I previously had the same opinion, but the problem is that almost no one knows the
is badge because it is less charismatic and because as far as I know only 2
is models have been released... vs plenty of Audi S for instance. BMW could have decided to extend and develop the
is/
id range but building a new badge out of nothing costs a lot of time and money and the success is uncertain. And again, having M in the name makes it so much more attractive than
is.
While an ///M...i/d badge will immediately appeal to most customers because of the M aura, just like an Audi S gets credit from the aura of the RS badge... In the end, this new M Performance range is less of a watering down of the legendary M badge than the M Sport, and I don't think anyone complains about the M Sport tarnishing the M iconic image. Moreover, this new M Performance line will not only get esthetic upgrades and a stiffer chassis (like a simple M Sport) but sensible engine upgrades, even sportier chassis and high performance brakes... on top of the specific esthetic accessories. In my mind these ///M...i/d won't at all offend the M image because they will have some serious material to back up their name, and if there was anything shameful it would be the M Sport, not the M Performance... These will be hot little Ms... and probably sell like hot cakes
And yes, Audi's badges S and RS are distinct, but these sporty badges are closely related to each other and the logos keep the same design, there is some strong market consistency here :
On the paper and on the road, BMW could fight the Audi S range with an
is range no problem, but upstream in the market fight, a 335is for instance is most certainly perceived as being just an upgraded 335i, while if you look at Audi, the S-Line sounds like it's being derived from the S which itself seems derived from the RS, although these are only perceptions. And by the way, given that the M Sport already bears the legendary M logo, BMW just had to market this whole new intermediary line with the M logo as well, for consistency reasons
The
is range was clearly a marketing error, probably because at the time BMW didn't imagine issuing a whole new range in order to compete against the Audi S range. Well now it's a necessity.