[infinitekidM2C]

Originally Posted by cjm41

I disagree. Yes, I believe the majority of people driving around in new leased M cars are just badge snobs with more money than the badge snobs driving around in an M340, there are a lot of older M owners this is not true for.

I also disagree that older M cars are for poor people. Most anyone can walk into a dealership and sign paperwork for a $900 lease with proof of income and mediocre credit.

Not many people can hand over a $30k cashiers check for a 10 year old car. Nor can they stomach the absurd cost of maintenance.

I'm 37, self-employed, bi-coastal (live in both Florida and California), and have the title to my car in a safe. Am I rich? No. Could I walk into a BMW dealership today and take my pick? Yes.

What I'm getting at is, the type of people who simply point at an older car and blame it on lack of financial ability to procure a newer car just don't get it.

Would you point at someone in an old Porsche 356 that he just bought at auction for $200k and write him off as being poor for driving an old car?

Some M owners maintain their own cars, love a specific platform for a reason, care about heritage and legacy. They love driving a true motorsport-derived car, even if it means expensive maintenance, obsessive warm up routines, quirkiness they call "character", etc.

I drive an E92 M3 because I love German V8s and I love the M3 heritage. I read about M history, enjoy wrenching on my own car (I pay a membership fee to access a lift I use regularly and do all of my own work, aside from rod bearings).

Owning my M3 is expensive. And tedious. And time consuming. At times it's a downright hassle. But I do it enthusiastically, and it's rewarding.

It's nice to know that badge is special. Not because I care what it means to others. But as a true car enthusiast from the age of like two years old, it's a badge of pride. It reminds me that I've subscribed to an entire ownership experience and not just something neat to get from point A to point B in.

I guess badge/brand dilution doesn't really piss me off the way it does others, but it certainly doesn't help maintain the brand as a true enthusiasts brand, and my decision to drive the M3 I most desire is not reflective of what I can afford. It's reflective of how much I'm willing to participate in the ownership experience, and when I roll my eyes at non-M cars with M badges, it's is most certainly not rooted in narcissism.

This.