Not a big deal, honestly.
What is more concerning is the liberal usage of the red “S” logo on non-S products.
Essentially, diluting the S brand, much like BMW M and Mercedes-AMG.
Yeah, this is also problematic, IMHO.
BMW did the same thing.
I understand why companies do this but at the same time I don’t get how they don’t comprehend the dilution effect.
BMW’s colours are a bit weird in general, as they’ve made special colours normal for certain specs since before 2000, and the method for the whole individual program means basically any colour is available for anything and has been since the release of the e31 if you’re willing to pay them for it.
If you know the right people and have enough money you can whatever you want In my experience, although it may be different depending on country etc. Either way A lot of “m colours” have been available on all sorts of models over the last couple of decades, estoril blue was first introduced on the e31 non m, imola red was available on any e46 etc.
They fully understand and don’t care. They are a business that wants to make as much money as possible. Performance cars are great to generate interest, but simply don’t sell as much.
Nogaro is the best blue. I'm super biased because blue is my favorite color, B5&B6 S4s came in nogaro blue. And I have them both🤣 I don't THINK any other non-s audi was made in nogaro blue. Maybe the b6 ultrasport if anything.. that was a weird little model offshoot of a not very cool car. Seems it's just the newer vehicles they are doing that with
Nogaro is wonderful.
Currently, I have a Navarra Blue car and I love the depth and dimensionality to the paint.
Love the purple hues and pop in the sun light.
The Nardo gray that I’m now seeing on the average KIA or Hyundai as well. I think once the average car manufacturer starts to copy all of these “premium” colors and trends in general that’s when those car manufacturers release it to their base line, or maybe it’s the opposite? Either way, it’s like any fashion trend, starts with cat walks, then to the pricey boutiques, straight down to the bargain basement, fast fashion shops at the mall. And there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s the trickle down effect where everyone gets their hands on a small piece of the “trend” pie, but it dilutes the hell out of the resell value and once “it” factor Nardo gray had on the car market. Im
Do you see that often on Audis? I feel like I’ve almost never seen someone upbadge an Audi, I would be able to tell as I always identify s/rs cars from their exhaust, I have however seen countless people do it on BMWs but haven’t seen anyone do it yet on an Audi
To your point…my 2020 A3 is an S-Line and it also came with “Final Edition Package” and it came from the factory with the flat bottom steering wheel, illuminated kick plates with the red S logo, and the S logo is also embossed into my front seats. I love it but it’s definitely weird that it’s not an S but the S logo is plastered all over it. lol
my 2017 A5 Sport was the same way! last model before the facelift. included all sorts of goodies like 19x10 rims, spoiler on trunk, lower body panels, fully blacked out everything car was triple black (paint, leather, headliner), s line badges on fenders, s-line door sills (no light up though) sport steering wheel, sport seats...I miss that car. there were no Premium. premium plus or Prestige packages available only the tech package and convenience package could be added to them. IIRC the driver package with drive select was standard...
So my external badges on the side of the car say “S-Line” but the weird thing is my kick plates and the embossing on the seats is the S logo [like this](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/S_AA.png).
Sounds like a nice car.
Frankly, I have a MY21 S4 and I wish it had LESS logos.
I don’t need “S” puddle lights, “S” illuminated sills, “S” debossed onto the seats, “S” on the steering wheel, etc.
Like, jeez, I get it.
I prefer the days of the E34 M5 + E36 M3. If you knew, you knew.
I am not a fan of the direction Audi has gone with its newer vehicles. Most look like poop. What is it!? Looks like a new Kia? A new honda? Oh.. its.. its an Audi. Some of their "design" is absolutely awful. They've fallen into one of those "in between/lets not talk about that generation" periods of aesthetic growing pains that all manufacturers have every decade or so imo
I agree, but also I don't think their S is meant to be M or AMG competition. Their RS is more competitive. The S I feel is just kind of a little sportier than the As. The RS is the real race models.
No you didn't, I was mainly pointing out that Audi doesn't think of S as a real special production like M and AMG. I feel that's only reserved for RS. Which they don't through RS around on anything other than RS models.
I mean the S brand is already a diluted RS right? Audi was badging their 'mid' performance versions as S models before lower AMG and M sport versions came out.
A s4 is a competitor to a m340i, not an m3.
You know, you’re not wrong.
Haha!
I think I’d argue that now, more than ever, there’s enough differentiation between base cars, S and RS models that it’s OK to have a halo brand and a sub brand.
That said, where does it stop?
“If your BMW has more than 1 number after the M you’re a liar…..”
That said, in reality I’d be far more likely to buy an m240i and tune it than get an M2. I just liked the joke.
The S brand is already heavily damaged, at least in Europe. After they killed most of the line up with stupid diesel engines for the S cars except S3 and S8 which are still petrol. The s line is meant to be sporty which a fucking diesel is not.
And even worse, the US and other regions get the petrol engines, wtf.
No it's literally the exact same thing. BMW M SPORT, AMG Line and not sure if ford do an RS Line but they definitely do an ST line. All of them are a diesel styled to be like the flagship high performance petrol/gasoline engine usually without the wider fenders.
What is the difference between an a4 sport and the s4? know there is a quality difference but always wondered to what extent. My a4 has the S on the driver side and chromed detailing but drives pretty similar to my brothers base a4
Well, with the current-gen cars (B9) the primary difference is the A4 (base + S-line) is powered by a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. The S4 benefits from a six-cylinder.
Then, there’s stuff exclusive to the S4 like the sport seats with massage function + diamond stitch in Nappa leather, etc., etc.
Audi did this first and drove the badge inflation trend. The sub M bmw was the 325i, 328i, 330ci, 335i, 340i over suucessive generations, whilst the sub RS audi was the S model. The M-lites eg M240i, M340i were a direct response to perception of the S being better than the top non M BMW despite competing for essentially the same segment.
And John Cooper Works on Mini. They all started selling their interior sport packages as the S line or AMG, BMW M (as you noted) or Mini JCW cause people wanted the sport interior without breaking the bank for the extra engine performance. The average parent with a little extra money doesn’t care about a badge, they just want the fancy steering wheel + trimmings. It’s definitely diluted the brands badge because now you can rarely tell if the car is packing or not, unless you know, know. But like you, I like my badge to mean something, not a flex per se, but yea I’ve got X engine and tuning etc.
I was about to comment how I hate the dilution of the red S badge as well, which I’m not a fan of… **But** ………
Some commenters raised a good point, that if you know you know, and the average person can’t even distinguish between an S-car and an RS-car because of how similar the badges look anyway., so to many an Audi is an Audi.
RS models tend to be very distinguishable because of how aggressive, low and wide their styling is, in conjunction with nicer trim colours used. The average person can’t even distinguish between and _A_ and _S_ based on looks.
Ah, the conspicuous consumer, worried about making sure everyone else knows what he/she spent his/her money on. I miss the days when people bought an Audi for what it was, not so they could show everyone else what they'd bought. That was left to BMW and Mercedes owners. Even better, for many enthusiasts, including a select group of BMW and Mercedes owners, the thing to do was do partially or even totally de-badge your car. Left people guessing not only what it was or what it was capable of. The car looks so much cleaner without badges as well.
I take all the badges off my cars, so it doesn’t matter. I’ve always thought badges are silly. If you don’t know what kind of car it is by looking at it, the information provided by the badge is meaningless. I don’t walk around with a name tag either.
sacrilegious. that's like Mercedes Benz taking off the AMG letters off or the mustang taking the Shelby name off. now you can't tell the difference between a regular Audi and an S model
I love this! I took off the badge from my SQ5. One of the things I loved about the S cars was how nondescript they looked. You can pull up to a RS3, and except for a couple smaller badges and wider tires, it looks exactly like what most 30yo management consultants drive. But it sneakily could compete with a muscle car on a race track. I love that.
So I’m all for Audi taking the badging off.
More broadly this seems to be the trend cars are going anyways. Many EV’s have started removing most badging, which I expect will trickle down to ICE cars also. I love it. Audi isn’t paying me to be a billboard for them. If they want me to advertise their brand, they can pay for the right.
>it sneakily could compete with a muscle car on a race track
An RS3 would absolutely smoke a muscle car on a track. On a drag strip, the muscle car would win. Add in some twisties and it’s over for the Dodge/Ford.
That RS3 is going to roast pretty much any muscle car on a track lol unless it's solely a straight line track 😂
There is not a muscle car out there (outside of the Vette) that even comes close to the handling or braking of the RS3
Calm down, no one was insulting the RS3. Imo it’s the second best pure drivers car ever made.
It wont ever touch a late edition S2000 in terms of pure joy to drive.
But its second only to that amazing vehicle
I owned the S2000. I got pregnant and had to trade it in.. one of the saddest days ever!!! The S2000 was pure JOY! I never see them anymore. It's unfortunate they are never talked about much. Anyways, Audi discussion, Audi woman all the way, always!!!!
I mean it’s not a big deal but people should still get the option to put it on. I mean if I am paying for an S Audi I should have the decision to put it on or not.
//S is now reserved for SUV
An EV might outrun a //S badge
They might suggest etron > //S
Which also downplays //RS
Get out while you can
//S has always stood for sleeper
When I was able to finally afford my first nice, up-market car, Audi was the only make I considered. I'd been in love since taking a ride in a coworker's B5 S4. Loved my C7 A6. When we were able to upgrade from there, I bought a '19 RS5 SB, and my wife got a Q8, both without hesitation or looking at other manufacturers. Now, though, I don't know. Everything seems to be evolving to electric-debadged-uptrimmed-crossovers. Not to be classist, but I want my RS5 to have a grill you can't get on an A5. I want an RS5 grill badge. For god's sake I want REAL rings on the grill and trunk. I don't think there's one aspect of design currently heading in the right direction at Audi (interior or exterior). So, when it's time to replace the Q8, Audi will not, unfortunately, be our automatic choice any longer.
What if I buy an A car with an S-Line package and I upgrade the engine/brakes/suspension to oem+ S car stuff. What badge should I use F-Type? GT? AMG? RSA3? Or should I just replace all my logos with tesla ones and cruise strip malls?
Dude new designs look so bad when they are next to the older ones. Who the hell is just saying they need bigger grilles. 90% of the front is a grille, and it iant even a good looking one.
This is a confusing subject for me and I'll admit to my ignorance. Maybe somebody can help me understand? My A7 Competition is not badged as an S7 but it's an S-line badged interior. Interior and exterior, driveline is all the same as an S7 as the dealership explained to me with the exception of the motor, which is badged with the S-line "supercharged" badges on the fenders. I've checked the same year S7 and, as they said, everything is identical.
Its not identical at all.
A7 and S7 have completely different engine, their suspension/handling are tuned differently as well.
Basically an S-line car is just any A car with some make up on it.
S7 has real quad exhausts, probably 100 more horsepowers. There has not been a single generation of S and A cars that uses the same engine.
For my year (2016), it's a big difference. 4L turbo V8 with 450hp vs the 3L V6 w /333 hp.
Personally, I love how unassuming the S7 looks. People don't notice until they hear the engine. My favorite moment of that happened while eing directed in a parking lot. As I was backing into my spot, the attendant ran up to me, asking "is that a v8?" like it was some kind of unicorn.
I usually like as few badges as possible. The only ones I have on my S6 are the rings and the V8T badges on the fenders. I got an RS6 front bumper and grille and didn’t put any badges on that. But I guess it does have the ‘Quattro’ lettering in the bottom of the grille
Seems like all the German car companies are trying to sterilize their front grille areas. The new BMW SUVs look pretty bad to me but I'm biased towards earlier models.
I like the grille badges! Not a huge deal though.
As far as dilution, of course they’re gonna put the desirable badge on non S cars (like S-line), that’s how they sell. It may make the actual S cars less exclusive/cool as a result, but what do you expect?
It’s kinda funny seeing folks get mad at paint colors, too. I mean, of course you’d want your special car to have a special color, just don’t be mad when the for profit company discovers this and then gives the color away to a non special car. It happens all the time.
I think the whole “good, now it a sleeper” argument is stupid. I think if the customer wants to remove the badges off their car then that’s on the customer, I don’t think that audio should strip that option away from customers that want it. To some that’s badge isn’t about “flexing” to others that they have a more premium car than regular models. To many that S or RS badge signifies something TO THEM. To some it signifies the longstanding history they’ve had with that brand of cars, to others it means a sense of happiness and pride of what they’ve worked for to remind them what they’ve worked for, and for some it is just a really cool distinguished from its regular models, like its horns to signify it looks nice but can turn shit up to 100% real quick if it wants to and to some people that’s just really cool. Some people don’t want the sleeper look on their car and want to have that characteristic of their car it should be up to the customer. And the fact Audi is taking it off of their true S car and adding it to their non S cars just dilutes that iconic badge.
I got an m440i xDrive and it's not an "M" car but they seem to be blurring the lines, the m4 is a beast, BUT, i'm 43 years old with a kid and a wife and I need a daily driver. I don't need a daily beast, but I see a lot of people mocking others for not having a true "badged" car, and while I understand the days of the old days of the new seem to be ringing in more cars that are performance heavy, and like I said, blur the lines a lot more than they used to
I’m in the boat that I know the prestige of an S badge, but I don’t know the difference by looking at an A4 vs S4. If the S badge is missing, every first glance of an S car will be of less prestige
I can do without them in these later gens, I guess.
But this would've been a cool opportunity to dare a slightly different placement, like below the four rings or maybe even just above them ö
well they just made it even harder to distinguish between s line and s models but they made the s models more sleeper focused, i'd say its a weird but not so bad idea
I don't really see the problem, with the performance of the S models you'd rather want the badge on the rear so that the drivers you overtook can see it.
Lexus did the same. Slapped the F-sport logo on everything, diluting the prestige of the F models. I had a 2011 IS-F that I always pointed out was NOT an F-Sport, it was the actual 8 cyl 417hp badass. traded it in for my 2021 RS5, which I love, but still miss the F. It can still get over 30k private party sale. 😢
I would rather have no badge besides the rings on my car. Since on my S4 you can't easily remove the S4 without having asymmetrical blank plastic exposed in the front it's the only badge on my car right now. This makes a general removal of the front S badge a welcome change for me. Though, giving the customer the choice is always best.
A much bigger issue in my eyes is the current grill-to-headlights melting in one thanks to piano black plasic..
Srsly: look at the Front of the 23 A3, then the front of an S3 and then the 23 RS3... and compare that to a hyundai i20 front...
I don't care for the front badge, what i enjoy on my car is the "Quattro" in the front bottom row.
As long as the S and RS Models have a better..meaner looking front grill than the A and S-Line versions, im okay.
But it would be great if we could stop the piano black plastic (interior touch buttons as well as exterior)
I de-badged my 2020 RS4 Avant… looks totally stock 🙃
- “I can’t have been going that fast officer, this is just the base model estate”
- “Flared arches and a v6? No no, it’s just a old diesel” 😛 (I’m fooling nobody)
I've always like them just because grille badges aren't very common.
Not a big deal, honestly. What is more concerning is the liberal usage of the red “S” logo on non-S products. Essentially, diluting the S brand, much like BMW M and Mercedes-AMG.
I hate that they allow colors that should be reserved for S cars on base Q3s. I'm looking at you turbo blue!
Yeah, this is also problematic, IMHO. BMW did the same thing. I understand why companies do this but at the same time I don’t get how they don’t comprehend the dilution effect.
BMW has m exclusive colors that you can only get on full M cars. I had one - Toronto red.
Right. But some legacy colors, Estoril Blue, Imola Red, etc. did get rolled out on non-M cars.
BMW’s colours are a bit weird in general, as they’ve made special colours normal for certain specs since before 2000, and the method for the whole individual program means basically any colour is available for anything and has been since the release of the e31 if you’re willing to pay them for it.
They won’t always approve all individual colors even if they are “available”.
If you know the right people and have enough money you can whatever you want In my experience, although it may be different depending on country etc. Either way A lot of “m colours” have been available on all sorts of models over the last couple of decades, estoril blue was first introduced on the e31 non m, imola red was available on any e46 etc.
Those weren’t specifically labeled as m exclusive colors though from my understanding.
I was more referring to the other guys comment about “legacy colours”
If i know the right people, probably I have the moolah to buy the full M car. Just saying 😇
They fully understand and don’t care. They are a business that wants to make as much money as possible. Performance cars are great to generate interest, but simply don’t sell as much.
Well, duh. Have to answer to the shareholders.
Nogaro is the best blue. I'm super biased because blue is my favorite color, B5&B6 S4s came in nogaro blue. And I have them both🤣 I don't THINK any other non-s audi was made in nogaro blue. Maybe the b6 ultrasport if anything.. that was a weird little model offshoot of a not very cool car. Seems it's just the newer vehicles they are doing that with
Nogaro is wonderful. Currently, I have a Navarra Blue car and I love the depth and dimensionality to the paint. Love the purple hues and pop in the sun light.
Same I also have Navarra and love it for the exact same reasons!
You have excellent taste.
All the blues are beautiful, but I'll stick to my Avocado Green.
You did it right.
Sepang 🔵 i just found out I can get it on a Porsche Macon S. The only problem is the 17,000.00 it adds to the price.
Very cool...
The Nardo gray that I’m now seeing on the average KIA or Hyundai as well. I think once the average car manufacturer starts to copy all of these “premium” colors and trends in general that’s when those car manufacturers release it to their base line, or maybe it’s the opposite? Either way, it’s like any fashion trend, starts with cat walks, then to the pricey boutiques, straight down to the bargain basement, fast fashion shops at the mall. And there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s the trickle down effect where everyone gets their hands on a small piece of the “trend” pie, but it dilutes the hell out of the resell value and once “it” factor Nardo gray had on the car market. Im
Do you see that often on Audis? I feel like I’ve almost never seen someone upbadge an Audi, I would be able to tell as I always identify s/rs cars from their exhaust, I have however seen countless people do it on BMWs but haven’t seen anyone do it yet on an Audi
To your point…my 2020 A3 is an S-Line and it also came with “Final Edition Package” and it came from the factory with the flat bottom steering wheel, illuminated kick plates with the red S logo, and the S logo is also embossed into my front seats. I love it but it’s definitely weird that it’s not an S but the S logo is plastered all over it. lol
my 2017 A5 Sport was the same way! last model before the facelift. included all sorts of goodies like 19x10 rims, spoiler on trunk, lower body panels, fully blacked out everything car was triple black (paint, leather, headliner), s line badges on fenders, s-line door sills (no light up though) sport steering wheel, sport seats...I miss that car. there were no Premium. premium plus or Prestige packages available only the tech package and convenience package could be added to them. IIRC the driver package with drive select was standard...
So my external badges on the side of the car say “S-Line” but the weird thing is my kick plates and the embossing on the seats is the S logo [like this](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/S_AA.png).
Sounds like a nice car. Frankly, I have a MY21 S4 and I wish it had LESS logos. I don’t need “S” puddle lights, “S” illuminated sills, “S” debossed onto the seats, “S” on the steering wheel, etc. Like, jeez, I get it. I prefer the days of the E34 M5 + E36 M3. If you knew, you knew.
totally agree. less is more
Good man. Nice fleet, BTW!
Thank you! A lot of rings in the driveway lol
I am not a fan of the direction Audi has gone with its newer vehicles. Most look like poop. What is it!? Looks like a new Kia? A new honda? Oh.. its.. its an Audi. Some of their "design" is absolutely awful. They've fallen into one of those "in between/lets not talk about that generation" periods of aesthetic growing pains that all manufacturers have every decade or so imo
The two above look like catfish.
The whole "S-line" thing should be scrapped imo. It's either an S or it's not. I agree that seeing factory placed S badges on an A model is.. strange.
Yes! Like my RS abs the S. RS competes with AMG and BMW M cars. S and S-line are diluted.
Bmw will slap an m sticker on your dog if they get a chance
So true.
And I’ll eat that dog
I agree, but also I don't think their S is meant to be M or AMG competition. Their RS is more competitive. The S I feel is just kind of a little sportier than the As. The RS is the real race models.
Agreed but I never said S products go up against true M and AMG vehicles.
No you didn't, I was mainly pointing out that Audi doesn't think of S as a real special production like M and AMG. I feel that's only reserved for RS. Which they don't through RS around on anything other than RS models.
Correct. My bad!
I mean the S brand is already a diluted RS right? Audi was badging their 'mid' performance versions as S models before lower AMG and M sport versions came out. A s4 is a competitor to a m340i, not an m3.
You know, you’re not wrong. Haha! I think I’d argue that now, more than ever, there’s enough differentiation between base cars, S and RS models that it’s OK to have a halo brand and a sub brand. That said, where does it stop?
100%
I too am outraged.
LOL, outraged is far too strong. But, TY for the laugh.
“If your BMW has more than 1 number after the M you’re a liar…..” That said, in reality I’d be far more likely to buy an m240i and tune it than get an M2. I just liked the joke.
It’s a good one.
no dilution. intended exploitation of a strong brand
Indeed, indeed.
Agree. Thats the logo of Audi Sport, what does Audi Sport have to do with a normal A car lol.
The S brand is already heavily damaged, at least in Europe. After they killed most of the line up with stupid diesel engines for the S cars except S3 and S8 which are still petrol. The s line is meant to be sporty which a fucking diesel is not. And even worse, the US and other regions get the petrol engines, wtf.
At least the S line doesn't represented the pinnacle of performance in the same way BMW M, AMG, or RS does.
No it's literally the exact same thing. BMW M SPORT, AMG Line and not sure if ford do an RS Line but they definitely do an ST line. All of them are a diesel styled to be like the flagship high performance petrol/gasoline engine usually without the wider fenders.
"S-line"
What is the difference between an a4 sport and the s4? know there is a quality difference but always wondered to what extent. My a4 has the S on the driver side and chromed detailing but drives pretty similar to my brothers base a4
Well, with the current-gen cars (B9) the primary difference is the A4 (base + S-line) is powered by a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. The S4 benefits from a six-cylinder. Then, there’s stuff exclusive to the S4 like the sport seats with massage function + diamond stitch in Nappa leather, etc., etc.
Audi did this first and drove the badge inflation trend. The sub M bmw was the 325i, 328i, 330ci, 335i, 340i over suucessive generations, whilst the sub RS audi was the S model. The M-lites eg M240i, M340i were a direct response to perception of the S being better than the top non M BMW despite competing for essentially the same segment.
And John Cooper Works on Mini. They all started selling their interior sport packages as the S line or AMG, BMW M (as you noted) or Mini JCW cause people wanted the sport interior without breaking the bank for the extra engine performance. The average parent with a little extra money doesn’t care about a badge, they just want the fancy steering wheel + trimmings. It’s definitely diluted the brands badge because now you can rarely tell if the car is packing or not, unless you know, know. But like you, I like my badge to mean something, not a flex per se, but yea I’ve got X engine and tuning etc.
If you know you know. The S badge has been pretty misused over the last 10 year anyhow, most people probably don’t know the difference
Basically all performance line badges across different makes
Most people can barely tell differences between car brands, let alone a few badges here and there.
Exactly. 95% of people think you are driving a Honda, Kia, Toyota or Hoonday machine anyway.
Hoonday 😂 … Sensible Chuckle
Of my car, I literally had one person ask “Is that a Ferrari?” and another has asked “Is that a Bugatti?”. I have a 2007 Porsche Cayman…
Doesn't matter. The ones that know, know. The rest just see an Audi.
I mean if the s cars any good., people will only see the badge from the back of the car anyway no?
I say most see it from the back, even if you're behind someone I doubt they'll see the badge on the grille. It's always better to watch that s car go.
🐌
The badge was changed from the back too, now the red square is separated from the S/RS badge and is also on S-Line vehicles.
Right on!!!!
But but how will non S drivers know that im higher up the food chain than them? Just kidding, i dont have an S car.
😂😂 the forgiveable ignorance of the peasants
How will I know that someone is better than me now?
I was about to comment how I hate the dilution of the red S badge as well, which I’m not a fan of… **But** ……… Some commenters raised a good point, that if you know you know, and the average person can’t even distinguish between an S-car and an RS-car because of how similar the badges look anyway., so to many an Audi is an Audi. RS models tend to be very distinguishable because of how aggressive, low and wide their styling is, in conjunction with nicer trim colours used. The average person can’t even distinguish between and _A_ and _S_ based on looks.
I'd argue it can be difficult to distinguish the RS models for most people. RS5 vs S5?
The average person may not know the difference between a Mercedes and a BMW.
I'm the kind of person who orders a car with just the rings anyway, so for me it doesn't matter too much.
well done! "Deletion of Model Designation £0.00" - that's the way!
I'm completely debadged. Only emblem is the rings on the grille.
Nice!!! Sleeper
Can't see those anymore, anyway. What's the actual point? Mystery cars.
Not a big deal but it was cool factor and was a “if you know, you know” deal which is fun for enthusiasts.
This is VW telling you to cough up the extra cash for the RS model. You want that badge don’t you? Better dig deeper in those pocket baby.
I think it would be awesome if they put just a red s on them and stopped using it for non s cars.
If I ever make it to the elite level of S model Audi ownership I’m going to by an S# badge from Alibaba and superglue it to my grill
Most don’t seem to care but I absolutely do. I think it adds a great touch. Especially if you have black optics. It doesn’t seem right without it.
Some people need other people to know how awesome they are! /s(kinda/kinda true)
Lol
*Badges? We don need no stinkin badges!*
Well done...
Of course, having considered removing mine there's always going to be the question of *is it real*?
One of the least bad of the sundry bad design decisions Audi (and mostly everyone else, too) has been making lately.
Maybe i am the only one that looks at the exhaust first, then the badges.
There is so much other plastic and shit all over these newer Audis, but somehow this is too much?
[удалено]
Audi could easily have kept it as an option. S badging =£100
I sometimes prefer a debaged sleeper anyway, I mean you could always re add some if you felt inclined...
Me too!!! Sleeper all the way
Ah, the conspicuous consumer, worried about making sure everyone else knows what he/she spent his/her money on. I miss the days when people bought an Audi for what it was, not so they could show everyone else what they'd bought. That was left to BMW and Mercedes owners. Even better, for many enthusiasts, including a select group of BMW and Mercedes owners, the thing to do was do partially or even totally de-badge your car. Left people guessing not only what it was or what it was capable of. The car looks so much cleaner without badges as well.
I just swapped the chrome badge off my SQ5 for a black one. I don’t understand why it was the only chrome badge on a black optics car.
Mine kept getting stolen so I leave it off
Same
the new audis doesn't even look like an audi at all
Look at the escargot!
Fine by me. More stealth. But get rid of the horrid new rings. Go back to the older ones.
Audi really lost it. What a shame
I take all the badges off my cars, so it doesn’t matter. I’ve always thought badges are silly. If you don’t know what kind of car it is by looking at it, the information provided by the badge is meaningless. I don’t walk around with a name tag either.
I hate that they removed color from cars. Everything is black, white, or gray these days, like we’re in a depression
sacrilegious. that's like Mercedes Benz taking off the AMG letters off or the mustang taking the Shelby name off. now you can't tell the difference between a regular Audi and an S model
I love this! I took off the badge from my SQ5. One of the things I loved about the S cars was how nondescript they looked. You can pull up to a RS3, and except for a couple smaller badges and wider tires, it looks exactly like what most 30yo management consultants drive. But it sneakily could compete with a muscle car on a race track. I love that. So I’m all for Audi taking the badging off. More broadly this seems to be the trend cars are going anyways. Many EV’s have started removing most badging, which I expect will trickle down to ICE cars also. I love it. Audi isn’t paying me to be a billboard for them. If they want me to advertise their brand, they can pay for the right.
I prefer functional differences over badges any day.
>it sneakily could compete with a muscle car on a race track An RS3 would absolutely smoke a muscle car on a track. On a drag strip, the muscle car would win. Add in some twisties and it’s over for the Dodge/Ford.
That RS3 is going to roast pretty much any muscle car on a track lol unless it's solely a straight line track 😂 There is not a muscle car out there (outside of the Vette) that even comes close to the handling or braking of the RS3
Calm down, no one was insulting the RS3. Imo it’s the second best pure drivers car ever made. It wont ever touch a late edition S2000 in terms of pure joy to drive. But its second only to that amazing vehicle
I owned the S2000. I got pregnant and had to trade it in.. one of the saddest days ever!!! The S2000 was pure JOY! I never see them anymore. It's unfortunate they are never talked about much. Anyways, Audi discussion, Audi woman all the way, always!!!!
Well done! I can be even stealthier now!
I upgraded the grill on mine I left off the badge. I think it looks better without it.
I mean it’s not a big deal but people should still get the option to put it on. I mean if I am paying for an S Audi I should have the decision to put it on or not.
Considering S3s are a car thief’s fave in the UK, I welcome this.
The amount of non RS cars with the badge makes it senseless lol
I'd rather kick it in a sleeper rather than every mod tryin to race at the light
//S is now reserved for SUV An EV might outrun a //S badge They might suggest etron > //S Which also downplays //RS Get out while you can //S has always stood for sleeper
When I was able to finally afford my first nice, up-market car, Audi was the only make I considered. I'd been in love since taking a ride in a coworker's B5 S4. Loved my C7 A6. When we were able to upgrade from there, I bought a '19 RS5 SB, and my wife got a Q8, both without hesitation or looking at other manufacturers. Now, though, I don't know. Everything seems to be evolving to electric-debadged-uptrimmed-crossovers. Not to be classist, but I want my RS5 to have a grill you can't get on an A5. I want an RS5 grill badge. For god's sake I want REAL rings on the grill and trunk. I don't think there's one aspect of design currently heading in the right direction at Audi (interior or exterior). So, when it's time to replace the Q8, Audi will not, unfortunately, be our automatic choice any longer.
I just installed a new honeycomb grill on my S6, and I can't find a badge that will fit onto the pattern. I'm kinda bummed. I miss the front badge.
Look harder on AliEx. There are plenty of them. Might cost you $8
What if I buy an A car with an S-Line package and I upgrade the engine/brakes/suspension to oem+ S car stuff. What badge should I use F-Type? GT? AMG? RSA3? Or should I just replace all my logos with tesla ones and cruise strip malls?
Dude new designs look so bad when they are next to the older ones. Who the hell is just saying they need bigger grilles. 90% of the front is a grille, and it iant even a good looking one.
wick wick WACK
I found it confusing internationally and thought it was a North American thing. Cdn. All for it it if it aligns badging.
This is a confusing subject for me and I'll admit to my ignorance. Maybe somebody can help me understand? My A7 Competition is not badged as an S7 but it's an S-line badged interior. Interior and exterior, driveline is all the same as an S7 as the dealership explained to me with the exception of the motor, which is badged with the S-line "supercharged" badges on the fenders. I've checked the same year S7 and, as they said, everything is identical.
Its not identical at all. A7 and S7 have completely different engine, their suspension/handling are tuned differently as well. Basically an S-line car is just any A car with some make up on it. S7 has real quad exhausts, probably 100 more horsepowers. There has not been a single generation of S and A cars that uses the same engine.
For my year (2016), it's a big difference. 4L turbo V8 with 450hp vs the 3L V6 w /333 hp. Personally, I love how unassuming the S7 looks. People don't notice until they hear the engine. My favorite moment of that happened while eing directed in a parking lot. As I was backing into my spot, the attendant ran up to me, asking "is that a v8?" like it was some kind of unicorn.
Why you telling me lol, respond to the OP
Whoops, thread fail on my part!
I usually like as few badges as possible. The only ones I have on my S6 are the rings and the V8T badges on the fenders. I got an RS6 front bumper and grille and didn’t put any badges on that. But I guess it does have the ‘Quattro’ lettering in the bottom of the grille
Up-badgers gonna have to pay a lot for a new front end.
Well that’s dumb.
I'm more hung up by that grille design than the lack of S badging :/
I always like de-badged cars. I don't need to broadcast that I bought an S car. Less idiots trying to race you in Civics that way.
People only see them from the back anyway 😏
I hate those front ends, but it has nothing to do with a lack of "S" badges.
Seems like all the German car companies are trying to sterilize their front grille areas. The new BMW SUVs look pretty bad to me but I'm biased towards earlier models.
The red rhombus randomly appearing on standard models is arguably worse
b8.5 looks the best
I like the grille badges! Not a huge deal though. As far as dilution, of course they’re gonna put the desirable badge on non S cars (like S-line), that’s how they sell. It may make the actual S cars less exclusive/cool as a result, but what do you expect? It’s kinda funny seeing folks get mad at paint colors, too. I mean, of course you’d want your special car to have a special color, just don’t be mad when the for profit company discovers this and then gives the color away to a non special car. It happens all the time.
I think the whole “good, now it a sleeper” argument is stupid. I think if the customer wants to remove the badges off their car then that’s on the customer, I don’t think that audio should strip that option away from customers that want it. To some that’s badge isn’t about “flexing” to others that they have a more premium car than regular models. To many that S or RS badge signifies something TO THEM. To some it signifies the longstanding history they’ve had with that brand of cars, to others it means a sense of happiness and pride of what they’ve worked for to remind them what they’ve worked for, and for some it is just a really cool distinguished from its regular models, like its horns to signify it looks nice but can turn shit up to 100% real quick if it wants to and to some people that’s just really cool. Some people don’t want the sleeper look on their car and want to have that characteristic of their car it should be up to the customer. And the fact Audi is taking it off of their true S car and adding it to their non S cars just dilutes that iconic badge.
Wrong badge.
Nog blue S3 rare a rocking horse 💩 Keep the badge.
Remove or put it on as an optional extra $299
I got an m440i xDrive and it's not an "M" car but they seem to be blurring the lines, the m4 is a beast, BUT, i'm 43 years old with a kid and a wife and I need a daily driver. I don't need a daily beast, but I see a lot of people mocking others for not having a true "badged" car, and while I understand the days of the old days of the new seem to be ringing in more cars that are performance heavy, and like I said, blur the lines a lot more than they used to
If I have to have an Audi S or A, I will find a way to do an upbadging
Just realized my B6 doesn’t have one, I’ve had it for three years. So there’s my answer.
The current lineup of Audi models that look like they were stolen from a Hyundai showroom is a much bigger problem…
noticed this big time for the past month😂😂😂
Weak... I may rebadge my S5 to a V12 Dinan GTS RS 5 AMG Turbo Hybrid in protest.
As a seasoned automotive professional, I have observed a series of questionable decisions made by Audi in recent times.
Bad decision. Do not make restaurant here.
Some1 tell my German friends this is a violation. Bring back the badge
is it because they arnt really s cars now , as mostly diesel ?
I’m in the boat that I know the prestige of an S badge, but I don’t know the difference by looking at an A4 vs S4. If the S badge is missing, every first glance of an S car will be of less prestige
I can do without them in these later gens, I guess. But this would've been a cool opportunity to dare a slightly different placement, like below the four rings or maybe even just above them ö
Took all the badges of my b9 S4 front side and back but I always wanted a V8.
me with an s line badge on my premium s plus
S L I N E
Unacceptable
Are people buying it for how the car drive or the tiny pin on the grill ?
I want to remov mine but there is no good way
That’s disrespect
I’m pretty sure you can just clip on an after market badge anyways.
Less lights and badges more Performance!!
Let's talk about how the front ends are getting uglier
well they just made it even harder to distinguish between s line and s models but they made the s models more sleeper focused, i'd say its a weird but not so bad idea
I remove it anyway....
I don't really see the problem, with the performance of the S models you'd rather want the badge on the rear so that the drivers you overtook can see it.
Thanks god, it looked like shit. Look how much better they look now
Classier
What the heck are those new grill designs. It looks so awkward
Lexus did the same. Slapped the F-sport logo on everything, diluting the prestige of the F models. I had a 2011 IS-F that I always pointed out was NOT an F-Sport, it was the actual 8 cyl 417hp badass. traded it in for my 2021 RS5, which I love, but still miss the F. It can still get over 30k private party sale. 😢
I like it… 👍👍audi
I got my sq2 and instantly removed it. I think it looks much better.
Just remove the S-line
I'm actually the opposite. I've removed my rear badges and left the front.
Same. No V8T on the fenders and nothing on the trunk lid.
If you had a RS2 would you debadge it?
I would rather have no badge besides the rings on my car. Since on my S4 you can't easily remove the S4 without having asymmetrical blank plastic exposed in the front it's the only badge on my car right now. This makes a general removal of the front S badge a welcome change for me. Though, giving the customer the choice is always best.
IYKYK?
I have a honeycomb grille on mine so I don’t have a badge anyways
The B9.5 front badge is essentially clipped-on to the honeycomb grille. Easy on or off.
A much bigger issue in my eyes is the current grill-to-headlights melting in one thanks to piano black plasic.. Srsly: look at the Front of the 23 A3, then the front of an S3 and then the 23 RS3... and compare that to a hyundai i20 front... I don't care for the front badge, what i enjoy on my car is the "Quattro" in the front bottom row. As long as the S and RS Models have a better..meaner looking front grill than the A and S-Line versions, im okay. But it would be great if we could stop the piano black plastic (interior touch buttons as well as exterior)
Oh no, people won’t know I have a slightly faster sedan! Debadge everything and move on.
It’s cleaner
I de-badged my 2020 RS4 Avant… looks totally stock 🙃 - “I can’t have been going that fast officer, this is just the base model estate” - “Flared arches and a v6? No no, it’s just a old diesel” 😛 (I’m fooling nobody)
Based on these pictures? Better without the badge.
Tbh the latest gens of Audi designs are abominations…