will understand, lets stick a taxi sign on the top of your car and see what happens, or how about putting on police signs. After all, those are parts that are only found on a Taxi, or a police car, similar to how an X5M bumper is only found on an X5M
You claim that its only an issue when someone puts on the X5M badge on a non X5M, putting on the front bumper is the exact same thing. It would be obvious to anyone looking at a debadged X5M that its still an X5M. Why, because of the front and rear bumpers, the brakes the quad exhausts etc
If you don't think that there is a certain implied message with signage or body parts, then marketing is lost on you. Sure the OP shouldn't care what other people think, but what other people will think is that the OP is poser in a vehicle that looks like the genuine thing, but isn't. If he is cool with that, then by all means, please proceed.
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Anybody who knows what an X5M is will know that it's not an X5M, and most will not care. If I see a non-M X5 with a bumper (..
or a non-M 3-series with an M3 bumper), I'm going to think, "
Cool! He added the bumper. It looks nice!" It only takes a glance at the tail of the truck, a glance at the brakes, or momentary attention paid to THE SOUND to know whether or not it's a true ///M.
Let's address your police or taxi example (..
just because I'm bored AND because I'm a cop). I often see old patrol cars that departments have sold/auctioned off to the public with the bumper bar and side view mirror spot lights still in place (..
sometimes the bumper bar is removed, but I digress). Do you think it ever crosses my mind that such a vehicle is a police car? Not at all. Your example is flawed because you're confusing SIGNS (..
or in the case of M cars, BADGES) with AESTHETICS. If somebody put "Police" on a vehicle that isn't a police patrol unit, THAT is another story altogether (..
let's ignore the fact that old units sold to the public often have the "Police Interceptor" badge still intact despite the vehicle not being used in active service any longer).
As far as the poser suggestion, the only people who spend their time worrying about it are those with far too much time on their hands. Surely you have something else more pressing to concern yourself with.
And since we're on the subject, what would YOU have us X5 owners do? They don't make ANY aero pieces for a non-M X5 (..
and the ONE aero lip kit they do make is for a non-M Sport X5, so that isn't an option), so if an X5 owner wants to do any aesthetic mods, their ONLY options are:
- X5M bumper retrofit (..which adds some aggressiveness, and provides options for Vorsteiner and G-Power aesthetic mods)
- Custom, one-off pieces (...really expensive!)
So rather than lambast somebody for considering the X5M retrofit, take a moment to be objective and consider WHY somebody has done (..
or is considering doing) the mod. I come from the M3 community -
like many X5 owners - where mod options are plenty, and the community is active. The X5 community? Ehhhh, not so much.