K-A

My question is: How long does it come on for? Is it on the WHOLE time the car is parked? That'd be impossible as it'd drain battery and look foolish as it's trying to attract attention while nobody's even near it to "claim" said attention (and who wants their car to be flashing stars at people while parked thus maybe resulting in some "haters" to come and mess with the car?).

So then is it only on when you unlock your car? Therefore you can only see it whilst walking up to the car (and what if you're walking up to it from the rear.... maybe do a walk-around the entire car to get your money's worth? ).

If so, then how about those with Keyless Go? They'd never be able to see it flashing in all its Flava Flav glory.

I understand if it "ooh's" some as that's its intent, but I just hate the message it sends coming from MBUSA.

hyperion667

it's like all the folks complaining about the 'tacky' shadow lights for the door jams......for the amount of time you'd actually SEE it doesn't equate to all the complaining

Tjdehya

Wow, that actually looks good. I take back anything negative that I have said about this. I think I may be getting this on my next Merc.

jdhoang

With Keyless Go, you have the same FOB that you can use to unlock your car from further away to see it lit "in all its Flava glory."

This is a Lamp

Hmmm...how about if one would change the grill to something else? E.g. a better looking grill but keeping the lit star?

Just for my knowledge that is

aprevo15

Just wait for some ebay company to knock this off so the previous models can have the lit grille star too.

Long3494Qut

What's weird is based on the video the light was glowing while it was running on the dyno. Wonder if you can hack this. Might have to check with my dealer to see what they think.

K-A

If it's a marketing promo video then chances are it's artificially "on" via editing. Which might also explain why some think it looks better than how it usually looks.

cleankutazn

Can I get the back one lit too

K-A

Alright you guys convinced me. I'm gonna get my Kidney Grills lit up and make my roundel badges LED projectors. The front badge on the hood will point to the sky, a'la Batman sign and the rear one on the deck lid will point to the drivers eyes behind me telling him/her: "LOOK AT WHAT I DRIVE!! YOU BETTER KNOW WHAT KIND OF CAR IT IS!! I'M NOT SPENDING THIS KIND OF MONEY AND LETTING YOU GET AWAY WITH NOT HAVING THE VISION OF THIS BADGE BURNED INTO YOUR RETINAS"!!

hyperion667

you mean kind of like you M badged car?

K-A

The M badges that come all over my car are stating that it's an M Sport car and not exactly lit up and flashing it at everyone. I guess someone can see it as comparably show-y, however I think they're a lot more tasteful than a lit up LED Star flashing in the grille. They're more equivalent/comparable to the M-B Star (unlit) throughout an M-B, IMO.

I feel badges are more of a way of stating what the car is, and a flashing badge more literally "flashing it" excessively. Though I guess I can understand your argument. The ///M stripe colors can be found on my exterior which are pretty flashy, though still more subtle IMO.

VINBENZO

this weekend I will debadge all things MB and slap on a KIA badge. lol

hyperion667

poser



(jk)

CEB

I think many here have forgotten where the whole badging/debadging thing started.

In the late 50's and early '60's, as Germans were beginning to be able to afford cars, there were two types of cars - those bought by companies for executives and those bought by private citizens. The private citizens would buy the smallest engine (think 180) while the business would buy the 220S. Both cars looked similar except for that pesky number on the back so if I took that 180 off then maybe my neighbors would think I was driving a 200 or 220. MB and BMW would charge a few hundred marks to debadge at the factory - remember that the badges were riveted on back then.

In the late 60's and 70's, German manufacturers started adding badging for features (Automatik or Einspritz - automatic transmission or fuel injected for example) and those would usually stay even once the model number was removed.

So, to summarize, the point of debadging was to hide the fact that you were driving the car with the little engine or the least number of features - it wasn't a "look at me, I'm cool" but rather a "look at me, what size engine do I have?"

That gawdawful lit star is going in the wrong direction.

hyperion667

yes, I removed my badges because of my small output engines

while that is interesting.......everyone has their reasons I guess.....
maybe we need a 'why did you debadge your car?' thread

CEB

I'm not quite sure when the debadging trend made it to the US, but it obviously wan't to hide small output engines since we normally only get the big engines here anyway.

E Classy

.

hyperion667

haha, that's a great point as usual man! we get the biggin's
interesting point and I agree about the rear being nice and clean

K-A

Interesting info and I agree about the lit Star. I just think it's unbecoming for a brand who positions themselves like Mercedes does. It isn't very sophisticated or classy at all, IMO.

Then again, on BMW boards there's a lot of debate going on about how starting in 2014 ///M Sport cars are gonna be badged on the EXTERIOR as "M" cars, officially. Which adds 2 more to 12-14 M badges already scattered throughout our M Sports. I don't think it's comparable to a gaudy flashing Star as the purposes and reasons are different but it's starting a big debate about show-offs, posers, etc.

That's actually a good point about a modded car not being valid with its designation in the back. Though most de-badge's probably aren't modded. I do realize and know that most de-badges are people trying to hide their "lower engine" outputs, however at the same time it does look a lot cleaner and enhances the look on *most* cars. I de-badged both of my E350's because I always thought it was a boring designation and you just see so many Jane Housewive's in the same car with the same model number in the back. I wanted mine to "stand out" which ironically had to do with taking some stuff off. When I'd put my E next to another one with the "E350" badge it was almost shocking to see how much cleaner mine looked.

On my Bimmer I haven't de-badged it because I don't see as many "535i's" on this same car as lots of "528i's" take the bulk of sales as well, and I've always loved the "535i" designation as it's got a long and sporty history. I also think it's aesthetically placed on the deck lid at a nicer location than the E's badge's.

As for de-badging, I understand why people do it, and have done it myself, however I also acknowledge that certain people do it because they don't want to show they have the "smallest engine". Funny thing is, by de-badging, everyone automatically assumes they have the "smallest engine". That's where guys with the more powerful cars a'la Hype's case with no badges can pull off major sleeper moves/upsets/surprises at the track.

fintail

I like the idea of re-badging downward. I wanted to badge my E55 something like "E200 CDi" and that would also be amusing on a new E63.

petee1997

I don't understand BMW badging 5 series as an M. Mercedes will badge wheels, give you the sports pack but do not prostitute themselves by putting the AMG badge on anything else but the real thing.

I the end everyone knows that fake versions are just that, fake. I would rather have a star that lights up. It just says I'm a MB as opposed to the weak sister of the real thing.

E Classy

.

K-A

BMW is basically whoring the "M" badge out to sell more "regular" models rather and keeping its dignity only for "real" models, and charging you to get into the "M" club, even if by "M Sport" packaging. Mercedes is not badging Sport cars with "AMG" but don't charge a penny for the package therefore the "Sports" package is nothing sought after.... it's simply the norm.

I see it as a give and take, as BMW allows the M Sport look to be more exclusive by upcharging, and then gives you badges all over it to help your ego out. Mercedes doesn't charge anything, but makes nothing special about their package. I must say I always hated how Mercedes made the "AMG Sport" the free-standard look and feel that I enjoy the psychological effect a Sport Package that looks and feels more "exclusive" by charging up for it.

Fact of the matter is, now that BMW is badging M Sport cars with M exterior badges, they're telling you it's an M car, which is a huge slap in the face to "real" M car owners. If someone walks by my M Sport and see's M badges on the fenders and says "is that an M"? What am I to say? Why would I play down something when BMW AG themselves are saying "yes, this is an M". People can cling to their own concept of what an "M" car is, but hey, BMW is saying it is, straight from the horses mouth!

Hey, BMW even sells ANOTHER branch of ///M(arketing) stuff called "M Performance", which consists of no performance enhancing mods but a bunch of styling cues which include exterior /// color stripes and logos, so I can officially badge my car with as many M things as I want, straight from BMW's official catalogue.

I still think it doesn't equal M-B's flashing Star as that's really just being gaudy about something that's clearly represented, instead of simply representing something the car supposedly is (i.e "M"). But I can see the similarities in certain ways to some people who choose to see it that way.

Also for the record, you do get fundamental performance upgrades with an M Sport. Starting with 2013 M Sport 5ers you get an ACTUAL M suspension which rides remarkably and is exclusive to the M Sport, and you get an increased top speed limiter, of course fatter/much larger wheels and tires, and huge functional brake cooling ducts along with big radiators behind the larger airdams meant to cool various components of the car, and of course a "Sport + Mode" which is amazing in how it allows you to roast the tires behind you yet not lose stability control (i.e it knows when you want to burn out and when you're in danger) all of which are pretty comprehensive things exclusive to the package.

I can totally and fully understand 100% how someone especially of a more sophisticated and understated palate will find all the M badges overt and excessive. Which is why I can see how some people can find a path to draw a comparison with my distaste for the Star grille.

One of my beefs is with M-B just exploiting their "Star" so much, I feel that they've lost their ability to create iconic design details therefore keep resorting to overly pronouncing the "Star", which is starting to look transparent and just "cheap". It's like they're pulling a smoke and mirrors effect by thinking the bigger they make the Star and now friggin' LIGHT it up people will just focus on that and it'll draw strong sentimental passions. It's all marketing (and IMO in bad taste).... just like the ///M badges everywhere for that matter.

Back in the day, Mercedes didn't make the Star their whole focus. They created iconic designs who proudly and sophisticatedly wore the Star. Now it's more like "design the Star then design the car".

The BMW Angel Eyes aren't comparable at all, however. They are iconic *DESIGN* details created from scratch which revolutionized the way cars look up front, as everybody else tried to create distinctive characteristics *ASIDE* from their logos. M-B already has a frantic amount of LED patterns on their cars to try and garner additional ways of having instant recognizability. The shining Star would be more like if BMW lit up the roundel logo on the hood, which I guaranteed ALL of you here would be making fun of and calling cheesy/tacky.

But this is a good convo and at least enlightens a bit as to what the appeal of the blingy-Star may be.

CEB

The angel (or angle if you're into geometry ) eyes are more akin to the DRL LEDs on MB than the star.

The star is a logo, like the roundel or the Cadillac crest.

Perhaps - just like the Escalade crest keeps getting bigger and gaudier - MB is trying to attract the gang banger/pimp crowd with the lit star.