![]() 05/27/2019 at 10:19 • Filed to: Old man yells at clouds, Rant, Badges | ![]() | ![]() |
Rant: I really find performance trim badges annoying. “R” used to mean something for VW, “M” was a special BMW, “AMG” was definitely not a cosmetic upgrade for a Mercedes, and “ST” would not show up on a Ford SUV. Am I overreacting? And, while it annoys me, is there business risk of diluting a valuable brand, or are they smart to get as much value out of performance labels as possible?
![]() 05/27/2019 at 11:04 |
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The accountants would tell you adding cosmetic packages adds 15% to their sales but I agree it dilutes the performance brands images. However, us car enthusiasts are always going to know if something is a real AMG or an actual M Bimmer. Nobody is going to be impressed with Sally loo-hoo’s “AMG” Mercedes cla, except for imbeciles who don’t know what AMG means and thus their opinion is a bit less valid.
![]() 05/27/2019 at 11:44 |
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The Vsport CTS annoyed me for that reason. The CTSV was a monster, but the Vsport just a relatively minor upgrade. Yet it sounded similar enough to confuse someone who didn't know better. If they have a line that is sacred, it should remain as such. The ZR1, the Ford RS lines, keep them special!
![]() 05/27/2019 at 12:35 |
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You most definitely are not overre
acting.
![]() 05/27/2019 at 12:55 |
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My buddy just bought and R trim Atlas. It has a different front bumper, different wheels and the R badge. That's it, I think. He paid an extra $3,500 for those features. Seems silly to me.
![]() 05/27/2019 at 13:26 |
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Even more of an issue I find is that the performance brands now need an upper echelon to be considered the “Top dogs”.
Being an M is not enough, a COMPETITION M is the new best.
63 AMG? You pleb, the 63S is where its at.