Thanks for the shout out! Let us know when you're ready to take the Veloster N for a spin.

To be fair quattro is just Audi's term for their AWD system. The same thing as 4matic is the awd system for Mercedes.

No mention of Subaru? They’ve managed to not dilute “STI” at all over the years

Me: *hears "big thanks" taps right side of screen 45×*

You forgot about the Chevrolet "RS" badged cars. There's nothing "Rally Sport" about a 2019 Malibu.

“Quattro” merely denotes a model as AWD, and is not a performance badge at all. S and RS are Audi’s performance badges.

There's a difference between M, M performance and M-sport. Here's how they compare with Audi for reference: 1. M (M2) - RS (RS3) 2. M Performance (M240i) - S (S3) 3. M Sport (220i) - S-Line (A3 S-Line) 1. All out performance. 2. High performance but made to be used as a daily. 3. Mainly aesthetics, so it looks like the higher end cars but are more economical to run.

As a Type R owner, it makes me proud that Honda didn’t dilute the Type R badge, and that they know what the Type R badge truly meant.

Donut: we're going to talk about performance badges Subaru STi: am I a joke to you?

BMW tells you that the "M Sport Package" doesn't add any horsepower, just changes the looks

The BMW M badge thing kills me. Growing up that M meant so much to me lusting after an E30 M3

I think it is worth noting that every model in Ford’s ST lineup has a pretty significant power boost over the original model, even if that model is a midsize crossover.

6:40 quattro is the name of the four wheel drive system. It doesn’t have anything to do with power. You don’t see quattro on a fwd audi. The s however, is another story

SRT is prob the one badge that has gone the other direction, each year they increase the power, avg new SRT probably has 500hp

Chevy's SS badge: "No love for me here, I see"

For part 2, TRD should be included. It’s been diluted an ok amount, TRD US is heavily diluted, but TRD is still making very good aftermarket parts for Toyota’s road cars, such as a lot of their parts for the ZN6

waiting for my man who will ask for an up to speed on james' pops

Should have included Chevy with the SS badge and Dodge with the R/T

I, too, enjoy my Haiyunda.

6:45 Audi usually keeps a difference between S and S-Line though, especially in the badging.

When i see a Ford Focus ST i treat it like a normal trim. However if i see a RS it makes me smile.

I'm sad SVT didn't get more attention here.

This needs a Part 2; F / F-sport, SS, TRD ...

Some performance badges, in my opinion, are greater value for money and offer almost the same performance plus a comfy ride. (Take m550i for example)

Did Nolan say “2009” instead of “2019.”

Simple way to break it down... BMW: M and M performance real, M sport styling (with suspension upgrades), Xdrive is AWD, Sdrive is RWD. Audi: S and RS real, S Line styling, quarto is AWD Ford: RS and ST real, ST line styling Vauxhall/opel VXR real, VX Line styling. Mercedes: AMG real, AMG line styling. Volkswagen: GTI and R real, R line styling. Renault: RS real, GT line styling Jaguar: R and S real, R Sport and S Sport are styling and soft tweeks. Alfa Romeo: GTA and Quadrafolio real Fiat: Abarth... Bit of both dependant on models over the years. Volvo: polestar real, R-design styling. Skoda: VRs real, sport line styling. Seat: Cupra real, FR is trim but with a few luke warm engine options and sportier dampers. Peugeot: GTI real, GT Line styling. Citroën: VTS (discontinued) real, VTR has hot hatch looks but only minor improvements. Mini: JCW works and GP real, Cooper S a few tweaks and a few extra ponies, Cooper just styling. Anything outside of Europe I'd just be guessing, but it's safe to say add "line" to anything and it seems to just be marketing. Also its worth considering rules and regulations change country to country so local markets may have different restrictions and therefore have to have different marketing strategies, for example handling in some countries is more important than massive power gains so not all tweaks are about the engine.

The BMW M550i has to be the best M Performance BMW. 200hp more than the 540i and a whole second off the 0-60.

Yup, the addition of the word “line” to a badge warrants caution. It means you get the looks w/o performance. To appreciate the EdST, you need to compare it the other Edge trims. EdST is definitely more performance-oriented over the Titanium.

Neezmo: This car neezmo poway baby!!

Donut: Today we will be talking about performance badges. SRT: Am I joke to you

I have an Explorer ST and I love it. Traded in my GTI for a family car and I could not be happier. The performance is actually pretty impressive. The acceleration is on point and it handles like a dream for its size.

Aston Martin wasn't into sports and racing much until recently, they actually went the other way around, from road models to serious racing.

Donut back then: NISMO IS SOOOOO AWESOME! THEY EVEN TUNED A JUKE Donut now: Nismo sucks! They even tuned a juke! Uggghhh

How is Jeep’s “Trail Rated” badge not on here? I’m a Jeep guy myself and I wanna barf when I see that thing 😂

Nolan has always been a solid presenter and host I'm glad he's become an integral part of the Donut host lineup.

That "according to Car And Driver" lil diss was amazing

Nobody remembers the rise and fall of the word "Mopar" There was a time when those parts meant something

Anyone else remember Fords SVT line for the USDM? Mustang, lightning, contour, and focus models; they were no joke.

Surprised that the Yaris GR wasn’t mentioned as it was already known at the time and I even videos of youtubers already testing it. That thing is a beast.

i thought of bmw and good thing they are on this list... they have so many m badges thrown around that are no better than the regulars

Anyone else notice that be said “2009” when he was talking about the supra ?

Slap performance badges on Truck and SUV Me: "......Does it drift?" 🤔 Dealer: "......It can roll......." 😅

Explorer ST is one of the most badass SUVs to actually drive. Total sleeper at over 400HP. The best tech anywhere.

Only just seeing this video and I agree with the ST badge. You failed to mention the ST-Line trim level that we saw for only one year (the final year) in the Fiesta but still is available in Europe. I love my Focus ST and it really wakes up with a few grand worth of simple bolt ons and a tune.

Toyota’s TRD is the most useless sporty badge ever

you forgot quadrifoglio, and you shouldn't have! Hands down, the best badge in the industry

In addition to some other performance badges mentioned in other comments, you also forgot Lexus' F Sport. It's kind of a mixed bag, ranging from the true performance of models like the IS F and LFA, to some light performance and cosmetic upgrades to models like the IS 350, to a cosmetic-only trim level on models like the CT 200h. Generally, the rule is that, when an "F" replaces the usual 3-digit number in the model name, that's a true performance car (like a BMW M3), while the F Sport package or trim level is a lesser upgrade that usually doesn't affect power/acceleration (like BMW's M Performance or M Sport).

The Audi Quattro (capitol Q) was a specific model and was the first AWD car to win a rally race. After that win Audi used the quattro name (lower case q) on every AWD car they made.

"We will see, high-endai"

Toyota: winning Le Mans 2019 Me: …um Porsche and Audi left

Thank you brotha, I'm now very informed of these carmaking badgery.

Although, yes, you can get AMG trim on just about every Mercedes model the vehicle still does not get the AMG badge. The only vehicles with an AMG badge are AMG vehicles. However, not all are hand built engines but at the same time the C43 is substantially more car than a C300 in every aspect.

I found a Honda Civic Si with AMG badge on it

We need an STI and Evo up to speed remake with James's craziness and energy. Just throwing this out there

Def need a part two left out so many good ones like chevy and SS the cadi v series dodge demon and hellcats etc.

As a pleb who could only afford a M235i I have to say it's nice having accessibility into some of these performance lines and my particular case does have significant improvements over the standard 235i so it's not all just trim levels! A real E36 M3 is still my dream car though...

When Audi puts "quattro" on their cars is just how they label the car as AWD. And the "s" cars are still huge performance upgrades from their base counterparts. The s- line is the only thing Audi is at fault for.

SLine is an option offered for dynamics in Audi. The “S” & “RS” badges are still boosts in performance with totally different engines

My neighbour has an X3 with an M badge. And it's a diesel. Folks tell me that M,AMG and RS badges had a lot of exclusivity in the 90s and early 2000s. Not now though.

Toyota has been putting the GR badge on some asian specific eco box like the Vios. The Vios GR Sport has a CVT and no additional horsepower, suffice to say it was a let down

When you see that SRT badge you know it has some powa babeh

Donut: we're going to talk about which performance badges are a Scam Toyota TRD: hold my beer

I have the 2019 Bmw X3 m40i and that thing is crazy fast. Got it tuned stage one and it’s even faster. Will change down pipe for stage 2 soon.

the BMW that was mentioned isnt as bad as it seems like. the regular 2 series has 184 HP while the shown m240i has 374 HP this is in my Oppinion a big difference. And completly fine if you dont want the stiffness of an M2 or M2 competition. The M package on the other hand is mostly a design thing if you like the looks of an M car. So if you know your BMWs its not instantly a scam if you see an M.

I remember my neighbor put a type R badge on his Hyundai and it’s been there for almost 5 years 😂

Mazdaspeed: Am I a joke to you?

You should really include Opel "OPC" performance badge here. Opel still use this badge only on cars that specifically came from "Opel Performance Center" and besides their sporty look, they perform like race cars as well.

I took my e46 325xi into a BMW dealership a few years ago for an airbag recall (only time I would ever set foot at a dealer TBH); the guy gave me a ride back home in an M-badged SUV and was trying to pitch it to me about how awesome it was. However after a few seconds and a couple of well-placed barbs he could tell I was getting visibly angry and he dropped the subject lol.

TRD, most used "sport badge" in toyota manufacturing line

Y’all didn’t include F-sport and every single Lexus has a f-sport trim and has only better brake pads and stiffer suspension and looks

Love Donut Videos. I totally agree on this badge thing. Just one thing I disagree with, Merc doesn't really put the AMG Badge on the AMG line cars. Its literally just all aesthetics. only proper AMGs have the badge. I may just be biased since I work for the Merc Dealership but that's my two cents. Doesn't change the fact that all videos from you guys are AWESOME :)

Toyota have two tuning badges, there's also the SR line (my Granddad used to own a '77 Corolla SR which is a forgotten classic and still very pretty)

I think Audi actually does 'performance' badges better than most brands. Clear tiers between A>S>RS and S Line to me implies that you get what most people notice from these higher end vehicles, without having to worry about more stringent upkeep

Mazdaspeed “you either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain” *ford ahem ahem*

2 of the most unforgivable sins of car culture 1. Fake exhaust holes/tips 2. Performance edition badges put on standard cars. (Usually by owners)

Me? I prefer a sleeper. To quote an infamous movie bad guy: "Badges? We don't gotta show you no steenking badges!"

Base model BMW exists: BMW owner: [insert M badge here]

I thought Quattro was the 4WD system?

I can really agree with the merc. There are 2 cars both with the mag badge. one of them is the a180 am with a sports exhaust, some aerodynamics stuff, 0-60 in about 4 secs and produces a lot of hrsprs from the amg engine. the other one is a a180D AMG with some aero things missing and has a Renault diesel engine that has a lot less hrsprs and has only 4 cylinders. Also on the diesel the exhaust is blocked by a fake plastic exhaust cover lol

M340i owner here. The "M" badge (even if the car is not a full M-car) is definitely not a scam... this sucker scoots! It may "only" be M performance, but it's a very VERY quick car.

Up to Speed on Audience Guy. I miss that dude. Hope he's OK.

INFINITI: S MEANS BIGGER RIMS AND A COOL BADGE

the m240i in my opinion is a good lower m cr because of the affordability and the almost 150 hp boost

As an owner of a BMW M240i, I agree, the M Lites are watering down the M brand. In some cases (especially the SUVs) they are basically the same thing in pure power numbers, though in other models, they offer a big jump with major component upgrades as well offering some drivetrain options not even available as options on the full M. I do wish they gave it another badge though to keep the M line pure, but I guess marketing disagrees. 🤷‍♂️

I just want a Mustang with the King Ranch trim.

"Nolan-baby" you forgot to mention the worst badge dishonor/scam for the sake of sales of all time. The all-electric 4 door crossover called a "Mustang"

This is how Bimmer works M series ( eg m3 ) - proper sports car , all out balls to the wall , on the edge of legality sports car M performance ( eg m340i ) - Fast but still a good daily car and a weekend warrior M sport package ( eg 330i m sport ) - Just a base car with aesthetic mods and perhaps a bit lower suspension and a higher trim level ( lets say infotainment or digital drivers display ) Regular 330i - highest non M impostor trim level 320i - Base version of 3 series 318i - BASE BASE version

Thankyou for not pulling any of the usual bullshit while promoting the sponsor, Nolan your an angel. I subsequently don’t have a headache.

I remember seeing a Nismo Juke at the dealership I laughed.... I almost test drove it to see how fast it was

Please, “Up to speed “ episode about Oldsmobile 442.

Glad you try to keep them honest

It's 2022, we have Toyota Agya Gr sport, Yaris Gr Sport (No not the WRC GR Yaris, but econobox Yaris), and literally every Toyota car but Gr Sport, which is quite a mockery of that brand

Y’all should do an episode on the c63

The m240 or m 340 are still a lot faster than the “normal” versions

Since around 2020 BMW have made M packages standard or the only option on the higher trim levels. Before on the F30 you could have the 340i now on the G20 you can only get the M340i at a much higher price.

9:37 I live in the Canadian maratimes where we get ice storms every second day of winter, I actually a handful of them every day while driving to work collage ect. Still think it didn’t need an st trim tho

as the owner of a focus st, i had a mini heart attack when you mentioned st in the intro lmao

10:57 Whoa, North Korea disappeared Lol

Less history lessons more up to date useful info. Great content tho, keep it up

As a merc owner, I have to say I hate that they put AMG badges on everything. My car for example (just a normal diesel C-class) came with an AMG badge on the back, the wheels have AMG engraved in them and the floormats say AMG...