De-badging. Is it naff?

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My current car, a low spec E Class, was already "de badged" when I bought it (second hand). I don't know the motivation of the previous owner, but I personally like the clean look and it makes polishing a whole lot easier!

On Friday, I'm getting a (used) Lexus GS300h and I'm minded to remove the badges (not the "L" emblem of course!) as I think it looks fussy. I've posted a pic off the web below - it's not mine.

But what's the general concensus? Is this the sort of thing that drivers of low spec Ford Escorts do in an attempt to kid others they have a twin turbo under the bonnet?
gs300h_zps5hlybour.jpg
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gs300h_zps5hlybour.jpg
 
You can spec BMW's to be debadged from new, I didnt bother. I dont think id go through the effort of removing badges on a used car as you may be left with marks or paint fade.
 
It's no worse than over badging with fake performance badges on rust-buckets. 'M' on BMW and 'AMG' on Mercedes seem prevalent.
 
I always spec de-badged on my cars, as you say makes washing and waxing easier
 
Cars always look better without badges in my opinion.
 
It's no worse than over badging with fake performance badges on rust-buckets. 'M' on BMW and 'AMG' on Mercedes seem prevalent.

My 520d has M's on the wings, you could choose to remove these separate to the rear model designation.
 
My 520d has M's on the wings, you could choose to remove these separate to the rear model designation.
Agreed, and as yours is the 'M' sport option designation it's entirely appropriate.

I was meaning I've seen an M3 badge on a 8 year old 318i, as an example.
 
Always debadge......and i've got twin turbo under the bonnet!
 
Entirely your choice. The example you have given will look fine without the two lower badges, but is fine (to my eye) as it is.
 
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I took the '3.0i' badge off the boot of my Z3 as it sits outside. I thought it might make it slightly less vulnerable to a joy rider if they didn't think it was the more powerful model and would just assume it was a debadged 1.8.:)
 
My BMW 6 series came with badges so I de-badged it but have now put the badges back on because I got sick of people mistaking it for the older smaller engined (peasant class) model.
 
De-badged every car I've ever owned. I know what I'm driving, never felt the need to tell anyone else.
 
My BMW 6 series came with badges so I de-badged it but have now put the badges back on because I got sick of people mistaking it for the older smaller engined (peasant class) model.

Why do you care what the person behind you thinks you're driving?
 
There's a term for cars that are deceptively quick but appear to be underpowered from the outside. Anybody know what it is?
 
There's a term for cars that are deceptively quick but appear to be underpowered from the outside. Anybody know what it is?

Sleeper.
 
Yeah it's a sleeper car. Found it on Wikipedia just as @mjn posted it on here. Always fun to be roasted by something that looks inconspicuous! Has happened to me once many years ago. Was in a rush to be somewhere and was entering a motorway from a set of lights. Guy pulled up next to me (shouldn't have) at the front of the lights and was clearly in a rush himself. Was driving a BMW with twin turbos and in sports automatic mode. Thought his manoeuvre was rude so wanted to keep in front of him. Tried my best but was roasted! Was some burgundy Honda that looked a bit beaten up and devoid of anything that would suggest performance like that. Sure it was a sleeper car.
 
Yeah it's a sleeper car. Found it on Wikipedia just as @mjn posted it on here. Always fun to be roasted by something that looks inconspicuous! Has happened to me once many years ago. Was in a rush to be somewhere and was entering a motorway from a set of lights. Guy pulled up next to me (shouldn't have) at the front of the lights and was clearly in a rush himself. Was driving a BMW with twin turbos and in sports automatic mode. Thought his manoeuvre was rude so wanted to keep in front of him. Tried my best but was roasted! Was some burgundy Honda that looked a bit beaten up and devoid of anything that would suggest performance like that. Sure it was a sleeper car.

Some of those imported Hondas are fast!
 
Holy Thread Resurrection Batman 😵 (was going to post something similar but after a search, thought I'd add to this existing one instead).

I think there seems to be 4 situations about altering boot badges:

  1. De-badging : the most popular (aka 'designation delete' manufacturers option) mainly used to give a cleaner look to the boot (had this option on my previous A3quattro a few years back which left the cluttered rear looking much better) and occasionally popular in the 90’s to remove signs that you have a higher spec car to avoid theft - although also done on lower spec cars to try to conceal their lower spec too.
  2. Down-badging : I’ve seen this on a few older cars I presume in an effort to make a sleeper car. So you get your rootin’ tootin’ M340i and rebadge it as a 320i or something. I’ve heard a reason given that it stops chav’s trying to race you at the lights as they think you have a low spec car?....and the other reason I’ve heard is it also deters theft because if you didn’t know what to look for (eg quad exhausts) there usually isn’t much visual difference between the lower and higher specs nowadays.
  3. Up-badging : a big no-no imo :nono:; get your low spec jalopy and shove “type-R” badges all over it / I mean why? Always makes me laugh when I see M-badges/AMG and the like inappropriately stuck on bangers...
    Worse still is when you get a completely different marque's badge and stick it on (see that Mercedes 220CDi AMG 63 Type R M-Sport over there?)
  4. Re-badging : so you bought a car that the previous owner de-badged and you want the designation put back on - fair enough...
1 & 4 seem to be legitimate options imo (which is why manufacturers offer this), 2 seems odd and 3 is downright laughable (those “roll eyes” moments when you spot one).
 
3 is downright laughable, as you say. I agree on 1 and 4. 2 is fine if it is for anti-theft reasons.
 

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