elfbjorn

Hey, all...

I have a question that will probably seem stupid to all of the Acura veterans here. I was driving home tonight, and there was an Acura on the highway that didn't have a model plate. It looked a hell of a lot like a TL. It had a spoiler on the trunk, but that's the only identifying feature.

When I drove next to it, it looked like it was around the same size as my car. It was also a 4 door.

I know it wasn't an Integra (doesn't even LOOK like a TL), and it wasn't a Legend or a Vigor.

I'm just wondering what it was... Any ideas?

unx979

probably just a TL that's debadged.

SLVR TL

It probably WAS a debadged TL!!

Petrie1997

If you look at the picture of the gold TL on the top left of the acura-tl web pages, you can see a debadged TL (although the Acura logo is still there).

Peter.

daverman

Gold? Looks silver to me!

songoku

Silver....Silver.....Satin silver is the right color...... I'm not sure what Petrie was looking......

elfbjorn

Seems a bit wasteful to me to have bought a great car, and not let everyone else know what you're driving around. For me, it's a sense of pride thing... Like, "Hey... I have something you don't have!"

Debadging (as appears to be the appropriate terminology) -- to me -- is more like saying, "Hey... I have something you don't have! But, I'm not even telling you what it is!"

SLVR TL

I'm with you on this one. I don't understand the concept of debadging either. It just looks like someone stole your emblems. Just my opinion.

Acura3200

and what's wrong with that?

debadging at least makes it somewhat different form the thousands of other TL's out there. You noticed it right?

elfbjorn

Point taken... I did notice.

I also noticed plenty of other ad campaigns -- that's what the badge is, an ad campaign -- that I noticed. But the ones that annoyed me are not the ones I acted on when choosing a product.

There's nothing wrong with saying "... I don't want to tell you what I got." But, as I've been reading through the posts (granted I'm new in town), I've seen enough car pride, that why would you not want to tell people what you're driving?

Now, I'm not trying to say anything negative about people who do this. Please don't misinterpret my comments into that. I just don't get it.

AKRY

Debadge makes car washing/waxing that much easier!! No more cotton piece caught under the emblems....

Besides, if I leave Type-S badge on, sooner or later, some one is gonna "debadge" it for me..... alone with some nice, ugly scratches...

Gonna debadge my car real soon....

Andy Kuo

coffeefingers

Dude,

LOL!

Yeah...whenever I buy designer clothing, like Tommy Hilfiger, Polo, Versace, CK etc.. I make sure I rip the labels off so people won't know I'm wearing nice clothing and steal them!

People look at me funny when they see a big tear in my shirt where the Polo emblem used to be, but whatever... :p

Shoofin

Where did you see this car?
Ed

elfbjorn

It was on the Belt Parkway East on Friday, around 5:30 PM, near the Verranzano Bridge, or Bay Parkway, or somewhere around there... Don't remember exactly.

Detail given for the Brooklynese.

typeSmaximum

I just took the words ACURA off, left the 3.2TL Type S and Acura Logo, looks much cleaner from the rear now as it also does not have a key hole ! Be careful when you pull them opff, it you only lift on one side, the other side will dig into the paint! Warm it up with a heat gun, then lift a little on eaach side with a thin towle while its still how.

BTW: You don't see a benz with M E R C E D E S plastered all over the rear as if you didn't know.

elfbjorn

That's not even the same. An Acura with a "3.2 TL" (or whatever your particular model is) removed is still showing the Acura logo on the back. So, debadging the car still shows what car company it is.

If you are looking for the word "Mercedes" on the back of the car, that's the name of the car company. Last time I checked, it's right there. Also, the model appears on the back. Pretty sure I've seen both the Mercedes-Benz logo AND the model.

At least compare apples to apples...

TUFF GONG

I don't understand what all the fuss is about. I debadged my car the 2nd day I had the car.

The reason(S) are; better I take off the "Type S" badge now then for some idiot to debadge it for me with a screwdriver!

Since I took the "Type S" off my as well take off the "3.2 TL"

And last but finally, I just don't like how it say's "A C U R A" across the back. It's got the A symbol, and that's enough for me.

Beside's, what kind of fool won't realize what I am driving anyway? I'm not driving a McLaren F-1. It's a Acura. Granted some people who know nothing about cars might not realize what it is (I doubt it) but who cares! I don't. Stop your snibling my friend, at least you didn't see a TL-P with a Type-S badge or one of those Mercedes or BMW with a higher model badge. Who are they fooling?

I personnaly love the way it looks debadged. Just like Ed's pic above and the top left pic on the home page.

It has to be the best $1.39 + Tax modification I ever did!(Tooth floss).

And before someone cracks on it, yes I floss, but I use Tuff Floss the kind that has a handle

typeSmaximum

elfbjorn, you missed the point. Luxury brands shouldn't plaster their names all over the back. Of course mercedes has their logo, and the model, but does not put huge M E R C E D E S accross the back. Show me one. This was just making a point on sytle.

Anyhow. I left the acura logo and the 3.2 TL Type S badge, but without the above it looks much cleaner. I will leave the Type S, as just if I bought an AMG, I wouldn't take that badge off.

elfbjorn

Sorry... I completely misread your post. I see your point about overbranding. I still don't necessarily agree with taking off even the word Acura. That's just me.

I don't know... I look at it as, I just dropped a whole bunch o' cash on a car, and I paid for everyone around me to know that I'm sporting a nice car. Will they know without the "Acura", "A", or "3.2 TL"? Absolutely. It's in a whole bunch of other places, and I haven't shut up about it yet. But each of those letters cost me a couple o' thousand dollars. I'm leaving it all there.