Deletion of Model/Designation?

Model/Designation Deletion? Why?

  • Purely Vanity

    Votes: 23 62.2%

  • Because I'm ashamed of my engine choice

    Votes: 6 16.2%

  • Because people might believe my S-Line is an S3

    Votes: 3 8.1%

  • I don't know, I do it automatically

    Votes: 5 13.5%
  • Total voters
    37
coddy85

coddy85

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I would like to know why you guys do it?

This is by no means a way of judging people just a survey as to why? Is it just vanity?
 
I have specified deletion, and basically with an expensive car I want it to look nice but I don't want anyone remotely guessing what the car might be. I'm also not buying my car as an advertisement.

If I was getting a Quattro I would definitely have it taken off. I test drove a Quattro for a day and the idiots it attracted was unbelievable.
 
cilurnum said:
I have specified deletion, and basically with an expensive car I want it to look nice but I don't want anyone remotely guessing what the car might be. I'm also not buying my car as an advertisement.

If I was getting a Quattro I would definitely have it taken off. I test drove a Quattro for a day and the idiots it attracted was unbelievable.
Click to expand...

So if you bought an RS4 you'd remove the badges too?
 
I think you're missing an option. As with cilurnum I feel no specific need to declare the specification of my car on the back in writing.

I've always thought it was a bit of an odd setup with cars as you don't paint the '4 Bedroom, 2 Reception, £250,000' on the side of your house, nor would you tattoo your IQ on your forehead.
 
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cilurnum said:
Hopefully I'd have enough money not to worry.
Click to expand...

What is there to worry about? I don't think I'm more at risk of anything because I have the quattro badge?

I've always assumed that debadged cars are because the owner doesn't want to show they have a lesser model?
 
a3_phil said:
I think you're missing an option. As with cilurnum I feel no specific need to declare the specification of my car on the back in writing.

I've always thought it was a bit of an odd setup with cars as you don't paint the '4 Bedroom, 2 Reception, £250,000' on the side of your house, nor would you tattoo your IQ on your forehead.
Click to expand...

You do when you want to sell it though..........

On that note though, if it's not important then why not leave it?
 
coddy85 said:
You do when you want to sell it though..........

On that note though, if it's not important then why not leave it?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure how a potential buyer would feel about 10ft high lettering on the side of the house!

We probably think about the badging in a different way though.

I see a car with no badging that you have to decide to put on, so I don't bother to have it added.

You see the car as having badges that you have to decide to remove, so you don't bother to remove them.
 
All down to:

Style, some people don't like the badges and prefer a "cleaner" look
Stealth, sleeper car so unless your a Audi buff you have no idea what your dealing with on the road.
Spec, remove S-Line badges so it looks lower spec, I doubt it.
Model hiding, pointless really as it's easy to tell if your in a A1, A4, A3, etc.
 
The Challinor said:
All down to:

Style, some people don't like the badges and prefer a "cleaner" look
Stealth, sleeper car so unless your a Audi buff you have no idea what your dealing with on the road.
Spec, remove S-Line badges so it looks lower spec, I doubt it.
Model hiding, pointless really as it's easy to tell if your in a A1, A4, A3, etc.
Click to expand...

Easier to to detail without badges on the back too...
 
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a3_phil said:
I'm not sure how a potential buyer would feel about 10ft high lettering on the side of the house!

We probably think about the badging in a different way though.

I see a car with no badging that you have to decide to put on, so I don't bother to have it added.

You see the car as having badges that you have to decide to remove, so you don't bother to remove them.
Click to expand...

Well you have to select the option to remove, so I see it that as standard you have them and have to make the conscious decision to have them removed.
 
coddy85 said:
Well you have to select the option to remove, so I see it that as standard you have them and have to make the conscious decision to have them removed.
Click to expand...

We're getting a bit meta here, but in the build process it starts without a badge and someone has to fit one to the car.
 
The Challinor said:
All down to:

Style, some people don't like the badges and prefer a "cleaner" look
Stealth, sleeper car so unless your a Audi buff you have no idea what your dealing with on the road.
Spec, remove S-Line badges so it looks lower spec, I doubt it.
Model hiding, pointless really as it's easy to tell if your in a A1, A4, A3, etc.
Click to expand...

Your third point is my point, you rarely see people removing the S-Line badge or the S/RS logo. But people want to hide that they are driving a TDi. I think this was more prevalent when it specified what engine you had inside.
 
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a3_phil said:
We're getting a bit meta here, but in the build process it starts without a badge and someone has to fit one to the car.
Click to expand...

Well I can't think of a mainstream car that doesn't have a badge at all from production? I'm not questioning whether Audi fit them or not, I was questioning why people choose to remove them.
 
And that's what I'm answering!

I don't personally understand why cars have model designations on the back of them. It feels like I'm acting as a moving advert for the car manufacturer to help people know which model is which. I gain no benefit from my car saying 'A3' or 'Mondeo TDCI' on the back of it because I already know what car I'm driving. To me it's just needless clutter.
 
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For me it's simple, I just prefer the clean look. And as an added bonus it makes the car easier to clean, as there's no dirt getting stuck between the badging.
 
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Bit of a minimalist thing as well and personal preference. If the car still looks good, you have nice alloys and styling you don't need any extra badges.
 
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For my S3 it made it even more understated which i like....leaves people guessing. Also much prefer the clean look of the back with out the badge and one less place for the dirt to collect.
 
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It stops the "can't hide money" type comments people make.
 
wills_1990 said:
For my S3 it made it even more understated which i like....leaves people guessing. Also much prefer the clean look of the back with out the badge and one less place for the dirt to collect.
Click to expand...
So apart from the exhaust tailpipes your car could look like any other sline, even one with a 1.4 engine in it?
 
cuke2u said:
So apart from the exhaust tailpipes your car could look like any other sline, even one with a 1.4 engine in it?
Click to expand...


Pretty much yeah, apart from mirror caps etc and the exhaust note... why does it matter if it looks like a car with a 1.4 engine in it when i know it isnt the case.
 
Another one here who likes the clean look and likes cleaning it.
 
Stealth ..I replaced the Engine tech with an S-line badge and left the A3 badge in place, that along with the "auto" gear shifter has everyone thinking it's a family car.

A couple of weeks ago in the west country, a Silver '08 TT driver tried to push me to move aside when I was overtaking a line of slower cars on a dual carriageway, I was already doing 70 but he was literally right up my chuff! He looked shocked when I was finally able to move left and gradually pulled away, leaving him hanging in the outside lane. I let him go after a couple of miles and a reg check showed he had a similar 2.0T petrol to mine! he obviously hasn't had it mapped though, and it was fun to show him the way in front of his equally shocked looking passenger.
 
I'm deleting the technology designation bit on my next one. As some have already mentioned, it could be classed as vanity but frankly I just see no point in having TFSI or TDI on the back of the car and it looks cleaner without it.
 
I have no strong feelings either way but, like Artimus, I do enjoy the occasional boy racer in his pimped up Nova getting utterly perplexed as to why he is being left for dead by a diesel hatchback. Without the badge I'd lose this little pleasure.
 
I test drove an SQ5 not long ago and was amazed how Diesel tech is coming along! But having never owned a diesel before, If I did take the plunge I think I'd be too ashamed to have the TDi badge on the rump - it'd have to go.

Vanity, if I had a Diesel I suppose.
 
Last edited:
I deleted the TFSI as I think it's pointless?! Who really cares if it's a TFSI. It's just as bad as the corsas with their 16v badges or 1.2. It looks better without it. Also it makes it easier to clean. Although I did leave the A3 badge as I do like the font style and looks decent
 
I've paid good money for my S3. There's no way I'm removing the badge!
 
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The 'Q car' effect is lost a little on an S3, what with it having four exhausts. I don't think removing a badge would fool anyone.
 
More people wanted to race me when i had my white 2.0l tdi than they do now i have my estoril blue s3... Perhaps the colour? I personally want people to see it's an s3 and i could care less about jealous people. If the car gets stolen i'll just get a new one, if it gets keyed i'll respray... I don't live in fear of anything happening to it.
 
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The colour of the car definitely contributes more to people wanting to race you. I've found this a lot over the years
 
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Yes I'm with the "easier to clean" people above, hence not having the engine designation on the back. I've done the same on my TT and it definitely gives it a cleaner look.

But years ago when I had BMW company cars it was an interesting difference in mentality between Brits and Germans - the Brits had badge delete because they had a 1.6L diesel and didn't want people to know - they wanted people to think they had a higher power model (as if!) but the Germans had badge delete because they had high powered versions and didn't want to brag about it!
 
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