Car owners can fake it with add-on luxury emblems

[NYCshopper]

Car owners can fake it with add-on luxury emblems

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/...ury-usat_x.htm

Rather than fork over big bucks to get high-performance versions of sexy sports cars, some enthusiasts are trying to get the bling without the extra ka-ching.
They are going to dealers or online auctioneer eBay to buy emblems in hopes their cars can masquerade as versions that would cost thousands more.

"It happens all the time," says Myles Kovacs, president of Dub magazine, which follows car-customization trends. "People want to live outside their means."

Cruising the streets of Southern California, officials at Kelley Blue Book, an auto-buying service, say they've seen Mercedes eight-cylinder coupes rebadged as 12-cylinder versions, a sedan with emblems that would make it a coupe, and fake high-performance AMG or Brabus models.

Occasionally, cars will change brands altogether. "We saw a Ford badged as an Acura. We were dying," says Kelley Blue Book spokeswoman Robyn Eckard.

Online auction service eBay says it sells about 15,000 items a month in the automotive emblem category.

Automakers acknowledge the practice — and don't seem to mind.

Mercedes owners can buy the lettering indicating their cars are the high-end AMG version for about $65 at a dealer's parts department. Chrysler 300 owners who want their cars to mimic the Hemi-powered 300C can buy the insignia for about $12.50.

Replacement is generally easy — just a few minutes with a heat gun or hair dryer and dental floss to remove the old one, and some tape to attach the new badge.

At the nation's top-selling Mercedes dealer, maybe one or two buyers out of 100 will ask to have their car rebadged, says Garth Blumenthal, general manager of Fletcher Jones Motorcars in Newport Beach, Calif.

Yet even with the new badge, diehard enthusiasts can't be tricked, because clues such as exhaust pipes or wheels give them away. As for BMW owners who hope an emblem will turn their car into the performance division version, "You can't fool somebody (into thinking) it's an M3 or M5," BMW spokesman Rob Mitchell says.

Some high-performance companies, however, draw the line at helping people fake the credentials of their wheels.

Shelby Automobiles, the car customizer made famous by Carroll Shelby, turns down dozens of requests a day to turn Ford Mustangs into the Shelby Mustang that it built as a promotion for Hertz, President Amy Boylan says. She says she'll only sell approved parts, not whole kits.

Likewise, Mustang hot-rod rebuilder Saleen won't sell the engine compartment plate indicating the car is genuine.

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[shaw169]

At least I haven't seen to many people w/ 2.5i's throwing STI badges on their rides. To bad they didn't mention the GT-R getting thrown on every other kids civic.

<-- wants a hemi emblam for his wrx

[Derbagger]

My brother had Audi Emblems on his white Chevy Citation back in the day. The grill fit perfect. Most people actually thought it was an audi.

[rally_on]

i want a civic badge for my 2.5RS or 240sx

[BigFatGeek]

Nothing new here. I worked as a porter/detailer assistant/grunt at a Mercedes/Porsche-Audi dealer in the late-80s. I turned several 420SEL cars into 560SELs and 280E models into 300Es. In fact, I saved the 280 and 420 badges and plastered 'em on my dorm fridge.

And my Justy had some sweet 944 floor mats...

[Ghosthound]

assuming that these people are putting emblems on ther cars for their own sake, i dont care. but if they are putting them on in hopes to sell the car at a higher price, thats just ridiculous. but i guess if your dumb enough to just look at an emblem, you deserve what you get anyway.

[rice h8r]

most common that I see = AMG badges on regular Benzs.

[zer0_thirteen]

heh, when I go to Europe i'll try to pick up some Impreza GX badges!

it'd be cool to rock the hybrid synergy drive badges from toyota =p

[wrxsnowstyle]

most common in socal- hemi on random crap dodges and lexus on toyotas.

[2.5RSMatt]

rice.

[Snowphun]

Originally Posted by shaw169

At least I haven't seen to many people w/ 2.5i's throwing STI badges on their rides.

Wow, tons of people put STI badges on other Subaru's. Sad, really.

[phoenix96]

Originally Posted by Snowphun

Wow, tons of people put STI badges on other Subaru's. Sad, really.

Except that at least a lot of people actually have STI parts in their cars - STI makes a whole line of performance parts for the "other" Subarus.

[E. Nick]

I have Subaru rubber mats in my Range Rover.

[SoDealer]

Originally Posted by Snowphun

Wow, tons of people put STI badges on other Subaru's. Sad, really.

nothing wrong with that if their cars are modded with STI parts.... there are many non-STI Subarus that will smack the crap out of a stock STI

[Snowphun]

Originally Posted by phoenix96

Except that at least a lot of people actually have STI parts in their cars - STI makes a whole line of performance parts for the "other" Subarus.

The never ending debate... putting STI badges on your car in the same places they're on the STI model is the same badge engineering nonsense. Use whatever excuse you want to feel good about it, people are still laughing because you're pretending to have a better car.

[phoenix96]

Originally Posted by Snowphun

The never ending debate... putting STI badges on your car in the same places they're on the STI model is the same badge engineering nonsense. Use whatever excuse you want to feel good about it, people are still laughing because you're pretending to have a better car.

Aww, that hurts. Maybe I'll take the STI badges off my WRX now.
Oh wait, I don't have a WRX - or STI badges on the Subarus I do have. What to do....

Now slapping an STI badge on the back of a bone stock WRX is one thing. Putting an STI sticker on the fender of a car that actually has STI parts in it is another thing altogether.

Originally Posted by SoDealer

there are many non-STI Subarus that will smack the crap out of a stock STI

Indeed.

[TSReynolds]

editing