[Horsey]

I know this is a matter of personal preference, but I am wondering what other UK owners think.

For some reason when I made my order for my 35d M Sport I chose deletion, I got it into my head I wanted to be discrete and didn't want to advertise the fact.

I assumed I had done the same thing with my wife's 135i, but it appears I didn't ... So maybe I should wear my badge with pride ...

Are there any indicators as to whether deletion makes any difference to avoiding undesired attentions?

[Horsey]

... maybe it will go faster without the added weight!

Or turn into a wimp with a complex about its identity.

[cheesebag]

i did it.... Just personal preference i guess.

[plob]

Like Cheesebag says - personal preference really.
I chose to delete the badges from my build for a couple of reasons
1) Makes the car easier to clean without them
2) Means people are less likely to realise it is the 3L model and want to try and joy ride it for themselves

[n55x3]

Add us to the badge delete group. I think it gives it a much cleaner look. We've done this on all ourvehicles to date. If/when I convice the wife we are ready to move into an AMG or M series I'd still do the same. I didn't buy the vehicle for the badge or it's name. I bought it for the design of the vehicle and IMHO the badges just take away from exterior styling.

** edit: sorry just noticed you were asking your fellow UK owners. Also, FWIW, US models you don't get the option to delete from the factory. Has to be done post-purchase.

[dnw]

I kept mine to remind me from the outside where the extra £6k went (won't need any reminder from the inside!)

It's interesting how this varies geographically. In Germany the norm seems to be to delete badging, was in Munich the other day and every BMW I saw was badge-less.

[Fryguy29]

Originally Posted by Horsey

Are there any indicators as to whether deletion makes any difference to avoiding undesired attentions?

If you want to debadge because you like how it looks without it, that's fine.
But I can't see any advantage to removing it to avoid attention. You aren't removing the roundel.
It's not as if someone is going to say, "This might be an X5 so I won't key it, but if it were an X3 then I would have definitely messed with it."

I also have no way to prove this, and it is complete conjecture, but I think SOME people MAY debadge because they perceive the X3 as a "chick car"

That being said, THe washing and styling options seem very reasonable to be. Debadging is not available in the US, though..

[Horsey]

Sorry, I am always very interested in what you guys have to say in the US (or anywhere for that matter), but I am conscious that perspectives are often very different in different geographies ...

Granted its obviously a BMW, the main question was, does a 35d badge make your car more likely to get unwanted attention as opposed to a smaller engine or a de-badged car in London?

Dealer said it was easy to take off post delivery, so I might as well put it back on and choose later once I have seen it ...

[Alligator69]

Whoever will have bad intentions towards your car will be *perfectly* able to recognise it by other characteristics.

Typically, just to mention a few, the exhaust pipe, rims, dashboard etc...

[lbjgh]

De-badging is uncommon in Canada for what it's worth... it is kind of a "ricer" mod here that is more common with the Honda Civic crowd.

[bren]

Originally Posted by Horsey

Dealer said it was easy to take off post delivery ...

A hair dryer and some dental floss will make short work of them, but if I had the option I'd just skip them altogether for sure.

[Horsey]

Dealer just emailed me comparison "configuator" images with and without, and I agree it does look cleaner without ...

Told him to leave the order with Model designation deletion intact.

Thanks for the input.

[cheesebag]

Horsey... Pics of my 2.0d MSport debadged are on page 16 of this thread

http://x3.xbimmers.com/forums/showth...522823&page=16

[Nahoa]

Here they wouldn't allow me to order badge deletion. Said it could only be done with M-cars. So far I've chickened out on doing it myself!

[LEDZEP]

I'm in the U.S., and factory delete is not an option for us as others have noted. But I chose to remove mine - mostly because I hate the ever growing badges. I could live with 35i or 28i or whatever, but adding the silly XDrive badge is silly (there is no such thing as an X3 or X5 without it, so why have it there?). Debadged both my X5 and my X3, and it looks much cleaner. Here are before and after of the X3...

[nyalpine90]

debadging in the US is done only for looks not to fool the jerk that has intentions of vandalizing your vehicle. its easy to tell which model is by the rims and few exterior parts

[QTPie]

I would question whether it helps a lot in the UK (apart from subjectively for looks): are X3s easy stolen? Is this a real risk?

If it is from a vandalism point of view, then I doubt that engine size will make a difference: if someone wnats to vandalise an X3/BMW, then they will do it regardless of badging...

My current (soon to be traded in ) car is a Toyota Avensis. The worst vandalism it ever received it was parked outside my front door, parallel parked (in our own parking ******* between a newer BMW 3 Series and a newer Mercedes SUV. Neither of the other cars received any damage. A random piece of vandalism done to a random car.... Husband's A6 also had minor vandalism in the area (not a bad area at all, just people "passing through" and taking the opportunity to be destructive). If it is going to happen, it will happen anyway

QT

[Horsey]

"Amusing" off topic vandalism incident …

Your quite right, vandalism happens for all sorts of reasons … my Jeep got sprayed with acid because it was near the “wrong” car and got confused with another that belonged to the other car’s owner … sadly nothing to be done as the Police “know” who did it, but can’t prove it … thankfully I don’t think its effecting the PX value of my Jeep much … but it looks very sorry for itself … interestingly though the paint has stripped it’s not rusting!

Needless to say, my X3 (when it arrives) will not be parked up that end of the street!

Anyway, I am convinced ... no badges looks cleaner.

[Rainbow_007]

When trying to decide between the 2.OD and 3.OD for my X3, I called my insurance company and the rep told me that the X3 3.OD has high risk of being stolen...

I didn't order the 3.OD but if I had, I would have said "yes" to the model designation deletion option.

[lbjgh]

Stolen? Really?

With all of the electronics how would they get the car to work? ... and BMW would be able to track the car through the built in communications even if the crooks got the car to start without the original key.

[Horsey]

Well here is a "funny" story ...

My wife left 2 pairs of Oakley sunglasses on the centre console (and some money in the ash tray) of her locked parked 135i.

Next day when we went to the car it was bare ... Anything of value inside the cabin was gone.

BUT ... The car was still locked with NO sign of entry ... No sign of anything in fact ... Explain that ...

... And yes both sets of keys were a good 150m away safely in our possession in our top floor flat.

[QTPie]

Originally Posted by Horsey

Well here is a "funny" story ...

My wife left 2 pairs of Oakley sunglasses on the centre console (and some money in the ash tray) of her locked parked 135i.

Next day when we went to the car it was bare ... Anything of value inside the cabin was gone.

BUT ... The car was still locked with NO sign of entry ... No sign of anything in fact ... Explain that ...

... And yes both sets of keys were a good 150m away safely in our possession in our top floor flat.

!!!

No damage to the car at all? Well that is something. But so sorry for the theft . Very odd!